If you’ve been called for a hair follicle drug test, you may be wondering what will happen during the test.
There’s really no need to worry because a hair follicle drug test is the most non-invasive type of drug testing. Many firms favor it over urine and blood testing as there’s no risk of contamination nor do they have to worry about bio-hazards and other such materials lying around. For the person being tested, there’s no need to be concerned about privacy or be afraid of pain from needles.
During the test, the tester will take a sample of hair from the subject. This usually requires about 80 to 120 strands of hair, with the roots intact. This is because testers require the newest growth of hair, as this will have the most recent drug use history; up to 90 days for the first 1.5 inches of hair (give or take, as the exact rate of hair growth varies per person.) Most testers will try to test for popular drugs, such as cocaine, marijuana, opiates, methamphetamines, and PCP. However, there may be some other types of drugs that can also be tested for, like LSD or morphine. For those who may be bald, it’s also possible to get hair samples from facial hair, armpits or the pubic area for testing.
There’s really no need to worry because a hair follicle drug test is the most non-invasive type of drug testing. Many firms favor it over urine and blood testing as there’s no risk of contamination nor do they have to worry about bio-hazards and other such materials lying around. For the person being tested, there’s no need to be concerned about privacy or be afraid of pain from needles.
During the test, the tester will take a sample of hair from the subject. This usually requires about 80 to 120 strands of hair, with the roots intact. This is because testers require the newest growth of hair, as this will have the most recent drug use history; up to 90 days for the first 1.5 inches of hair (give or take, as the exact rate of hair growth varies per person.) Most testers will try to test for popular drugs, such as cocaine, marijuana, opiates, methamphetamines, and PCP. However, there may be some other types of drugs that can also be tested for, like LSD or morphine. For those who may be bald, it’s also possible to get hair samples from facial hair, armpits or the pubic area for testing.