Why Is Hair Follicle Drug Testing Good for Athletes?

Drugs can dramatically affect an athlete’s performance, which is why drug testing is a must for athletes, especially professional ones. A drug test does not only identify whether or not an athlete is abusing drugs, but it also helps ensure the safety and well-being of the athlete’s team and opponents.

A person’s strand of hair is just as unique as that person’s fingerprint. Substances in a person’s body will also show up as traces of elements in hair. Several companies are now using the Hair Follicle Drug Testing method on their employees. This form of drug test would also be ideal for athletes. These are some reasons why.

1. The hair follicle drug test can determine a comprehensive history of drug use that dates back to 90 days. This method does not only find out if an athlete was using drugs that day, but it determines if an athlete was using drugs three months prior to the game.

2. This particular drug test can detect many types of drugs. Some major drugs that can be detected through hair samples are as cocaine, PCP, ecstasy, methamphetamines, opiates and marijuana.

3. A hair drug test is believed to provide results that are more accurate compared to blood tests or urine tests. In fact, forensic tests that use hair samples can actually be considered as evidence in murder cases.

4. Many athletes are bald or have very short hair. This form of hair test can only detect drugs if the hair sample is longer than half an inch. The good news is that some versions of this drug test will still work with hair from other parts of a person’s body.

5. The trace elements that are found in one’s hair cannot be taken out. Certain shampoos claim that they can remove any traces of drugs although in reality, they cannot. Many drug test facilities clean hair samples thoroughly before testing them. Surface contaminants such as shampoo, dirt and oil are removed.

6. This drug testing method is non-invasive. An athlete simply needs to provide a hair sample instead of needing to provide a sample of urine, saliva or even blood.

7. A hair test is difficult to tamper. Athletes can cheat a urine drug test by falsifying or tampering the urine sample to be tested. With a hair follicle drug test, the person in charge can personally collect a hair sample and be sure that it cannot be tampered with.