Hair strand drug test
Our UKAS-accredited service delivers accurate results in just 3 working days. With expert analysis and streamlined in-house processes, testing is simple, secure, and stress-free—helping you make informed decisions, without the wait.
Get clear, accurate results with hair strand testing you can trust.
Our hair strand testing can detect an ever-growing range of drugs and alcohol, from seven days up to six months—or longer if needed. Results show when a substance was used, helping build a clear overview of use over time.
Our lab is accredited to ISO 17025 and UKAS Lab 51 standards
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 unsuitable for testing, we can still use body hair or fingernails – for an accurate result.
How does a hair strand drug test work?
When ingested, drugs and alcohol produce specific chemical markers in the body called metabolites. These markers pass into hair, which subsequently acts as a record of an individual’s drug or alcohol use.
The presence of the metabolites helps to prove that the compound was ingested by the donor, and not simply the result of external contamination – for example, another person using drugs in the donor’s presence.
Essentially, the time frame of detection required dictates the amount of hair required for the sample. If a court orders a hair test to assess drug use in the past 4 months, then 4 cm of hair will be analysed.
Hair takes around 7 days to grow out of the scalp – which is the minimum time window a hair test can detect. It may therefore be necessary to use hair testing in conjunction with blood and (oral fluid) saliva testing.
Hair typically grows at about one centimetre per month. When tested, each centimetre of hair therefore reflects one month’s history of drug use (or non-use). This is why hair strand testing is able to provide such a large window of detection, assessing drug use as far back as the length of hair allows us to go.
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.
