What is the reason different companies choose to perform different types of drug tests? How do they differ and why does it matter on the type of test they will do?
A drug screening test can use urine, hair, saliva, blood, nail or sweat samples. The last two are extremely rare to be used, while the first two are quite common. Let’s look into the difference between hair and urine drug test:
1. Hair test provides a longer period of time to detect the drug abuse than a urine test – metabolites stay trapped in the hair forever, while the urine can become clean within days, depending on the drug of choice.
2. Hair test can detect chronic drug use, while urine test cannot – it can only show the presence of metabolites, answering a “yes/no” question.
3. Hair sample is a little more difficult to adulterate when compared to urine, which can be tampered with easily (see Detox Shampoo, Detox Kits, Detox Dinks, etc.)
4. Hair drug test is more expensive since each sample needs to be sent to a lab, while urine sample can be tested right there and then without creating a biological hazard while shipping to a lab.
5. Hair drug test cannot detect recent drug use as toxins will show up only within 7-14 days after the use – depending on speed of hair growth – while urine sample can show what a person did couple hours earlier.
6. Hair drug test is limited to a number of drugs that can be tested for, while urine test can show a wide range of different drug metabolites.
Which one will your company do? It depends on what they’re looking for – you background or your ability to work right now. Prior to being hired, you will be informed on the type of test you will be facing.