Hair Follicle Drug Testing Facts

These hair follicle drug testing facts will tell you everything you need to know. The more you know the better prepared you can be for the possibility of being tested. Make sure you do your research so you are not caught off guard.

Basics. Hair follicle test basics. A hair follicle test measures the metabolites that drugs produce after the drug has been processed by the body. The metabolites are brought to the  hair follicles by the bloodstream.

Drugs. Drugs will stay in the hair follicles for 90 days. This can vary a little, the average amount of time is about 90 days. For hair follicle drug testing screeners will cut the hair as close to the scalp as possible to get the most recently grown hair.

Types. There are five drug classes that can be tested. Hair follicle drug testing can be used to detect cocaine, marijuana, opiates, and PCP.

Body Hair. Body Hair can be tested too. Hair follicle drug testing does not necessarily have to be hair from a persons head. Body hair can also be used as well. Since it takes longer for body hair to grow, drugs can be detected for up to a year.

Strands. Testing needs about 50-70 strands of hair. This range is dependent on the type of hair being tested. The thickness of the hair and the color pigment will change the amount of hair needed.

Effectiveness. Hair follicle testing is more effective than urine testing for some drugs. Out of the 5 drugs that can be detected in hair follicle testing, PCP, cocaine, opiates, and methamphetamine are all more likely to show up in a hair follicle test than a urine test. Marijuana is the only drug where it is about equal.