There are several myths and misconceptions that surround hair drug testing. Here at Brassets Group, we want to debunk some of these inaccuracies and provide you with the correct information. Let’s set the record straight:
MYTH: Hair follicle is tested.
FACT: This is incorrect. While sometimes referred to as hair follicle testing, the Psychemedics hair drug test does not test the hair follicle. The sample to be tested is snipped with scissors above the scalp line. The lab analyses the inside of the hair shaft. The hair follicle is not impacted at all.
MYTH: My partner uses drugs; could I get a positive result through contact with them?
FACT: No. If you are not ingesting the substance, there will not be enough of the substance in your system to register above the cutoff levels employed by the lab. Hair drug testing requires a significant amount of substance metabolites to be present in the hair, which is unlikely to occur through casual contact.
MYTH: I use hand sanitizer a lot. Will this affect my results?
FACT: No, it won’t. The hair sample goes through an extensive wash process to remove all external contaminants prior to testing the sample. This process ensures that any external factors, such as hand sanitizer or other contaminants, do not interfere with the accuracy of the results.
MYTH: Body hair isn’t as effective as head hair.
FACT: Incorrect. Body hair is as equally effective as head hair for drug testing purposes. The only difference lies in the growth rate. Head hair grows approximately 3.9cm in a 3-month period, whereas body hair grows approximately 2.5cm in the same timeframe.
MYTH: Detox shampoos strip drugs from your hair.
FACT: Incorrect. Hair testing focuses on the inner cortex of the hair and using a shampoo to rid your hair of any substances will not affect the result. Detox shampoos may claim to eliminate drug traces from the outer layer of the hair, but they cannot penetrate the inner cortex where the drug metabolites are embedded.
At Brassets Group, we understand the importance of accurate and reliable drug testing. Our hair analysis process follows rigorous protocols to ensure precise results that are free from the influence of these myths and misconceptions.
