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| Question & Answer: Correction to Last Week's Answer |
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Question: I have read that body hair is genetically programmed to replace itself once a year. So a positive on a hair test where body hair is used would indicate only that one has used in the last year, right?
Answer: The answer to last week's question concerning the time frame for body hair indcated that hair testing is designed to provide a 90 day window of detection. The 90 day reference comes from the fact that head hair grows at an approximate rate of 1.3cm (1/2 inch) a month. Most hair labs will test a maximum length of 1 and 1/2 inches from the scalp creating an approximate 3 month "window". This detection window refers to the average routine head hair collection, not body hair collection. Body hair has increased rates of dormancy periods making estimates of the time of ingestion more difficult than with head hair, however, clearly, the overall window cannot exceed the entire life cycle of type of hair in question, (from the time it begins to grow till the time it falls out) For most types of body hair this would be less than one year.
The reference to a "90 day" hair window of detection is similar to the reference of urine having a "3 day window of detection for cocaine". It is not an absolute. It is an approximation based on the average test.
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Forget the "Don't Narc" Rule: a 5-Step Program for Employers
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Event Calendar
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DATIA STORE
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2004 Annual Conference Manual
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Non-Mandated Drug and Alcohol Testing Programs Workshop Manual
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Student Drug Testing Workshop Manual
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Alternative Specimen and On-site Testing Workshop Manual
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