A background to Hair Analysis and Hair Drug Testing

Forensic Hair Analysis is common across a wide range of forensic disciplines including DNA Analysis, Drug Testing and Alcohol Testing.

A hair follicle test is a highly accurate way of diagnosing nutritional deficits. It is also a common method of testing for drugs as it gives up to 90 days of accurate testing compared to other techniques including Urine Analysis which last for just 7 days.

Forensic Hair Analysis is a small sample of hair tested to assess a person's health or drug use history. Because hair is metabolically active tissue, each hair is a timeline in a sense. Hair makeup depends on influences like genetics, the environment, hormones, and even transient factors like sweat.

When a substance is ingested, substances called metabolites are produced, as the body breaks down and processes the drug. A metabolite is a compound that is created from chemical changes to a drug within the body. Blood carrying these metabolites circulates, eventually enters and nourishes the hair follicle, and the metabolites are then incorporated into the hair strand the follicle produces.

The most common use for a hair follicle test is as a forensic drug test. Hair collected from the scalp represents approximately 90 days of toxicological history in people with an average rate of hair growth which can be effective when testing for drug abuse in criminal investigations and also testing employees during employee drug testing.

Forensic Hair Testing Experts have proven that hair analysis is more accurate than urine and blood tests when it comes to drug testing and alcohol testing. Hair testing is used, sometimes secretly, by parents worried about their child's possible use of drugs. Hairs collected from a pillow can be collected and sent to a laboratory for testing. The advantage of hair testing over other types of drug testing is that a hair follicle test can detect drug use for up to 90 days after the drug has been used. This is because trace amounts of drug chemicals become trapped inside the structure of the hair as it grows out. Drug tests from hair samples can detect every major type of drug including cocaine, ecstasy, PCP, methamphetamines, marijuana, and opiates.

If you require further information on Hair Analysis, Hair Testing, Hair Drug Testing, Hair Expert Witness Services or any other Forensic Hair query please contact Forensic Resources Ltd.