|  | Public Health Safety | Public Health

How Long Do Drugs Stay in the Hair on Your Head?

Drug metabolites may be present in the hair indefinitely, though typical hair drug tests only test for an approximate period of the last three months.

  1. Function

    • When drugs are ingested and processed by the body, drug metabolites are created that bind to the hair and other areas of the body after the effects of the drug have worn off. Drug metabolites within the inner part of strands of hair may reveal drug use.

    Time Frame

    • According to OmegaLabs.net, it takes approximately five days after drug use for drug metabolites to appear in the hair above the scalp. Standard hair drug tests test for a period over the past 90 days, with a hair sample that is an inch and a half long.

    Types

    • Drug metabolites may also be present in body hair. When tested for drug metabolites, body hair does not as accurately reveal when drug use occurred, as does hair from the head.

    Drugs

    • All standardized drug tests screen for a group of drugs known as the SAMHSA- 5. This group of drugs includes amphetamines, cocaine, marijuana, opiates and PCP.

    Considerations

    • According to the Department of Health and Human Services, there are a variety of ways that drugs may enter the hair, including the environment.

Public Health - Related Articles