A hair drug test, also referred to as a hair follicle drug test, determines whether an individual has used drugs within the last five to 90 days. Unlike urine tests, which typically detect drug and alcohol consumption for around a week, a hair drug test possesses a significantly longer detection window. This makes them effective in identifying chronic, repeated, or binge drug usage over an extended period. Despite being a relatively recent method, hair drug testing is gaining popularity among employers and courts due to its extensive retrospective capability. In cases where the individual being tested lacks sufficient head hair, body hair can serve as an alternative sample. Such drug testing procedures are commonly employed for pre-employment screening or regular workplace drug testing initiatives.  Premier Drug Testing and Compliance offers the lowest price on hair drug testing with the fastest turnarounds available.

Once drugs are ingested by a person, they enter the bloodstream and as the body metabolizes them. The resulting metabolites end up traveling through the blood. Because blood supplies nutrients to the hair follicles, any drugs and their metabolites consumed are deposited into these follicles. Consequently, evidence of drug use remains preserved within that growing hair.

Despite being labeled as a hair follicle test, it’s actually the hair strands themselves that undergo examination, not the follicle or “root.” In our hair drug testing procedure, we analyze a sample of hair which provides a retrospective view of approximately 90 days of drug usage. In cases where an individual’s head hair falls short of the required length, body hair can be tested as an alternative. While there is ongoing debate regarding the detection window for body hair, our laboratory estimates it to range from 90 to 365 days.