How can I test my hair at home?

Author: Jerad Metz Sr.  |  Last update: Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Place those strands in a glass of water and see how they behave. Healthy hair will sink slowly as it absorbs the water. If the hair floats, it means porosity is low and if the hair immediately sinks it indicates high porosity.

Does healthy hair float or sink in water?

The buoyancy of hair in water is not a reliable indicator of its health. Healthy hair may float, but many other factors influence whether hair sinks or floats, such as its density, moisture content, and whether it has been damaged or treated with products.

How long before I can pass a hair follicle drug test?

How far back can a hair drug test detect drug use? Hair drug tests have the longest detection period, and can typically detect drug use for up to 90 days. Depending on the drugs used, a hair sample can sometimes help determine when drug use occurred and whether it's been discontinued.

How do I test my hair?

Not sure what your hair porosity is? There's an easy test you can do at home. Simply take a strand of your hair and place it in a cup of water. If the strand sinks, you have low porosity hair. If it floats, you have high porosity hair. If it sinks but then floats back up, you have medium porosity hair.

What will mess up a hair follicle drug test?

Bleaching, dyeing, perming, and straightening can all impact a hair drug test result. This is because the chemicals used in these types of treatments can damage the hair shaft and alter the concentration of the drug.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HAIR POROSITY AND HOW TO TEST

Does peroxide remove drugs from hair?

Bleaching hair peroxide decreases the detectability of cocaine in user hair. Melanin–cocaine bonds are broken and cocaine is degraded into reaction products. Unbound cocaine and reaction products are washed out removing evidence of cocaine use.

How long does it take to detox your hair?

For others, their hair detox journey can take about 14 days. There are a few factors that might affect the length of your detox: It could depend on your specific hair type, environmental pollution, the level of buildup you have from dead skin cells and styling products, and how frequently you wash your hair.

What is the water test for hair?

Place a clean strand of hair with no product in a glass of room-temperature water. Let the strand sit undisturbed for three minutes without touching it. If your strand floats, it indicates low porosity.

What is the dead hair test?

How do I know if I have dead hair? Look for signs like extreme dryness and brittleness, weak and thin ends, increased shedding and tangles, and a lackluster appearance. If your hair feels like straw, lacks shine, and breaks easily, even after moisturizing, it might be severely damaged.

Does the hair porosity test actually work?

These tests are not guaranteed to give an exact result however they will certainly help you understand how porosity works. The Float Test: Take some strands of hair from your brush or comb (be sure to use clean hair as products can alter the results) and drop them into a glass of water.

How do you tell if your water is bad for your hair?

Signs of Hard Water on Hair
  1. Frizzy or flat hair.
  2. Dry scalp and dandruff.
  3. Brassy hue.
  4. Hair lacks volume.
  5. Blocked scalp pores.
  6. Brittle, weak hair.
  7. Dull and thinning hair.
  8. Tangles and messy hair.

Why does my hair have no weight?

How thin your hair is might be dependent on your genes—hair thickness varies person to person. But if you notice your hair is looking thinner than usual, it could be the result of factors like aging, a health condition, medication, or high stress levels.

How do I detox my hair for a drug test?

Some of the methods include shaving all of the hair off, detox shampoos, and home remedies including substances like tar shampoo, laundry detergent, detox salts, and vinegar. Some people even dye their hair after using these remedies to help mask the changes made to their hair.

What happens if you put hydrogen peroxide in your hair?

How does hydrogen peroxide affect hair structure? Hydrogen peroxide penetrates the cuticle to reach the cortex, where natural pigments are found. As an oxidising agent, it causes a chemical reaction which breaks down these pigments, leading to lightening or discolouration of the hair.

What is the jerry g method?

The Jerry G Method involves using bleach and hair dye to remove any drug metabolites from the hair follicles. These harsh ingredients can forcefully open your hair follicles to clear any traces of marijuana and other drugs.

What is an alternative to a hair follicle drug test?

Nail drug testing provides an alternative sample when hair is not available or too short for the time period required.

Can eyebrows be used for a hair drug test?

Hair drug test collection

If the donor does not have head hair or if their hair is less than a ½ inch long, a specimen can be taken from other locations on the body. In order of preference, our collectors will cut the chest, underarm, leg, or facial hair to obtain a sample.

Is there an at-home hair follicle test?

There is a range of different home kits for hair follicle drug testing on the market.

How can I test my hair?

Starting with clean hair, comb out a few pieces of hair. Place those strands in a glass of water and see how they behave. Healthy hair will sink slowly as it absorbs the water. If the hair floats, it means porosity is low and if the hair immediately sinks it indicates high porosity.

How do you pass a hair sample test?

There is only one sure way to pass a hair follicle drug test, and that is to not use any drugs for the 90 days before you take the test.

How accurate is the hair test?

Specificity of hair testing at standard laboratory cut-offs exceeded 90% for all drugs, but sensitivity of hair testing relative to self-report was low, identifying only 52.3% (127/243) of self-disclosed marijuana users, 65.2% (30/46) of cocaine users, 24.2% (8/33) of amphetamine users, and 2.9% (2/68) of opioid users.

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