HomeDrug EducationWhat is a Hair Follicle Drug Test?

What is a Hair Follicle Drug Test?

Also known as a hair drug test, a hair follicle drug test screens for illicit drug use or the misuse of prescription medications. The hair sample can also be analyzed for any signs of drugs used during a timeline of 90 days preceding the test. Typically, the test can check for a specific drug or for different drugs or drug classes. That includes:

  • Marijuana
  • Cocaine
  • Amphetamine such as methamphetamine, MDEA (eve) and MDMA (ecstasy)
  • Phencyclidine (PCP)
  • Opiates, including heroin, morphine, codeine, or 6-acetyl morphine

Worried about that upcoming hair drug test? Worry no more- read on to learn why it is being carried out, how accurate is it, and how you can pass the hair follicle drug test.

Why is the Hair Follicle Drug Test Carried Out?

A person might be required to undergo the drug testing for:

Employment- some organizations require potential employees to take a drug test as a part of their application process, especially for jobs that pose a high risk of injury. Employers can also carry out random drug testing for current employees or might request them following a severe incident or accident.

drug testing laws

However, drug testing laws vary from one state to another. Some states forbid employers from testing their employees on a random basis. In such states, the employer has to provide evidence to support their decision to test an employee.

Legal purposes– courts can request drug testing for individuals on probation or during child adoption, custody, or domestic violence cases.

Medical purposes- healthcare providers can require drug testing for people at risk of alcohol misuse. This testing is used to monitor drug use in those at-risk individuals.

Essential note- drug testing typically requires an individual’s written consent.

How do Drugs End up in the Hair?

Typically, the body reacts with drugs in a complex way, and the metabolic products will end up scattered in different systems of the body. While the metabolites stay in the bloodstream for a short time, they can remain in the hair for a longer time.

Usually, the metabolites bind to the sheath of the tissue and cells surrounding the hair root. That initially occurs underneath the scalp surface, and eventually, the metabolites become incorporated into the follicle and later the strand itself. After about 5-10 days, the drug-infused hair pops out of your head.

Why are Testers Turning to Hair Follicle Drug Tests?

So why are institutions opting for the hair follicle drug test over other methods?

  • Unlike urine, which is prone to adulteration, it is challenging to tamper with the hair sample by putting anything in or on the sample while it is in the specimen collection area
  • You cannot drink or eat anything that will dilute the hair sample
  • It is impossible to replace your hair with someone else’s hair
  • The test can detect a longer history of drug abuse for up to 90 days prior to the testing day
  • It gives more precise and accurate results

How does a hair follicle drug test work?

The hair follicle test is a simple, non-intrusive process. It can be conducted in a lab or hospital setting. Your workplace can also perform the test using a kit that is then mailed to a lab.

follicle drug test work

To gather enough hair for testing (100-120 strands from the crown), samples are taken from various spots on the head to prevent bald spots. Hair is typically cut 1.5 inches from the scalp, reflecting three months of growth (average half-inch per month). If head hair is too short, body hair can be used, but it covers about a year due to slower growth below the neck. Collected samples are washed and tested for environmental contamination, unaffected by washing, dyeing, or styling. The hair then undergoes a two-step process for precise results.

Step 1: This involves a rapid screening method known as the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Step 2: The chromatographic testing is done in all nonnegative ELISA results to rule out false positives.

Understanding your results for the hair follicle drug test

The lab responsible for testing will deliver the results confidentially, usually using secure means like fax, phone calls, or an online interface. The results can be:

Negative: Lab results within 24 hours show no drug metabolites in your hair, indicating no drug use in the past 90 days.

Positive: A positive ELISA test requires further confirmation with GC/MS, which identifies specific drugs used.

Inconclusive: Contamination or testing issues may lead to inconclusive results, requiring a new sample.

Tip: Inform employers about prescription medications to avoid false positives in hair tests.

How Accurate is the Hair Follicle Drug Test?

The sample collection and testing of hair follows a very precise set of standards to enhance its accuracy. Even so, some factors can affect the concentration of the metabolites present in the hair sample, including:

  • The structure of drug compounds
  • How profuse a person sweats
  • The quantity of drugs a person has consumed
  • The amount of melanin in your hair- some drugs bind more readily to melanin (the dark hair pigment)

So, is the hair drug test always accurate?

While the hair follicle drug test is considered one of the most accurate tests, it is not 100 percent accurate. One study carried out in 2017 found inconsistency between self-reporting of drug use from 3643 participants and the results of their hair drug tests. The research showed that the test results gave fewer false positives and more false negatives.

drug tests result

Another 2015 research examined the effectiveness of hair follicle drug tests. The researchers compared self-reporting with hair follicle drug test results from 360 adults. According to the results of this study, the testing identified correctly:

  • 65.2 percent of people who reported cocaine use
  • 52.3 percent of people who reported marijuana use
  • 24.2 percent of people who reported amphetamine use
  • 2.9 percent of people who reported opioid use

The kinds of research show inconsistency, so if you believe your drug test result is inaccurate, you can immediately request a retest.

How to Pass the Hair Drug Follicle Drug Test

Many people panic when they find out they will be facing the hair follicle drug test. However, even the most frequent drug users can beat the test with the right method. Here is how to pass the hair strand drug test:

The Macujo Method

The Macujo is a seven-step cleaning procedure that entails:

  1. Stop using the drugs immediately
  2. Dampen your hair with warm water
  3. Apply Heinz Vinegar to the scalp
  4. Massage a Clear and Clean into the vinegar/water mixture in your hair
  5. Cover with a shower cap and leave it for 30 minutes
  6. Wash the mixture out of your hair using the old-style Aloe Rid Shampoo
  7. Finally, wash the hair using Tide Liquid Laundry detergent. Be wary of this step, as the detergent should never come into contact with the eyes.

To get clean results, you should repeat the Macujo procedure seven times. Besides its effectiveness, you can easily do this at home. You can purchase the required items at the local supermarket.

The Jerry G method

  1. Stop using marijuana for at least 10 days before the test.
  2. Bleach your hair, then dye it back with a permanent dye containing ammonia close to your natural color.
  3. Wash with Toxin Rid shampoo and towel dry, avoiding heat.
  4. Repeat for 10 days.
  5. On test day, wash with baking soda paste, then Toxin Rid shampoo, and Ultra Clean Shampoo.
  6. Caution: The Jerry G method can damage hair and cause skin irritation.

Tricks That Won’t Help You Pass a Hair Follicle Drug Test

You may come across hocus-pocus products and tricks promising to mask the drug metabolites and thereby help you beat the test. But, in the end, you may end up losing money and miss the opportunity for that potential job. Here are some of the most common urban legends that you should be wary of and why they never work:

Shaving your head might seem like a smart move, but it can raise suspicion if it’s not your usual style. Plus, hair samples can come from anywhere on your body, not just your scalp. Even if you wax everything, labs might reject the sample, leading to a test failure.

Shaving hair

Natural detoxing– Diet and exercise can help clear most drug tests like urine, saliva, and blood, but not hair tests. Drug metabolites stay in hair follicles for as long as you have hair.

Vinegar– this is one of the most renowned home remedies for cleaning hair follicles. But that is just what it does. While vinegar is an essential part of the Macujo method, it only unclogs pores and loosens buildup from styling products, oil, and dead cells. What you require is an ingredient that can infiltrate the shaft and remove the drug metabolites.

Baking soda: Mix baking soda, olive oil, and cinnamon powder to apply to the scalp. It clears residues and opens pores but doesn’t affect trapped metabolites in the hair.

Lemon juice: Rich in Vitamin C, lemon juice stimulates dormant hair follicles and promotes scalp health but has no direct impact on hair composition.

Bottom Line

The hair follicle drug test is the fastest-growing method of screening in the US. More and more corporates are turning to hair follicles as a complementary approach to traditional testing. The hair follicle drug tests can identify drug use for up to the last 90 days. That is because the chemicals from the drug that end up in the bloodstream can become part of the hair cells as the hair grows.

Ralph Gary
Ralph Gary
Ralph is a passionate author at tooslick.com, a leading drug education website. With a background in public health, he combines research and empathy to create informative content that empowers readers with knowledge on substance abuse. Ralph's mission is to foster a safer and healthier community through education.

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