Last updated : April 7, 2025
In the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, the opioid crisis is so bad that it’s making national headlines. Even though the opioid crisis has taken center stage, methamphetamine, or meth possession use is actually the most common drug abused in Minneapolis and it’s surprising who is using it.
That’s why it’s critical to have the most accurate drug testing available. What kinds of drugs can the test detect? What timeframe can these drugs be detected within? That depends on the method of drug testing used.
But, in your hair is a complete history of everything that has entered your bloodstream, and it remains there for a fairly long time. Other drug tests like mouth swab and urine tests can’t offer the same detection window that a hair follicle test can. That’s why this method is the most accurate and comprehensive drug test available today.
One important reason hair follicle testing is often preferred over methods is because it is very hard, in fact, nearly impossible to cheat. There is no need for privacy, so the test can be performed directly in the presence of supervisors as well as the collection specialists. The hair is collected and placed in a tamper-proof plastic specimen bag, and then delivered to be analyzed by our laboratory. There is very little, if any room for tampering during that entire process.
What is a hair follicle drug test?
A hair follicle test is exactly how it sounds. Hair is taken from the employee’s head and analyzed for the presence of drug metabolites. There have been concerns that a hair follicle test can’t be conducted on a bald person or that the test could leave a patch of hair missing on the head. However, those concerns are simply not warranted because hair samples don’t have to be taken from the top of the head. Other places like the arm provide a great place to collect a hair sample. So, there really aren’t any legitimate objections.
Compared to other types of tests, including mouth swab and urine tests, this method offers significant advantages. A mouth swab drug test requires the collection of saliva from the mouth,and offers a very short detection window of a maximum of 72 hours. As far as urine tests are concerned, the employee must be given a private place to supply the specimen. Urine tests can detect drug use for up to several weeks depending on the drug, but this method is the easiest one to manipulate.
The hair follicle drug test offers many advantages over other test methods:
Advantages
- It can be conducted anywhere at any time, even in a public place.
- Detects drug use 90 days prior to the test.
- Extensive washing of hair won’t affect the outcome.
- Nearly impossible to cheat.
While hair follicle tests offer advantages over these other kinds of tests, there are some disadvantages hair follicle testing can’t overcome at this time.
Disadvantages
- Hair follicle tests can’t be used to test for current impairment.
- The cost of hair follicle tests is a little higher than urine and mouth swabs.
- A hair follicle analysis can take several days.
- Will not indicate drug use within the last few days.
- At this time, it is not approved for DOT.
Even though hair follicle drug testing cannot currently be used for DOT purposes, the DOT is working toward being able to use this method for DOT drug testing.
How is it conducted?
The hair follicle drug test procedure is rather cut and dry. A collection specialist will check the identification of the test subject before testing. To continue, they will then select an area on the top of the head to collect approximately 100 to 150 strands of hair with scissors. The hair is stored in a tamper-proof plastic bag and then carefully forwarded to the lab for analyzing.
What drugs does it identify?
With heroin and opioid use on the rise in Minneapolis, it’s necessary to have a drug test that is going to find the drugs users are more likely to be using. While a hair follicle holds very detailed information about drug use over along period of time, there are different types of drug panels that identify certain drugs:
5 Panel drug test
9 Panel drug test
- Amphetamines
- Barbiturates
- Benzodiazepines
- Cocaine
- Methadone
- Marijuana (THC)
- Oxycodone
- Oxymorphone
- Phencyclidine (PCP)
10 Panel drug test
- Amphetamines
- Barbiturates
- Benzodiazepines
- Cocaine
- Hydrocodone
- Marijuana (THC)
- Methadone
- Methaqualone
- Methamphetamines
- Opiates
- Phencyclidine (PCP)
- Propoxyphene
12 Panel drug test
- Amphetamines
- Propoxyphene
- Cocaine
- Barbiturates
- Methadone
- Benzodiazepines
- Marijuana (THC)
- Opiates
- Hydrocodone
- Phencyclidine (PCP)
- Percocet/Oxycodone
- Ecstasy/MDMA
How accurate is the test?
Washed and dyed hair won’t affect the test results at all. Neither will any styling products found in the hair.
Two different tests are conducted to guard against false positives. The ELISA test can deliver results in 24 hours. The other test, the gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) can confirm a positive result in 72 hours and can detect up to 17 drugs. It also guards against those instances when certain foods like poppy seeds have caused initial positive results. This two step process completely eliminates false positives.
What do the results mean?
Negative
A negative result indicates the test subject has not used drugs that were included on the drug test panel within the last 90 days.
Positive
A positive result indicates that the subject has used drugs that were included on the drug test panel within the last 90 days, and the test results will even indicate which drugs. A second test is conducted known as a GC/MS to confirm the test is positive.
Inconclusive
An inconclusive test result means that neither negative nor positive results were indicated. This could be a result of the hair specimens being improperly collected or other human error. When the test procedures are properly followed, inconclusive test results are highly unlikely.