Urine and hair tests are two of the most common drug tests used today. Even though these tests detect various substances within high detection times, urine or hair samples are sometimes incomplete or fail to detect certain substances, such as alcohol. That’s where fingernail drug tests come in handy. If you’re curious how a fingernail drug test is conducted, read this guide to learn more.

What Are Fingernail Tests?

Fingernail drug tests use nail samples from fingernails or toenails. They’re more sought after than urine or hair samples, given their larger detection period. Nail tests are considered noninvasive. All testers need are approximately two to three millimeters of fingernail or toenail samples for a sufficient sample size. Whereas urine samples provide a detection time of weeks of substance use, nail samples can provide a history of six months to a year.

How They’re Conducted

Given their simplicity to collect, ship, and store, fingernail samples provide reliable and accurate data for the sample provided. How fingernail drug tests are conducted is a simple measurement of a sample from the finger or toenails. Once a two- to three-millimeter sample is collected, it shows biomarkers in the nail sample. When an employee ingests substances, biomarkers develop in their bodies that show up on a fingernail drug test as soon as one to two weeks after ingestion. Detection times vary depending on the substances used, personal metabolism, and sample size. Nail samples from all ten fingernails or toenails should provide a substantial sampling for the test.

What They Test For

Fingernail drug tests are also commonly used for detecting alcohol or ethyl glucuronide abuse. While the everyday urine tests and hair drug tests can detect alcohol and further substances, such as marijuana, cocaine, opiates, amphetamines, and more, fingernail drug tests can detect alcohol use in a 100-milligram sample within three to six months from potential use. Toenail drug tests can detect up to one year of prior abuse.

Order your fingernail alcohol test from AMHNationwide today. Our ETG fingernail tests provide reliable and accurate feedback for detecting alcohol abuse in nail samples. Perfect for employers or those needing a reliable drug test, alcohol nail tests provide results within one to seven business days. Call now for more information.