A hair follicle drug test, also known as a hair drug test, screens for illicit drug use and the misuse of prescription medication. During this test, a small amount of hair is removed from your head using scissors. The sample is then analyzed for signs of drug use during the 90 days preceding the test. It’s typically used to test for:

• amphetamine
• methamphetamine
• ecstasy
• marijuana
• cocaine
• PCP
• opioids (codeine, morphine, acetyl-morphine)

While a urine drug screen can detect if you’ve used drugs in the last few days, a hair follicle drug test can detect drug use in the past 90 days.

Your workplace may request a hair follicle test to screen for illicit drug use before hire or randomly during employment. Some also indicates that hair drug testing can be useful for monitoring drug use in at-risk individuals when used alongside self-reporting. Your hair follicle test might take place in a lab or within a hospital setting.

If your workplace has mandated that you take the test, they’ll likely require you to be supervised during the testing process.You can wash your hair, dye your hair, and use styling products without affecting the accuracy of the test.After confirming identifying information, the collector will cut between 100 and 120 hairs from the crown of your head. They can collect the hairs from different spots on your crown to avoid creating a bald spot.If you have very little or no hair on your head, the collector might use body hair for the test instead. The collector will place the hair in foil and then in a secure envelope to be mailed for overnight testing.