The term pothead takes on a whole new meaning when we are talking about a hair follicle drug test. This hair analysis can be difficult to beat for those who have a moderate to heavy cannabis habit. So, should you need to indulge in some doobage to relax, and do so regularly, we have bad news for you.
There will be traces of Cannabinoids, the fancy word for what makes you feel good when you light up, in your hair follicles. And any half-way decent hair drug test will be able to detect these quite easily.
It’s a real drag when you are applying for that great new job, and it is something that is difficult to get around. What’s worse is that, unlike the standard urine test, you can’t even wait for the THC to leave your system – once it is in the shaft, it is there for good.
Does that mean never getting stoned again? Don’t be ridiculous – no job is worth that. What it does mean is that you need to get smart about things. In this post, we will look at how a hair drug testing kit works and the best hair drug test cheats for you to try.
Analyzing a strand of your hair gives testers a pretty accurate idea of any drugs that you have been taking. When it comes to weed, the TCH in your bloodstream dissipates quite quickly.
Before that happens, however, the blood circulates throughout the whole body, including the follicles on your scalp to give nutrients to all the cells. Trace elements are taken into the shaft itself.
To test these things, technicians have to collect a sample of your hair. They need around 50-100 strands to get an accurate read and so that is what will be collected from you. The technicians focus on the newest growth, or about the 1.5 inches closest to the scalp. They then test for the presence of TCH.
Because of the slow rate at which the hair grows, it will take around about three months or so for all traces of the drug to move outside of the area being checked.
Because you cannot go up to prospective employers and ask, “When is hair drug test used?” you need to find another way to deal with this or stop smoking pot for at least three months.
How Does Cannabis End Up in the Hair?
When the blood circulates in your body, it carries nutrients to all the various cells, to enable them to grow. Anything that your body metabolizes, like cannabis, Ecstasy, heroin, etc. is also carried by the bloodstream.
When the cells take up the nutrients from the bloodstream, they also take up the trace elements of the drugs. In the case of the follicles on your scalp, some of these traces are then transferred to the growing section of the strand.
It is only a tiny portion of the strand, the portion that is under the skin, that is alive. So, once it breaks the skin and starts coming out of the scalp, it no longer has access to the bloodstream, and there is no way for any trace elements to get taken out.
5 Methods That Will Help You To Pass The Test
Shave Everything Off
It seems like a logical solution – they want to test the actual strands, so should you shave it all off, there is nothing to test. Now, it is true that this does seem to solve the problem, but there are other areas on your body to get samples from.
Companies have come up with alternate solutions for a hair drug test when bald.
They will take a sample from somewhere else. Technically, should you could get rid of any fuzz on your body, there really wouldn’t be anything to test, but “Ouch!”
It would also be fairly obvious that you were doing this for a reason. Let’s say that you have gone through the interview process, and then proceed to shave everything off – you really couldn’t make it any clearer that you are a pot smoker or that you use some drugs.
Casual Smoker Getaway (The Natural Process)
Here is the good news, should you be a light smoker, you could very well get away with it. It has to be very light use, though. Like, maybe if you smoked maybe two doobies over the period of a month.
That said, the tests are very sensitive and can pick up even smaller quantities. It is not the most certain way to beat the screening, and it isn’t the most fun way either.
If you can drop the habit over long periods of time, it could work out for you but what happens if the company performs regular screening?
Detox Shampoos (Temporary and Most Trusted Solution)
If you need to get quick results, a hair drug test shampoo may be able to help you out. These shampoos work by stripping the old, built up oil on your scalp and also to penetrate the shaft. We have reviewed the best 3 detox shampoos for you, go check which one to use.
It takes about three to ten washes to see real results, so that means washing more often than normal. This should be considered a very temporary, last-ditch solution, though, because it will cause a lot of damage.
In theory, this works out for you because the damaged sample won’t be easy to test. In practice, technicians may be trained to spot signs of this kind of tampering and so it might not work. If they get suspicious, they could ask for a sample from somewhere else on your body instead.
Speed Up the Detoxification Process Through Diets and Supplements (Additives)
If you have some time before the test, like at least two weeks or so, you can speed up the detox process. That means no lighting up and then taking supplements that promote detoxification. Vitamin B3 can be very helpful here because it causes the blood vessels to dilate and thus release more toxins.
It will also be helpful to drink at least eight glasses of water or more a day and consider using a sauna to help you speed up the process.
The upside here is that it is not going to make anyone suspicious – all you are doing is trying to be healthier. The downside is that it takes longer to get it right and no marijuana in the meantime.
DIY Solutions and Treatments
You can also try making your own hair cleanser for drug test. These are made from ingredients in your kitchen and so are pretty inexpensive. You do need to give them more time to work, however.
A simple remedy is to soak your hair using white vinegar. (It doesn’t matter what type.) Let it stay in place for around twenty minutes or so.
Next up, get some acne medicine that contains salicylic acid and put that on. Leave for a few minutes while you get the next ingredient. You will now need to massage in either a cup of any liquid detergent or a powder detergent that has been mixed with water.
Make sure that the mixture lathers on your head and then rinse it out using tepid water and nothing else. Dry it and style it as usual. For added benefits, you could also try dying it.
Other methods
If you are looking for an alternative hair cleanser for a drug test, these methods might work for you.
The Macujo Method is similar to the method described above, except that you leave the acne mixture in for a half an hour. You then rinse until clean and wash a second time with the detergent.
The Jerry G Method is another option. Here you bleach your hair and then dye it using a permanent dye that contains ammonia. Follow this by washing with a detox shampoo. Ten days later, you repeat the process again.
A Hair Test Accuracy
Hair testing for THC is a lot more accurate than other methods, such as urine tests in determining a pattern of habitual drug use. According to some of the companies that administer them, they can be 99% accurate.
The 1% leeway there is for those cases of very light usage, as we described in the Natural Way – the Light Smoker Loophole. Other than that, all they need is a good sample with just over an inch of growth or so.
Which means that a test using short hair can be just as accurate as a hair drug test with long hair.
Common Drugs Detected Via Hair Follicle Drug Testing
Weed is one of the more common drugs tested for during hair follicle screening, but you won’t beat a hair test if you have been using any of the following other common drugs on a regular or semi-regular basis:
- Cocaine
- Heroine
- Ecstasy
- Morphine
Generally speaking, these tests will be able to pick up that you have used the above-mentioned narcotics for about three months after you have stopped using.
Most companies will run a series of tests to check for these drugs, but we will go through the more common industries where testing is mandatory in the next section of this post.
What Companies And Institutions Do A Hair Analysis?
Any company can decide to perform these tests as a condition of employment. More and more companies have started to administer these tests as a pre-screening method. It sucks, but that is just the way it is at the moment.
Of course, in some industries, there is no getting passed getting tested. These are industries where solid mental focus is required, like airline pilots, etc. We will go through these industries below, so you know exactly which ones we are talking about here.
Airlines
With airlines, safety is a primary concern. Don’t feel singled out, though; they test for alcohol and drug use here. This is both a safety and liability issue. If an airline pilot crashes a plane because they were stoned, the airline would be held liable.
It is not just the pilots that they do screen though. An airport could potentially hold a lot of hazards for staff who are pretty high – that’s everyone from baggage handlers through to the pilots.
MIlitary
The military has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to using narcotics so don’t expect to be able to get in if you do test positive. In addition to screening you when you first get there, you can also expect them to conduct regular tests.
As a lot of people in the armed forces are expected to be able to use a range of weapons, it is not the best idea to have staff whose abilities may be slightly impaired.
Schools
Schools and similar educational institutions will often screen potential employees, hired employees and sometimes students in an effort to cut back on narcotics usage.
This is done for safety reasons. While marijuana usage might leave you mellow and blissed out, the same cannot be said for harder drugs such as coke or heroin.
Teachers are expected to keep to a higher standard as they are seen as role models. Schools and other educational institutions may also test for alcohol abuse.
Hospitals
Most hospitals and other treatment facilities will also have some testing policy in place. Again, this is a matter of both liability and safety. Doctors and nursing staff are expected to work long hours, and this could lead to impairment issues if combined with illegal drug use.
The consequences of allowing someone who is high treat patients might be quite severe. Hospitals will often run regular mandatory screening on staff as well as testing before employment commences. They do also check for alcohol abuse.
How Much Time Do You Have? (12-24h, a week, 90 days or more)
The method that you use to get around the testing will depend on how much time you have. The more time you have, the more successful you are likely to be.
- 90 days or more: Top marks on this one if you can keep consumption to very low levels – like as in one hit in a two-week period and no more than that. Alternatively, you can cut out using pot completely to be absolutely sure.
- A week: Your best bet is to try and detox as much as possible and consider using a detox shampoo often. Do up your intake of supplements and do consider using the Mancujo or Jerry G Methods as well.
- 12-24 hours: Do you want to know how to pass a urine drug test in 24 hours? It can be difficult if you are a moderate to heavy user. Your best bet is to try taking a detox remedy and drinking as much water as you can. This can help to dilute the sample. You will probably need to take it again later, but it might buy you some time.
Check Yourself Before The Test
- You can get home hair drug testing kits. These will normally involve you taking a sample of your hair and sending it into the lab for analysis. They can be on the pricier side but could be a good idea if you are wanting to enter or re-enter the workforce and are not sure how you will do.
- This is more of an option if you have some time to spare as the sample will need time to get to the lab and to be tested once it is there. There are several different testing kits to choose from but do choose one from a reputable brand for the best results.
Comparisons With Other Tests
Common drug detection tests, provided by the medical facilities, have been a subject of interest for many opioid consumers. If you fall into this category, then here is the side by side comparison of the tests you might be subjected to in the future.
Follicle test is probably the most comprehensive screening your will encounter. It offers a large window of detection and provides information on historical drug use. Compared to others, it lays out highly accurate results, it’s challenging to tamper with, and it’s incredibly reliable. So, let’s see how it compares with other methods.
Follicle test vs. Urinalysis – Urinalysis only identifies the recent consumers and doesn’t provide a history of drug use. There are various tactics you can employ to cheat a urinalysis, and applicants can merely abstain from use when the upcoming testing is in order.
Follicle test vs. Saliva test – With this procedure, sample collection is relatively quick, noninvasive and resistant to tampering. However, it’s only useful in determining the recent drug use, up to 36 hours and it’s not recommended for continuous drug use monitoring.
Follicle test vs. Blood test – A blood test has a very short detection window for almost all drugs. In most cases, the drug disappears from your bloodstream within six hours, but some drugs might be detectable for up to 24 hours. The only advantage over the hair tests is that this type of examination detects the parent drug in your system and not its inactive metabolites.
Follicle test vs. Perspiration test– A sweat patch is difficult to tamper with, and usual “cheats” do not affect the patch. It continuously records the entire week duration, and every use of the drug will be detected as long as the person wears the patch. However, the biggest issue is with false positives and contamination, which is not the case with the hair follicle test.
Follicle test vs. Nail test – These two, hair and nails, are quite similar, considering they are made of keratin. As the nails grow, substances can move from the blood vessels below the nails and into the keratin fibers. Fingernails are four times thicker than hair follicle and often capture more chemicals than hair. In this case, biomarkers can be detected up to six months after drug abuse and exposure to the illicit substance can be identified immediately.
FAQ
How Long does THC Stay In Your Hair?
The answer is technically forever. Once the marijuana has been metabolized, it begins to circulate in your bloodstream. That starts from the time you start to feel high. The minute that blood circulates in the scalp, the compounds start building up in the shafts.
And, while there are a lot of remedies that you can try, these are aimed at obscuring the results rather than completely removing the active components. That’s why if you want to know how to pass a hair follicle drug test in 24 hours, your only option is to damage the sample if possible.
They will stay in that shaft until the hair naturally falls out, or you cut it off.
Which can be a real bummer when you need a clean test result.
Will a hair drug test show one-time use?
No, it will not. The method used here checks for use over a period of time, as measured in weeks and not days. As long as the action has not been repeated, you are safe. The testing is not designed to catch out the person who tries it once and never again; it is more about establishing a long-term pattern.
It works by detecting concentrations of the metabolites of cannabis and, if you have only used it once, the levels of TCH won’t be significant enough in your system.
Will hair color affect drug test?
In terms of your natural color, no. It doesn’t matter if you are black-, brown- or blond-haired, etc. Where it might make a difference is if you use a colorant as we mentioned above but you really have to be willing to do some serious damage to it.
Dye on its own will not do the trick – you have to bleach the hair first to start causing some serious damage really. Even then, it is not guaranteed to do the trick. However, if time is running out, and you have no better options, it could be worth a try.
Can hair follicle drug test false positive?
Yes, they can lead to false positives if you have been in an environment where they have been smoking Mary Jane. It could also be a problem if you have come into contact with the sebum or perspiration of someone who regularly indulges.
So, if you are trying to get a good result, steer clear of friends that are using and a situation where pot is being smoked. The company testing is under no obligation to retest you if you feel that they have received a false positive.
Conclusion
In this post, we have looked at how to pass a hair sample drug test. We cannot guarantee that these methods will work as the only surefire way is to abstain completely. But let’s be honest here, abstaining is not the best option either.
The best that you can do in these situations is to try and work the system by getting rid of the evidence and trying to damage the potential sample. We have shown you how you can start doing that.
It is worth mentioning that those conducting the testing are trained to look out for these kinds of tricks, but they have worked, and still, do work for some people.
If you will be tested in a very short period of time, your best bet is to try and skew the sample. If nothing else, this might buy you the time that you need to come up with a better long-term solution.
