Drug testing for many people sounds like a fairly threatening and invasive procedure; no one really likes having to give even a bit of blood for testing purposes, and a lot more people are hesitant about peeing into a cup to be submitted for drug sampling. Fortunately, drug testing now includes a different type of procedure making use of your hair.

Hair drug testing is steadily gaining ground as a drug testing alternative. All the testee needs to do is provide a hair sample consisting of forty to fifty strands; this number is sufficient enough to use for the drug test, although more will be requested should additional tests be requested.

When one uses drugs, the substance travels to all parts of the body via the bloodstream, even up to the hair follicles. These follicles can then be suffused with the substances and remain there as the hair grows out of the scalp. As a result, the drugs you have taken are present in your hair and can still be detected by the hair drug test up to 90 days after you have taken the substance.

One of the common concerns about the hair drug test is whether or not it still applies to people who are bald. The answer is yes, people who are bald can still undergo hair drug testing because hair from any part of the body (excluding pubic hair) can be used, as long as enough hairs are gathered to make a sizeable sample for testing. Body hair also grows more slowly than hair on the head, and as such could retain the substances for a longer period of time.