Drug Screening for Testosterone by Hair Analysis

Testosterone is the base molecule used to make all anabolic steroids. Because of their performance-enhancing capabilities, anabolic steroids were officially banned from international sports in the mid-1970s. Hair analysis is a way of testing for steroids. It is a relatively noninvasive method of testing, and hair testing can form a more long-term picture of steroid use than urine testing alone.

Testosterone

• Testosterone is the main male sex hormone responsible for the production of male sexual characteristics such as facial hair, deepening of the voice and muscle growth. The hormone is 95 percent produced in the testes, and the remainder is produced in the adrenal glands located at the top of the kidneys. Testosterone is also naturally produced by women as a precursor to estrogen and is important for the general health of the body. Some steroids have been reported to improve strength, lean body mass, aggressiveness and shorten recovery time between workouts, which is what makes them attractive to some athletes, according to the American Association for Clinical Chemistry.

Rationale Behind Hair Analysis

• Each hair survives five to six years before falling out of the scalp. Hair grows from hair follicles in the scalp, which are constantly nourished by a rich blood supply. As a result, as the hair grows out of the scalp, it holds whatever substances that were circulating in the scalp at the time of its development within its structure for the lifetime of the hair. In addition to this, the sebaceous glands located next to the hair follicle, which coat the hair with nourishing sebum, also contain trace amounts of substances. Hair keeps a long record of what goes on in your body, far more so than blood and urine, according to Medindia.

Hair Analysis

• Urine analysis has been traditionally used to test athletes for performance-enhancing compounds. However, urine testing can only detect anabolic steroids in urine two to four days after initial administration (usually by injection). Urine testing is also limited in being able to identify the metabolites (breakdown products) of certain anabolic steroids. An article in the Journal of Clinical Chemistry says hair can form a picture of long-term abuse of steroids and hair analysis can help form a more accurate picture of exactly what substance is being or has been used. An article in Forensic Science International cites hair testing as a useful addition to standard urine testing for athletes.

Limitations

• According to Medindia, false positive and false negative results are a possibility, so it is important another technique is used in addition to verify results. It is also difficult to say where a substance came from. For example, steroids can be used to treat a multitude of medical problems such as bone marrow stimulation in hyperplastic anemia, induction of growth in children with growth failure, stimulation of appetite and preservation of muscle mass in muscle-wasting conditions such as cancer and AIDS.

Considerations

• If you are having hair analysis, disclose any medications you are taking or have taken in the past to rule out the possibility of false positive results.