Hair Drug Testing: Complete Information & What You Need to Know
Hair Drug Testing: Complete Information & What You Need to Know
Hair drug testing is a powerful tool used to detect drug use over an extended period—making it particularly valuable for employers, courts, probation programs, and rehab monitoring. Hair testing provides a window into long-term substance use that traditional urine and blood tests cannot offer.
What Is a Hair Drug Test? 🧬
A hair drug test analyzes a small sample of hair to detect the presence of drug metabolites that have been deposited into the hair shaft from the bloodstream. Unlike urine or blood tests, which detect recent use, hair testing can reveal patterns of drug use over months.
Key Points:
How Hair Testing Works
Hair drug testing is a powerful tool used to detect drug use over an extended period—making it particularly valuable for employers, courts, probation programs, and rehab monitoring. Hair testing provides a window into long-term substance use that traditional urine and blood tests cannot offer.
What Is a Hair Drug Test? 🧬
A hair drug test analyzes a small sample of hair to detect the presence of drug metabolites that have been deposited into the hair shaft from the bloodstream. Unlike urine or blood tests, which detect recent use, hair testing can reveal patterns of drug use over months.
Key Points:
- Typically uses 1.5 inches of hair closest to the scalp — about 90 days of growth.
- Detects metabolites inside the hair, not surface contamination.
- external contamination is possible from meth and cocaine from contact or smoking vapors
- Results are more difficult to alter or adulterate than urine samples.
How Hair Testing Works
- Hair Collection
A technician cuts hair samples (usually from the crown of the head) as close to the scalp as possible. Longer hair doesn’t extend the detection window—anything over 1.5" is tossed at time of testing.
- Laboratory Analysis
Samples are washed, prepared, and tested in a laboratory. Initial screens often use immunoassay, and positives are confirmed with advanced techniques like GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry).
What Substances Can Be Detected?
Hair drug tests can detect a wide range of substances depending on the panel ordered:
5 Panel 9 Panel = 5 panel items plus
Sample Collection Guidelines
Hair drug tests can detect a wide range of substances depending on the panel ordered:
5 Panel 9 Panel = 5 panel items plus
- Marijuana (THC)
- Cocaine and metabolites
- Opiates (heroin, morphine, codeine)
- Amphetamines (meth, MDMA)
- Phencyclidine (PCP)
- Benzodiazepines
- Expanded opiates, methadone, tramadol, and more in larger panels
Sample Collection Guidelines
- Collect 90–120 strands of hair or more if necessary. 90 at 1.5" 100 at 1" and 120 at .5" ( minimum that can be tested)
- Hair over 1.5 inches is trimmed so only the most recent growth is tested.
- Body hair may be used if head hair isn’t available, but growth patterns are slower and thus more concentrated especial underarm due to sweat .
Use Amounts vs Levels vs Treatment
THC
- is not cut and dry like all others only giving monthly vs grams ( 1 g a day / 1 oz a month average 2.5 pg levels)
- Concentrate go by 4 x rule so a gram of wax is 4 grams dry
Meth
( includes MDMA , or any amphetamine medication such as adderal )
( includes MDMA , or any amphetamine medication such as adderal )
- 1-gram use results 10,000pg
Coke
- 1-gram results 1,000pg COC yet is the most work to break down
OPIATES (natural herion , codien , morphine) 8 per gram - Synthetics oxy , hydro methadone 10 - FENT is x100
- 8-10 treatments per g -the mg per pill as in a 10/250 perc only the 10mg is the opiate so 100 10mg is 1g
Hair collection & Testing Information
"Standard " Hair Test are run on a 5 panel screen. Some bigger labs like Quest, in order to get bigger fail numbers will use "extended opium panel" Normally a 5 panel looks at natural opiate like heroin morphine and codeine. The extended panel included oxycodone Percocet type meds as well. The more exotic meds like deladide or Methadone are on 10 panel screens and up. Cost are greater so with larger panels so it is rare. Typically your already in a situation and shouldn't be using anyway .
5 Panel - The Standard
|
9 Panel Hair screen - Or opiate extended panel |
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Amphetamines (speed, meth )
Opiates (heroin, morphine, opium, codeine) 11-nor -D9-THC-9 Cannabinoids ( THC) Cocaine ( actually screens for 2 cocaine metabolite and cocaine itself) Phencyclidine (PCP) |
Amphetamines (speed, meth, crank)
11-nor -D9-THC-9 Cannabinoids ( THC) Cocaine ( actually screens for 2 cocaine metabolite and cocaine itself) Opiates ( Heroin, Morphine, Codeine) Phencyclidine (pcp) Benzodiazepines Oxycodone ( hydrocodone, percocete, Oxycontin ) Methadone Propoxyphene |
Hair Collection Procedure
Typical amount of hair is 90 -120 strands from .5" to 1.5" , hair over 1.5" will be trimmed by tech before process to 1.5" . This is part of standardization of testing. So, @ .5" they will just use a little more hair so all sample weight the same. They can only see what you give them , at .5" ( average 1 month window) they can't see 3 months or more let alone a year . Cutting hair from 12 " to 6" will do nothing , wait to be instructed by tech if hair cutting will help in your case .
Hair is collected in 2 typical ways depending on the labs SOP . Some collect from a few random spots and someone swatch from rear. More often from crown and back as to not create a spot or mess up haircut. Generally concentrating treatment on rear of head for woman is ideal. Men with high top cuts will be collecting from top or wherever the longest hair is at so they can get the full 1.5" 3-month window if possible .
Hair is collected in 2 typical ways depending on the labs SOP . Some collect from a few random spots and someone swatch from rear. More often from crown and back as to not create a spot or mess up haircut. Generally concentrating treatment on rear of head for woman is ideal. Men with high top cuts will be collecting from top or wherever the longest hair is at so they can get the full 1.5" 3-month window if possible .
This video is an example of typical hair collection procedure .
OPIOIDS
Urinalysis testing is commonly used to detect the presence of opiates in the body, whether they are obtained through prescription or illicit means. One of the primary substances that is identified in these tests is morphine, which is a metabolite of heroin and codeine. Morphine undergoes further metabolic processes and is broken down into two main substances: 3-morphine-glucuronide and 6-morphine-glucuronide. The 3-morphine-glucuronide metabolite is responsible for approximately 50% of the morphine that is excreted through the kidneys. However, this metabolite can have adverse effects such as hyperalgesia and neurotoxicity.
Fentanyl, a potent opioid, is typically not detected in urine screens due to the lack of identifiable metabolites. Similarly, oxycodone is not usually detected because it is derived from the baine, a compound that is not excreted in the urine. On the other hand, codeine undergoes extensive metabolism, and approximately 10% to 15% of the administered dose is converted into morphine and norcodeine.
All three of these compounds can be detected in the urine following their ingestion.
While prescribed opiates are intended for pain management purposes, illicit substances and semi-synthetic derivatives of morphine are not used for therapeutic effects due to their high potential for abuse. Heroin, for example, is a semi-synthetic derivative of morphine that is more potent and acts rapidly. It binds to the opioid receptor as an agonist, inhibits substance P, and produces effects similar to prescribed opiates, including sedation, miosis (constriction of the pupils), nausea or vomiting, and decreased blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate.
Detecting the presence of heroin itself can be challenging because it is rapidly metabolized into several substances, including 6-monoacetylmorphine (6-MAM), morphine, and morphine glucuronide. Heroin can be detected in the bloodstream within 3 to 5 minutes after administration, while the metabolite morphine can be detected 2 to 4 days after heroin use. Confirmation through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is necessary to confirm suspected heroin use, and the presence of 6-MAM is considered conclusive evidence. The 6-MAM metabolite specifically indicates heroin use, as it is not produced from morph
Urinalysis testing is commonly used to detect the presence of opiates in the body, whether they are obtained through prescription or illicit means. One of the primary substances that is identified in these tests is morphine, which is a metabolite of heroin and codeine. Morphine undergoes further metabolic processes and is broken down into two main substances: 3-morphine-glucuronide and 6-morphine-glucuronide. The 3-morphine-glucuronide metabolite is responsible for approximately 50% of the morphine that is excreted through the kidneys. However, this metabolite can have adverse effects such as hyperalgesia and neurotoxicity.
Fentanyl, a potent opioid, is typically not detected in urine screens due to the lack of identifiable metabolites. Similarly, oxycodone is not usually detected because it is derived from the baine, a compound that is not excreted in the urine. On the other hand, codeine undergoes extensive metabolism, and approximately 10% to 15% of the administered dose is converted into morphine and norcodeine.
All three of these compounds can be detected in the urine following their ingestion.
While prescribed opiates are intended for pain management purposes, illicit substances and semi-synthetic derivatives of morphine are not used for therapeutic effects due to their high potential for abuse. Heroin, for example, is a semi-synthetic derivative of morphine that is more potent and acts rapidly. It binds to the opioid receptor as an agonist, inhibits substance P, and produces effects similar to prescribed opiates, including sedation, miosis (constriction of the pupils), nausea or vomiting, and decreased blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate.
Detecting the presence of heroin itself can be challenging because it is rapidly metabolized into several substances, including 6-monoacetylmorphine (6-MAM), morphine, and morphine glucuronide. Heroin can be detected in the bloodstream within 3 to 5 minutes after administration, while the metabolite morphine can be detected 2 to 4 days after heroin use. Confirmation through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is necessary to confirm suspected heroin use, and the presence of 6-MAM is considered conclusive evidence. The 6-MAM metabolite specifically indicates heroin use, as it is not produced from morph