Does Dying Hair Affect Drug Test Results? Understanding Hair Follicle Testing

Does dying your hair affect a hair follicle drug test?

Dying your hair does not reliably affect a hair follicle drug test. Hair follicle tests detect drug metabolites embedded in the hair shaft, which are not fully removed or masked by hair dye. Laboratories use advanced testing methods including immunoassay screening and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) confirmation to identify drug use accurately.

Hair treatments like dyeing may alter the hair’s external structure but do not eliminate drug metabolites inside the hair shaft. Therefore, hair dye is unlikely to prevent detection of drugs in hair follicle tests.

How do hair follicle drug tests detect drugs despite hair dye?

Hair follicle drug tests analyze the hair shaft for drug metabolites deposited from the bloodstream during hair growth. These metabolites are located inside the hair cortex, beneath the cuticle layer, which is only partially affected by dyeing.

Laboratories clean hair samples to remove external contaminants before testing. Then, sensitive techniques like GC-MS detect drugs at very low levels. This process ensures that even chemically treated hair can be accurately tested.

What role do labs and Medical Review Officers play in testing dyed hair?

AMH Nationwide routes hair follicle samples through five national lab networks: Quest Diagnostics, LabCorp, Omega Labs, United States Drug Testing Labs, and ExperTox. These labs follow strict protocols to handle chemically treated hair samples.

Every non-negative hair follicle test is reviewed by a certified Medical Review Officer (MRO). The MRO considers potential factors such as hair treatments and confirms results through medical evaluation before releasing final reports.

Who typically orders hair follicle drug tests and why is hair treatment relevant?

Employers, courts, probation officers, and individuals commonly order hair follicle drug tests due to their long detection window and resistance to tampering.

Hair treatment information is relevant because some test requesters may inquire about cosmetic treatments to better interpret results. However, hair dye alone does not invalidate or mask test findings.

Are there any limitations or exceptions where hair dye might impact test results?

While typical hair dye does not prevent detection, excessive chemical treatments like bleaching or repeated dyeing may degrade hair and potentially reduce drug metabolite concentrations.

However, laboratories are equipped to detect such alterations, and any unusual findings are reviewed by Medical Review Officers to ensure test integrity.

Hair follicle tests are not used for DOT-regulated safety-sensitive positions; these require urine testing under federally certified protocols.

Can dying your hair help you pass a hair follicle drug test?

Dying hair is not a reliable method to avoid detection in a hair follicle drug test. Laboratories use advanced analytical methods and professional review processes that account for hair treatments.

Attempting to alter hair chemically to evade detection can lead to test invalidation or additional scrutiny. For accurate drug testing, rely on certified collection and laboratory procedures.

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