Hair Drug Testing
Hair drug testing is a reliable method for detecting consistent or long-term drug use. It provides a 90-day detection window, far longer than the two to three days for urine tests. Hair tests are nearly twice as likely to yield a positive result.
How Does Hair Testing Detect Drug Use?
After a drug is used—whether smoked, injected, snorted, or ingested—the body produces metabolites as it breaks down the substance. These metabolites circulate in the bloodstream and become embedded in the hair follicles. As the hair grows, the evidence of drug use becomes part of the strand itself, providing a biological timeline of use.
What Drugs Are Detected?
Hair drug testing screens for five federally mandated drug classes: Cocaine (including Benzoylecgonine), Marijuana (THC), Opiates (Codeine, Morphine, 6-MAM), Methamphetamines (Meth, Amphetamine, MDMA), Phencyclidine (PCP). These substances are detected through metabolites that integrate into the hair after the drug has been ingested and metabolized by the body.