Category: Updates

When people read about hair drug testing, they often see the phrase “surface contamination.” It refers to material that may be deposited on the outside of the hair after contact with an environment, product, or substance. That is different from drug-related compounds that may become incorporated into a growing hair strand through the body’s normal processes. The distinction matters because a laboratory’s job is to interpret the specimen using validated collection, washing, and analytical procedures—not to infer a person’s history from a shampoo label or a marketing claim.

Continue reading Zydot Shampoo and Hair Testing Surface Contamination

People order a personal drug test for many reasons: health awareness, a family conversation, or simply to understand what a screening panel can and cannot tell them. In the United States, consumers can find tests through national laboratory brands and local testing centers. The right choice depends less on the logo and more on the panel, sample type, collection process, result review, privacy terms, and whether the result is intended for personal information or a formal program.

Continue reading Need a Personal Drug Test? Comparing Lab Options and Local Collection

Stories about adding household products to urine to alter a drug-test result have circulated for decades. The important point for today’s readers is that a drug test is not only a search for drug markers. Many regulated programs also evaluate whether a specimen is consistent with a valid human sample and whether anything interferes with the laboratory’s analysis. Trying to alter a specimen can create a separate validity concern and may lead to a result that requires review or recollection.
Continue reading Urine Additives and Drug Tests Specimen Validity