CHOOSING A TEST
Hair Strand Drug Test
Experience unmatched efficiency and excellence with our UKAS-accredited Drug & Alcohol Testing. Get fast and accurate results in just 3 days.
ABOUT OUR TESTING
A hair strand test for drugs and
alcohol is highly accurate –
and is almost impossible to cheat.
The method can be used to detect virtually all drug and alcohol substances, between seven days and six months (or even longer if that’s what required) after their use. Test results also indicate the month in which someone took a substance, and so can be used to build a ‘picture’ of substance use over time.
Our hair strand testing is accredited by UKAS, the UK gold standard for labs
A small amount of hair is taken by a trained sample collector – usually from the head (we only need about a shoelace worth, less than many laboratories).
Fixing’ a hair test is exceptionally difficult. Dyeing or bleaching hair – or using any other chemical treatments – may damage the outer sheath of an individual’s hair, leading to drugs leaching from the hair.
The sensitivity of equipment used means that we are usually able to detect the remaining metabolites, and our scientists will take the condition of the hair into account to accurately report findings.
Should an individual’s hair be completely unsitable for testing, we can still use body hair or fingernails – for an accurate result.
Today, Cansford Laboratories offers 90% of hair test results within 48 hours of receipt – the fastest hair testing service in the UK.
How does hair testing work?
What you need to know about hair testing:
Detection window:
For alcohol, 7 days–6 months
For drugs, 7 days–indefinite (dependant on hair length)
Collection method:
A hair sample of around 5-millimetre thickness is taken from the head or body of the donor, and deposited in a sealed, tamper-proof envelope. This is sent to the laboratory for testing.
Advantages:
Exceptionally difficult to cheat
Indicates patterns of drug or alcohol use over weeks and months
Highly sensitive; highly accurate
Simple, non-invasive collection
Fast results turnaround, when performed by Cansford Laboratories.
Disadvantages:
Hair tests cannot precisely determine the quantity of substances used by the donor
Samples cannot indicate substance use less than 7 days after the incident.
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