Hair Follicle Drug and Alcohol Testing

ITVC doctors - are certified doctor for collection of Hair for HFD testing
Hair follicle Drug Testing involved for various purposes like employment purposes Routine occupational drug testing at the employments level , custodian or Legal matters etc
Our centre collect the sample and forward to PSYCHEMEDICS drug testing labs based in America through AWDTS in Queensland.
Results approximately take Two working weeks
Results of the tests will be emailed to the client or to the third party as requested by the individual who is authorised to receive the results

Things to avoid prior to collection of Hair Sample
Avoid hair gel or oils for 24 to 48 hours
Avoid dying hair
avoid coming with Hair bun or Pony Tail
Avoid Braids or Deadlocks
Synthetic Hair or Added hairs are not suitable for collection

Hair Follicle Test Can Detect Following Drugs

• Amphetamines Methamphetamine MDMA MDEA
• Phencyclidine
• Cannabis
• Cocaine
• Opiates
• Ecstasy (MDMA)
• Mephedrone Amphetamine Depravities
• Methadone Opiate Depravities
• Alcohol (an additional test If requested)

Principles of Hair Drug Testing

The metabolites of chronic drug use, Illicit and repetitive is incorporated into hair for a period of about 90 days.
The presence of drugs in hair is based on a simple principle. Drugs which are ingested circulate in the bloodstream which nourishes developing hair follicles. As a result, trace amounts of the target drug or drug metabolite are deposited in the hair follicle and become entrapped in the core of the hair shaft as it grows out from the hair follicle.

Normal growth rates for human hair are approximately 3.5 cm per month. By testing for the presence of drugs in the hair shaft core on a given length of hair, a historical record of past drug usage can be constructed. Since target drug or drug metabolite residues are chemically and structurally stable for an extended period of time within the hair shaft core, they cannot be externally washed, bleached, chemically treated or flushed out of the hair structure. Consequently there is little possibility of sample contamination or manipulation. For this reason many courts and legal entities and pre employment and work screening have chosen hair drug test as the preferred method of drug testing.
Laboratory analysis of the hair shaft from an individual can achieve highly accurate drug test results and provide a historical use record. Generally it takes approximately 5 days for drugs to show up in a person's hair and they will continue to be detectable in the hair for several months.

Hair Drug Testing & Alcohol Testing and the Physiological Role of Hair

Hair is a remarkable medium for recording drug and alcohol abuse but the functional characteristics of hair and its role as a sample source are very complex. Hair is an annex of skin. It originates from hair follicles in which the germination centre is formed by active matrix cells. These cells give rise to the different layers of the hair shaft-cuticle, cortex, and medulla. The hair follicle cells are in constant active proliferation but in the shaft there is virtually no metabolic activity. The hair follicle, located about 4mm below the surface of the skin is supplied by a capillary blood system, and surrounded by three types of glands which literally bathe each follicle and appear on the skin surface as sweat. Hair grows in three distinct cycles, an active phase (anagen), transitional phase (catgen), and resting phase (telogen). Scalp hair grows an average of about 10mm (slightly less then a half inch) per month, but there are significant differences in the growth rate of hair from various anatomical parts of the body and growth rate might be effected genetics, age, sex, health, etc.
Drugs and various metabolites including those of alcohol, enter the hair shaft by passive diffusion from the capillaries surrounding the follicle as well as diffusion from the sweat glands and deep skin compartments. Hair can be collected from anywhere on the body but the preferred location is the posterior vertex of the scalp. Ideally about 50 to 100 mg of hair is used either in total as a composite test or segmented into a sequence of lengths for yielding a chronological level of use based on 30 day increments.
Hair samples are increasingly used for the detection of chronic drug and alcohol abuse because the results are specific and precisely stated in picograms or nanograms per milligrams of sample. Urine and saliva testing remain useful tools for immediate evaluation, but generally are accurate for a period not exceeding 72 hours of ingestion.
Specimen Collection
The collector obtains a 50 to100 milligram sample of hair (90 to 120 strands) cut at the scalp and completes chain-of-custody documentation., the process minimizes the likelihood of sample adulteration or specimen substitution

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: What is hair drug testing?
Drug and drug metabolite(s) are incorporated into the hair matrix from the bloodstream following drug use. Hair drug testing detects drugs that are embedded in the hair.

Q: How much hair is needed for a hair drug test?
A hair drug test with initial screen and confirmation requires 50 to100 milligrams of hair .

Q: What time period does a hair drug test cover?
Hair growth rates vary; typically, head hair grows at an average of one-half inch per month. Therefore, 3.5 cm hair sample detects drug use up to 90 days prior to testing.

Q: How does the drug detection window for hair compare to urine and oral fluid?
Drug detection times vary depending on the dose, sensitivity of the testing method used, preparation and route of administration, duration of use (acute or chronic), the matrix that is analysed, the molecule or metabolite that is looked for, the pH and concentration of the matrix (urine, oral fluid), and variations in metabolic and renal clearance. In general, the detection time is longest in hair, followed by urine and oral fluid.
2 Drugs in hair may be detectable for approximately 90 days, whereas drugs in urine are generally detectable for one to seven days or longer in chronic users and in oral fluid from five to 48 hours

Q: How soon after use can a drug be detected in hair?
Drug (and/or metabolite) can be detected approximately seven to 10 days from the time of drug use. This is the time in which the affected hair grows from the follicle to emerge above the scalp.

Q : What is Involved in Hair Follicle Drug Testing ?
collect Hair sample from the Body for testing purposes
Predominantly from the head about 50to 100 mg. Minimum length of hair has to be greater than 3.5 cms
If the scalp hair is too short or not present, hairs can be collected from different parts of the body (except pubic hair) like chest, Arm pits, leg or arms -May involve dry shaving
Rarely Moustache or beard hair can also be collected if necessary
If no hairs are available nail clippings from the fingers collected as alternative

Q: Can hair collected from a brush be used?
Yes, Technically not valid

Q: How does the laboratory address external exposure to certain drugs like marijuana or crack (cocaine) smoke?
While washing the hair sample may remove some of the contamination, ultimately external exposure can be differentiated from actual use because of the presence of the drug metabolite, which is not present when environmental contamination is the source of the drug.
Interpretation Of results
A Negative result means that the drug was not detected in an amount that meets or exceeds the cutoff
A positive test means that the drug was detected in an amount that meets or exceeds the Mass Spec. cutoff

 For appointments please call us on 1300557070.