How accurate are hair tests? May need to pass one

tdiddy

Well-Known Member
How much do they actually pick up? I may need to take one for a new job. I havent smoked for several months until recently. I had maybe 10 small drags off a pipe over a 2 week period. That was a couple weeks ago and it was home grown so not sure about the thc content. Basically, do I have a very good chance of passing since it wasnt very much? Less than one bowl, total.
 

redivider

Well-Known Member
hey,

hair follicle tests are the most accurate tests available.

they can even tell how long ago you smoked by where in the hair follicle the thc is at.

the best you can do is cut your hair really really short all over your body.

they can take pubic samples and underarm samples so those need to be trimmed to a few mm's.

say you went to a spiritual retreat, and part of the process is shaving your hair is a sign of a new you....

bleaching your hair won't work, neither do the shampoo's.

thc has a very unusual way of attaching to fat cells, somebody who's slightly overweight can throw a positive piss test months and months after smoking herb by just working out the night before.
 

JN811

Well-Known Member
yes extremely accurate.. the only way to possibly cheat it is to bleach ur hair and then die it back to its original color..... gl :)
 

JN811

Well-Known Member
hey,

hair follicle tests are the most accurate tests available.

they can even tell how long ago you smoked by where in the hair follicle the thc is at.

the best you can do is cut your hair really really short all over your body.

they can take pubic samples and underarm samples so those need to be trimmed to a few mm's.

say you went to a spiritual retreat, and part of the process is shaving your hair is a sign of a new you....

bleaching your hair won't work, neither do the shampoo's.

thc has a very unusual way of attaching to fat cells, somebody who's slightly overweight can throw a positive piss test months and months after smoking herb by just working out the night before.
dude ur post is facts mixed with nonsense.... bleaching ur hair will ABSOLUTELY work..... 100% sure.. my source.. a forensic science technician manager whose class im in with 30 + years of experience and a phd... btw yes thc does attatch itself to fat cells... but its completely irreleavent to hair testing........
 

JN811

Well-Known Member
btw depending on how long ur hair is thc can be found up to 10 years back... (mainly for girls and hippies) average hair growth is 7 inches per year
 

tdiddy

Well-Known Member
ha, my hair is only about 2 inches. I was hoping to get some input from someone that has smoked a little and passed, but I'm guessing there aren't many of those out there.
 

redivider

Well-Known Member
bleaching your hair will only strip the pigmentation off your hair. leaving it that yellow/white color albino's carry.

it will not remove the THC from the hair follicle.

you're lab technician buddy is wrong.

here's the Omega Laboratories, one of the leading drug testing companies in the world, has to say:

Hair Testing FAQ


1. What is Hair Drug Testing?
Since hair growth is fed by the bloodstream, the ingestion of drugs of abuse is revealed by analyzing a small sample of hair. Our testing method measures the drug molecules embedded inside the hairshaft, eliminating external contamination as a source of a positive test result. Hair testing results cannot be altered with shampoos or other external chemicals.

2. What drugs are included in a standard Hair Drug Test?
Cocaine, marijuana, opiates (Codeine, Morphine & 6-monoacteyl morphine), methamphetamine, (Meth/amphetamine & Ecstasy), and phencyclidine (PCP). These five drug classes are mandated for testing by the Federal Government.

3. What time period does a standard test cover?
A standard test covers a period of approximately 90 days. The hair sample is cut as close to the scalp as possible and the most recent 1.5 inches are tested.

4. Does hair color affect results?
Hair color is determined by the amount of melanin in the hair. It has been shown experimentally, through actual hair samples, as well as determined in court that hair color has NO basis in fact.
5. How fast does head hair grow?
Studies indicate that head hair grows on the average approximately 1.3 cm (or 1/2 inch) per month. This growth rate varies slightly (estimated at ± .2 cm per month),
consequently there is some (± 1 week) time variation possible.

6. How much hair is needed?
A standard test with GC/MS confirmation requires 60+ milligrams
of hair or approximately 90 to 120 strands. The thickness of different types of head hair (thick coarse vs. thinning fine) is the reason for this variation.

7. How does Hair Testing compare to urinalysis?
The primary differences are
1) wider window of detection
2) inability to tamper with the test

Cocaine, methamphetamine, opiates and PCP are rapidly excreted and usually undetectable in urine 72 hours after use. The detection period for hair is limited only by the length of the hair sample and is approximately 90 days for a standard test.

At this time there are no known adulterants for hair tests. Since hair tests analyze the drugs inside the hairshaft, external contaminants/chemicals have no effect.

Additional advantages include non-intrusive collection procedures, virtual
elimination of test evasion.

The combination of an increased window of detection and resistance to evasion makes Hair Testing far more effective than urinalysis in correctly identifying drug users.


8. How soon after use can a drug be detected in hair?
It takes approximately 4-5 days from the time of drug use for the affected hair to grow above the scalp. Body hair growth rates are generally slower and cannot be utilized to determine a timeframe of drug use.

9. What is the shortest time period that can be evaluated?
The minimum time period is approximately two weeks (1/4 inch). Body hair can be used if head hair is too short for a test. If body hair is used the timeframe represented by the test is approximately one year, due to the different growth pattern in hair below the neck.

10. Can tests be run on people with little or no hair?
Hair can be collected from several head locations and combined to obtain the required amount of hair. In addition, body hair may be used as a substitute to head hair. In the rare case where no hair is collectable, complete urine/adulteration testing may be utilized.

11. Does body hair give the same type of results as head hair?
Yes, body hair can be used to test for the five standard drug classes, though body hair growth patterns are different than head hair. Most body hair is replaced within approximately one year. This means a test done with body hair will be reported as drug usage during approximately a one year timeframe.

12. Can hair collected from a brush be used?
Yes, but the test will be reported as having an "anonymous" donor. We cannot attribute the sample to any specific person and we cannot determine the timeframe of the test, so the test result is not legally defensible. The test will only report that the sample submitted had the reported drug metabolite components.

13. How does Omega Laboratories establish its cut-off levels?
Omega follows the cut-off levels generally accepted industry-wide. These levels are based in part by minimum detection levels for GC/MS confirmation.

14. Does Omega Laboratories perform Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) confirmation of all positive hair results?
Omega provides confirmation utilizing GC/MS for all specimens that screen positive (opiates, PCP, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana).

15. Can hair be affected by cross-reacting substances such as over-the-counter medications?
Enzyme-immunoassay antibodies (EIA), similar to those used to test urine, are used for the initial screening test for drugs of abuse in hair; therefore the potential for substances such as over-the-counter medications to cause a false positive screening result does exist. To eliminate the possibility of reporting a false-positive due to cross-reactivity, Omega confirms all positive results by GC/MS for methamphetamine, opiates, PCP,cocaine and marijuana.

16. How effective is Hair Testing in detecting drug users?
In side-by-side comparison studies with urinalysis, hair drug testing has uncovered significantly more drug use. In two independent studies hair drug testing uncovered 4 to 8 times as many drug users as urinalysis.
17. Does external exposure to certain drugs, like marijuana or crack smoke, affect the Hair Test results?
To rule out the possibility of external contamination, Omega testing (where appropriate) looks for both parent & metabolite (bi-product) of drug usage. For marijuana analyses, Omega detects only the metabolite (THC-COOH) . This metabolite is only produced by the body and cannot be an environmental contaminant.


18. Is Omega Laboratories' internal chain-of-custody comparable
to a urinalysis laboratory test procedure?

Omega's internal chain-of-custody is modeled after Federal guidelines (SAMHSA) as well as other accredited agencies (CAP).

19. How long are test reports kept on file?
Test reports are retained for a period of two years or as mandated by law.

20. What is done with the excess hair that is not tested?
The hair not used from the time period being tested (i.e. three months equals 3.9 cm) is stored in the chain-of-custody sample acquisition pouch. Hair is stored for a two year period.

21. What experience does Omega Laboratories have in providing
Expert Witness Testimony?

Omega Laboratories' forensic experts have qualified as expert witnesses in Ohio, New York, California, Texas, Nevada, Oklahoma, Alabama and Arizona in over 250 civil, criminal, and Superior Court trials.

22. What other drugs are available to be tested in hair analysis?
Currently, nicotine, methadone, simple benzodiazepines, tricyclic antidepressants assays and mescaline have been detected in hair. However, many details such as cutoff levels and dose response relationships have not yet been established for these compounds. Currently these assays are in the Research and Development process.


so yeah, if you think bleaching your hair is gonna work, go right ahead. hit me up when you loose you're job because you failed a drug test.
 

JN811

Well-Known Member
dude ur comment is ignorant...... HOW ABOUT YOU READ THIS ENTIRE POST BEFORE COMMENTING

my forensics teacher is more knowlegable than you, he does hair test for a living.... psh.... and how bout reading the question b4 making comments!!!

the dude never got the job.. hes applying to a job.... copy and paste info.. makes you look very smart... ;)

btw I go to a VERY well known and highly ranked school ONE OF THE BEST IN THE WORLD FOR FORENSIC SCIENCE!!!

My professor knows everything there is to know pertaining to forensics... but then here comes "redivider" on RIU :lol: telling him he's wrong.... :lol: he could explain a hair analysis, DNA analysis, urine analysis, blood analsis, ect. ect. tests IN HIS SLEEP. He writes books on the subjects...

OH did i mention he has his PHD in forensic analysis, in other words hes a forensics DOCTOR... 10 years of schooling and 20 some years on the job... doing hair analysis... Please tell me whats your experince level???? oh i know a half ass search on the Internet...

and we had about a convo in class about how hair analysis testing works and he said the ONLY way to pass it is to BLEACH UR HAIR....................:roll::confused::dunce:
and hes not my buddy... for GODS sake READ b4 you write...

oh and "my buddy" LMFAO testifies in court for the GOVERMENT to lock people up because of hair follicle analysis... one of the smartest professors IVE EVER HAD..... hes like 60 years old and been doing this since he was in his 20s... he told us specifically the one problem with hair analysis tests is that women often have bleached hair...

dude seriously the problem with RIU is ppl like you giving false information and acting sooo righteous in their incorrect, unfounded opinion...:wall:

but you must be right cause u copied and pasted info from the INTERNET that has NOTHING to do with BLEACHING hair!!!:dunce::clap: and btw "loose" is the wrong word.. its used in a sentence like, " Redivider's interpretation of the truth is VERY LOOSE.." the word you were looking for is lose ;) like; "you are VERY VERY wrong and LOSE this arguement. " please just admit you are wrong or not post otherwise ill have to bust out the textbook....

to the OP... check this out.. hopefully it helps.. http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=4934
 

redivider

Well-Known Member
go ahead.

bleach your hair and take a hair follicle test.

see the results.

bleaching your hair will only show that the hair was adulterated somehow prior to the test. they'll look at how closely to the test the hair was adulterated and recommend another one at some point in the future.

it won't give you a pass if you're applying for certain companies. you won't fail either. it'll be inconclusive, and they'll probably ask for a blood test.

you can believe what you want.
 

JN811

Well-Known Member
ahahahhaha adulterated??????????? ahhahahahahahahaha wrong word again buddy :lol:

and they will not nor CAN an employer take a blood test... LMFAO... bad info man all i gotta say...
 

TalonToker

Well-Known Member
Well.....I don't know shit about the effects of bleaching or any of that stuff, but back in '95 when I spent a month in rehab it was common knowledge there that for every inch of hair length, the test could detect drugs done as far back as one year. So if your hair is 2 inches long, anything done the previous 2 years could be detected.
 

TalonToker

Well-Known Member
lol.....Or was that one year for every half inch of hair length? I really can't recall, but one of those is right. I was in rehab for a reason.
 
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