Do you need to order a hair follicle drug test in New York City; Manhattan, Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island and surrounding areas? Drug screening specialists are standing by to help you order a hair follicle test for employment purposes or other reasons including court ordered testing, probation, child custody and other personal reasons.
A hair follicle drug screen is an examination that uses a small sample of hair to identify specific drugs used by the person being tested. A hair follicle drug test measures the drug molecules and their specific metabolites that are produced only after the drug has been processed by the human body. After the drug is processed, trace amounts of its metabolites are inserted into hair follicle by the bloodstream. Drugs can be detected going back about 90 days.
Today, more than ever before, it is important for companies to check out its employees and potential employees. One way of doing this is with drug testing. However, not every type of drug testing is the same. Learn more about the benefits and drawbacks of hair follicle testing, so you can determine if it is the right solution for your New York-based business.
Advantages of Hair Follicle Drug Testing
There are many benefits to testing the hair follicle rather than choosing a blood or urine-based test. Here are four of the most important.
- Long Detection Period – A urine test can usually check back around 30 days while a hair follicle test can check back three months or longer. This makes a big difference and can help a company get a better idea of the history of an employee.
- Hard to “Cheat” – Special shampoos and even color treating hair does not prevent testing from showing the presences of drugs.
- Relatively Non-invasive – Even cutting a small section of hair for a test is not as invasive as taking blood or asking for a urine sample. Employees feel more comfortable with the process.
- Few False Positives – One issue that many people have with standard drug tests is that they can sometimes show false positives if someone is around friends or family members who have smoked. This is less of an issue with hair testing.
Disadvantages of Hair Follicle Testing
While there are many benefits, there are drawbacks to this type of testing too. It is important that you look at these to decide if it is the right type of testing for your business.
- Expense – In some cases, hair follicle testing is slightly more expensive than urine testing—this can be a concern when a company is on a budget.
- Recent Drug Use May Not Show Up – It can take up to 5 days for drug use to show. This may not make it the right solution to catch recent drug use.
- Hair Must Be Cut – Although the test only requires a few hairs, it can be a problem for some employees who are sensitive about the issue.
As you can see, there are both advantages and disadvantages of hair follicle testing. If you are considering this as an option for your New York business, why not call or contact us at National Drug Screening and let us help you understand the process.
