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Hair Follicles Test Information

Hair follicle testing, or hair follicle analysis, is not only done to check for illegal drug usage, but can also be used to detect toxic metals, forensics in matters of crime investigations and DNA to check for blood relatives.

  1. Detects Drug Usage

    • When you search the Internet for hair follicle testing, most of the information will be about hair follicle testing to check for drug usage. Many employers require random drug testing for all their employees, and some require the test once a year. Some employers require a drug test before they will hire you. Drug addicts, or parents of teens who abuse drugs, can utilize drug testing to ensure they are staying sober. In either case, hair follicle testing is a good option.

    How the Test is Done

    • Hair follicle testing is an accurate way to detect drug use. To complete a hair follicle test, the technician will take a sample of the person's hair to be tested and send it to the lab. It is preferable to have about 50 to 120 strands of hair about one and a half inches in length, but any size or amount will do if that is all you have. The hair sample is sent into a lab to be screened for drugs. The results normally take three to four days.

    Types of Drugs it Can Detect

    • The types of drugs hair follicle testing can detect are; cocaine, PCP, marijuana, ecstasy, opiates and methamphetamines. When someone uses drugs, whether by smoking, ingesting or inhalation, the drug makes a metabolite that runs through the blood stream and moves into the hair follicle. Hair will store the drug metabolite traces in the follicle for up to a year. Hair follicle testing is more effective than a urine test when checking for drugs such as cocaine, PCP and meth, because those drugs do not usually stay the urine after seven days. They do, however, stay in your hair for up to a year.

    You Can't Shampoo the Drugs out of Your Hair

    • In addition to finding information about hair follicle testing for drug usage on the Internet, you will also find many sites that claim they have a shampoo or soap that can get rid of the drug traces in your hair. These are all scams because the drugs are deep inside each strand itself. Even shaving your head will not work because your body is covered in hair, and any hair on your body will show the evidence of drug use.

    Detection of Toxic Metals

    • Hair follicle testing can also be used to find out if you have an excess of toxic metals such as lead, arsenic or mercury in your system. The process is done exactly the same as for drug testing.

    Forensics and Paternity

    • Hair follicle testing is used to examine the DNA of an individual for crime investigations and paternity tests. DNA is the genetic code that is unique to each individual. DNA is stored in our hair, our skin, our saliva--our entire body. For DNA testing you only need the root of one hair to compare the DNA of a person to the DNA sample taken at a crime scene or to a possible relative.

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