Standard Hair Follicle Drug Test

When you are looking to find out the recent drug history of yourself or others, a hair follicle drug test is the perfect drug test for you. A hair drug test is a great alternative to urine drug tests. A hair follicle drug test is:

Virtually tamper proof

A drug test with a 90 day drug history

Like the HairConfirm Express Hair Follicle Drug Test, the version of this kit that has faster laboratory processing, the HairConfirm Standard Hair Follicle Drug Test is an extremely accurate hair drug test that provides the buyer with a lab-produced online report of drug use dating back up to 90 days. The absolute only difference between the two kits is that the Standard Hair Follicle Drug Test takes a few days longer to generate your results.

The procedure is the same between the two tests. Collect 90-120 hairs from as close to the scalp as possible. Keep the root ends bunched together and place them in the Collection Foil. From the included Specimen ID Card, which has the unique ID number you will need to receive your results, peel off the Security Label and seal the Hair Specimen envelope. Place the envelope in the clear pouch and the pouch in the enclosed prepaid mailer to send the sample to the laboratory.

The results of your HairConfirm Standard Hair Drug Test will be ready within 7 to 10 days of the lab's receipt of the sample. When they are finished a comprehensive online report will be available online. You can look at a sample report here.

If you are interested in learning more about hair drug tests, please visit the Hair Drug Test section of our blog.

You can also find out about the features only available with HairConfirm products by reading our article Hair Drug Tests - The Only Tests That Can Tell You How Often Drugs Are Used.

If you would like more information on marijuana drug testing, please check out our page solely dedicated to Marijuana Drug Test information!

Instructions - HairConfirm Standard Hair Drug Test

Please note, the instructions for the HairConfirm Standard test are exactly the same as the HairConfirm Express test. The only difference between the two tests is that the laboratory processes the Standard test hair samples a bit more slowly.

Frequently Asked Questions - Hair Drug Test (HairConfirm Standard & Express)

Differences Between Body and Head Hair

Differences Between The HairConfirm Express, Standard and PDT-90 Hair Drug Test

Q: How easy to do is this test?

A: This test is very easy to do. There are only a few things to remember. First, you must cut the hair as close to the scalp as possible. This guarantees that the lab will be able to analyze the hair. Drugs in hair will degrade over time. You cannot just cut an inch and a half of hair from the back of the head to perform this test.

Secondly, you must keep the hair organized. As you will see in the instructions for this hair drug test, there is a place on the Collection Foil you ship the hair in that is marked "PLACE ROOT END HERE." The root ends must stay together so that the lab can determine how recently a particular drug has been used. If the hair is jumbled up it will be difficult for the lab to detect when and if drugs were used.

Finally, you must collect enough hair. 90 to 120 strands are generally needed. More hair will be needed if the hair is extremely thin or short.

Q: What timeframe is covered by this hair follicle drug test?

A: Traces of drug use appear in hair about 5 to 7 days after use. 5 to 7 days gives the hair time to grow out of the scalp, bringing the place where drug molecules are stored inside the hair to where it can be cut. The earliest time period that can be accurately evaluated by the laboratory is 30 days. Therefore, if drug use was suspected a week ago, you could cut your hair sample as early as 37 days afterward. Results are limited to 90 days from the day the hair sample was taken, regardless of the length of the hair provided.

Q: What drugs does this hair follicle drug test screen for?

A: Marijuana (THC), Amphetamines (AMP), Methamphetamines (mAMP), Opiates (OPI) (which includes Codeine, Morphine & Heroin), Ecstasy (MDMA), Cocaine (COC) and Phencyclidine (PCP).

Q: How is the hair I submit tested?

A: Once at the laboratory, the hair is pulverized into liquid form. After that, the lab can analyze the metabolites inside and determine drug use.

Q: Can I submit body hair for this hair follicle drug test?

A: Yes. Body hair and head hair can both be analyzed by the laboratory. The important thing is to not mix head hair and body hair together when submitting your drug test. Be sure to mark on the security label when submitting your hair drug test whether you are submitting head hair or body hair.

In terms of results, submitting body hair or head hair makes no difference. For each half inch of head hair or body hair submitted, a 30 day drug history will be provided. It is important when collecting body hair to collect more hair than you would if collecting hair from the head though. Body hair is thinner than hair from the head, and you need 100 strands of body hair or more when submitting your hair drug test. The lab needs an adequate amount of hair in order to carry out the test.

Q: Why can't I use hair from a hairbrush or shower drain for this hair drug test?

A: It is not advisable to submit a hair sample that is taken from a hairbrush or any other source (e.g. pillow or shower drain) as this sample may be contaminated (with others' hair) and it will not be possible for the laboratory to determine the root ends of the sample. If a sample is not collected properly and prepared as per the instructions it may be rejected by the laboratory. The best way to obtain a hair sample is with your loved one's knowledge and cooperation and by collecting as provided in the instructions.

Q: How does a hair follicle drug test compare with urine drug tests currently on the market?

A: Unlike a hair drug test, a urine drug test can only check to see if drugs were used within the previous 2-3 day period (for most drugs). Hair drug testing can check for drug use within a 90 day period. Urine tests can also be beaten in a variety of ways and are more embarrassing.

Q: Will the results come back positive if my child is not taking drugs, but has been in contact with drug users?

To rule out the possibility of external contamination (like exposure to marijuana smoke), HairConfirm testing where appropriate looks for both parent & metabolite (byproduct) of drug usage. Metabolites are only produced by the body and cannot be an environmental contaminant. When testing marijuana HairConfirm only detects the metabolite of marijuana (THC-COOH).

Q: Why did Marijuana (THC) show up negative?

In some cases, when the donor has used marijuana, a hair drug test, including HairConfirm, may be unable to detect the THC metabolite due to the fact that the metabolite was unable to bind with the hair shaft. This can be caused by the type/quality of the marijuana smoked/ingested, or by what it has been mixed with, e.g. tobacco. As a result, the result for marijuana may be negative. This is only the case with THC and not with the other illicit drugs (COC, Heroin..etc). In most cases with adults it takes smoking 5-6 full joints in order for enough of the drug to "stick" to the hair to show a positive- this is an average number. If the amount consumed by the individual was less than that it might not show up in a drug test.

In the case where a long term THC use is present (like medical marijuana) sometimes the individual’s body can create a masking agent that would hinder the marijuana in a drug test.

Statistics have shown that teenagers who have used marijuana are more likely to use other potentially more dangerous drugs, than those who have never used marijuana. So if you suspect the individual may be using marijuana it is important to remember that you are also testing for those illicit drugs.

Differences Between Body and Head Hair

Body hair and head hair cannot be mixed when you submit your sample. The different types of hair have their own advantages.

Body Hair

Can give you a longer drug history - a sample of 1.5 inches in length body hair can tell you up to 5-6 months of drug history (Please note - 1.5 inches from the root is as much hair as will be examined by the lab, regardless of how long the hair you submit is).

Head Hair

Easier to collect. A sample of hair at least 1.5 inches long will provide a 90 day drug history. No more than that 1.5 inch of hair will be analyzed by the lab though, so if you want to learn about drug activity going back further than 90 days, you may want to submit body hair for your hair drug test.

Differences Between The HairConfirm Express, Standard and PDT-90 Hair Drug Test

The HairConfirm Express and Standard home drug tests are the same except for only two factors - home to lab shipping method (the Express comes with a prepaid Fedex overnight mailer; the Standard comes with a prepaid first-class envelope) and processing time (the Express generally processes hair submissions in 2 business days while the Standard processes hair submissions in 7-10 business days).

The PDT-90 test has a few additional differences. First, body hair is not accepted by the PDT-90 lab. It is only accepted by the HairConfirm Standard and Express labs.

You also receive your results differently with a PDT-90 test. Results are obtained when you order a PDT-90 hair drug test by calling a toll-free number and providing your unique, anonymous and confidential code number to the operator, who then tells you whether the test was negative or positive. No names are ever used.

With the HairConfirm Standard and Express home drug test kits results are obtained online, also through a secure passcode. Results are given in a report format that can tell you frequency of use information about each drug tested for, with the exception of marijuana (which is reported as either positive or negative).