So your employer is giving you a hair drug screening test today and you could be gone from your job tomorrow if you fail the test.  Employers use a hair drug screening test because it records toxins in the body over a long period of time.  Your hair follicle provides a measurement of drug molecules and their metabolites that have been introduced into the follicle by your bloodstream after your body has metabolized the particular substance.  Your hair grows approximately one quarter to one half inch per month but, like your metabolism, everyone’s rate of hair growth differs.

The average hair drug screening test usually tries to cover a time period of about three months.  The sample is usually cut as close to the root as possible and on average is about one inch to one and one half inch in length. Fifty to seventy strands of hair are usually required and are taken from various locations on the scalp so as not to leave anyone with a huge bald spot after the sample is taken.

If you are bald or you shave your head you are not off the hook.  Hair samples can be collected from your forearms, legs and chest (for men), your underarms or any other location on your body with the exception of your pubic area as this is a clear invasion of privacy.  Since your body hair grows at a slower rate than the hair on your head toxins can be detected for up to a year after they have been in your bloodstream so a timeline of substances ingested would be more than the last ninety days.  In the case where a person does not have enough hair to be analyzed, a urine test may be required.

Companies sometimes require hair follicle drug screening tests because some substances like cocaine, methamphetamines, ecstasy, PCP, heroin and other opiates can be gone from your bloodstream or urine in a matter of days while traces of these substances will be detectable in your hair indefinitely.  Prepare yourself for a hair drug test by using one of the detox shampoo and conditioners that are offered on this website.