| Hair drug testing is a growing but still somewhat | | | | to the metabolites inside. Any accredited |
| unfamiliar drug testing process. People have | | | | laboratory will use this process to determine if |
| questions all the time about it, so we decided to | | | | drugs are present in the hair. |
| create a guide to the most important aspects of | | | | Now a question often asked is - can I use hair |
| this home drug test process. | | | | that I collect from a hairbrush for my hair follicle |
| First of all, you are going to need a pretty specific | | | | drug test? The answer is no, for a few reasons. |
| amount of hair. At least 90 to 120 strands should | | | | One, you cannot necessarily be sure that all the |
| be collected for submission, and if the hair is short | | | | hair on the brush is from the same person. Two, |
| or fine, collect a bit more. | | | | when you submit a hair sample for your hair drug |
| Secondly, where you collect the hair is important. | | | | test, all the hair must be organized the same way. |
| You must collect it from the scalp - you cannot | | | | All the root ends must be together for your |
| just snip the ends off the hair. Although it takes | | | | submission to be successfully analyzed. Finally, you |
| some time to reach this point, drugs become | | | | may not know how old the hair is on the |
| harder to detect as the hair grows out and grows | | | | hairbrush, and end up mixing hair that is a year old |
| older. And it is also important to give the hair drug | | | | with hair that is from this week. The integrity of |
| test laboratory a consistent starting point to work | | | | the hair drug test will deteriorate. |
| with. That point is a week before the hair was | | | | The last area of interest I want to address is |
| cut - it takes about a week for hair with or | | | | body hair. Some tests accept body hair, others |
| without drugs to grow out long enough to be cut | | | | do not, so you must check with the |
| and then analyzed. | | | | manufacturer or store to find out. If body hair |
| The third thing to be aware of with this home | | | | can be analyzed by your home drug test hair kit, |
| drug test is that each half inch of hair that you | | | | then you will be able to learn a longer drug history |
| provide represents about a month. Ideally, you | | | | than you can with hair. An inch and a half of body |
| want to provide an inch and a half of hair - that | | | | hair could take you back as long as 5-6 months, |
| will give you a 90 day drug history. With a | | | | possibly longer. |
| consumer test kit, 90 days is the maximum | | | | Hair drug testing offers a lot of promise, as it is |
| period of analysis for head hair (we will get into | | | | one of the only tests that can tell you such a long |
| body hair later). You can submit hair a foot in | | | | drug history. The great thing about the home |
| length but only the inch and a half closest to the | | | | drug test market is that it provides these tests |
| scalp will be analyzed. Do not, however, shorten | | | | to you without having to go to a laboratory |
| the hair from the other end for that reason. Your | | | | yourself. The hair is processed by the same |
| hair drug test will specifically tell you how to | | | | accredited laboratories, so the results are just as |
| collect the hair. | | | | accurate with the home drug testing method. If |
| You may also not have known that the hair | | | | you are looking for the most convenient way to |
| sample used in a hair drug test is pulverized by | | | | test it is something you may want to try and |
| the laboratory. Once in liquid form, they can get | | | | hopefully this article will be of help if you do so! |