In forensic toxicology Chemical hair analysis is used for the detection of many therapeutic drugs and recreational drugs, including cocaine, heroin, benzodiazepines and amphetamines. Hair analysis is less invasive than a blood test, if not quite as universally applicable.
Forensic hair analysis can be done to help identify a person who may have been present at a crime scene. Hair samples are tested with specific chemicals and looked at under a microscope. Hair analysis can also be used to check for poisoning caused by metals such as lead or mercury.
Hair Hormone Tests: A hair test can also measure hormone levels, such as testosterone and estrogen. This information can help diagnose hormonal imbalances or underlying health conditions. You will need to know what "normal" hormone levels are concerning the hair test results.
Hair structure, growth phase, deposition of trace elements in hair, sampling and washing procedures are important factors before analysis, whereas the availability of reference values or ranges of hair elemental composition for non-exposed populations, and toxicological considerations are vitally important for results ...
Hair analysis provides good evidence in the fields of forensic and clinical toxicology, doping control, and occupational medicine, but do not demonstrate clear evidence in the fields of general health screening.
Hair testing has several drawbacks, including a small detection window, false positive results, outside variables that can alter accuracy, a high cost, and challenges interpreting the results. Additionally, there is a risk of prejudice, a breach of privacy, tampering, and a lack of uniformity with hair testing.
Hair drug testing can test for drugs and substances such as Benzodiazepines, Cannabis, Cocaine (incl. Crack Cocaine), Ecstasy (MDMA), Ketamine, Mephedrone (M-Cat), Methadone, Methamphetamine (incl. Amphetamine), and Opiates (incl. Heroin).
Our hair analysis test can indicate vitamin, mineral and nutritional deficiencies as well as heavy metal toxicity have occurred over a long period of time.
Given how often most people cut their hair, hair analysis generally will not tell you anything about exposures that occurred more than one year ago. Furthermore, for most chemicals, hair analysis cannot tell you where a chemical in your hair came from.
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.
Hair analysis cannot provide specific details about the individual's identity, such as their name, gender, or ethnicity. Additionally, hair analysis cannot provide information about the individual's medical history, genetic traits, or **specific diseases **they may have.
Hair - Analysts can tell investigators if individual hairs are human or animal, and in the case of human hair, where on the body the sample originated. Samples can be tested to determine the color, shape and chemical composition of the hair, and often the race of the source individual.
Hair follicle tests provide a much broader window for detection than either urine or blood tests. These tests can glean a detailed substance usage pattern over an extended time and are most often run by employers in industries requiring a high level of alertness.
Hair drug testing can detect a variety of drugs including, but not limited to: marijuana, cocaine, opioids (including codeine, morphine, heroin, and synthetic opioids), methamphetamine, ecstasy (MDMA), and PCP.
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.
Hair drug testing on dyed or bleached hair may still be worthwhile. Any chemical treatment such as hair dye, bleach, chemical straightening and permanent waves can damage the hair. This damage may lead to some of the drugs that may be present, being leached out from the hair.
comparative microscopy of hair is not acceptable as reliable evidence to positively identify a person. Rather, it serves to exclude classes of individuals from consideration and is conclusive, if at all, only to negative the identity.”).
Only riboflavin, biotin, folate, and vitamin B12 deficiencies have been associated with hair loss. Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) is a component of two important coenzymes: flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) [22].
A hair follicle drug test may focus on detecting one specific drug in the hair or on detecting several substances in a hair follicle drug panel. One commonly used hair follicle drug panel looks for evidence of the use of five drugs or drug classes: marijuana, amphetamines, cocaine, PCP, and opioids.
What time period does a hair drug test cover? Hair growth rates vary; typically, head hair grows at an average of one-half inch per month. Therefore, a 1.5-inch hair sample detects drug use up to 90 days prior to testing.
The judge may use the hair follicle test results to assess the parent's ability to provide a safe and drug-free environment for the child, ensuring that the child's safety and well-being are prioritized.
This is because it takes about 5-10 days for drug-containing hair to grow above the scalp. Will one night of drinking show up in a hair follicle test? No, a single night of drinking will not show up in a hair follicle test. However, regular and heavy alcohol consumption can be detected in hair samples.