If you’re about to take a hair follicle drug test and you fear the results may not be in your favor, you have some work ahead of you.

You may be wondering, “How accurate are hair follicle tests for drugs,” and, importantly, “What will mess up a hair follicle drug test?”

Detoxing hair is a serious effort and can be extremely damaging to your hair.

If you know that you will be submitting for a hair follicle test, it’s best to stop consuming cannabis right away. Those who decide to detox should expect to spend some quality time conditioning, rehydrating, and re-nourishing afterward.

As for tips and tricks that can alter the test results, we’ve got those, too.

Hair follicle drug tests are designed to detect a range of substances over an extended period.

How far back does a hair follicle test detect drug use? Typically, the hair follicle drug test detection time is up to 90 days.

Here’s what commonly shows up in these tests:

Cannabinoids (THC): The active ingredient in marijuana is one of the most frequently tested substances.

Cocaine: This powerful stimulant is easily detectable in hair samples.

Opiates: Including heroin, codeine, and morphine, opiates are commonly screened for.

Amphetamines: This category includes methamphetamine and MDMA (ecstasy).

Phencyclidine (PCP): This hallucinogenic drug is also commonly tested.

Benzodiazepines: Often prescribed for anxiety and sleep disorders, these drugs can show up in hair tests.

Barbiturates: These sedatives are another category often detected.

Methadone: Used for pain relief and drug addiction treatment, methadone is also screened.

Alcohol: While less common, some hair follicle tests can detect chronic alcohol use.

Hair follicle tests are highly sensitive and can detect drug use over a long period because drugs are incorporated into the hair shaft as it grows. This makes them a reliable method for identifying long-term or repeated drug use.

It’s important to note that the only surefire way to avoid risks and negative consequences with a hair test is to abstain. Avoiding contact with cannabis smoke is also extremely important. The skin-to-skin contact with someone who consumes cannabis may also transfer trace amounts of cannabis metabolites on hair.

Many hoping to trick a hair follicle test turn to abrasive detergents, some even as abrasive as laundry detergents. These detergents are in no way good for the hair or the body, so avoiding them if at all possible is recommended.

However, here’s what people do in an attempt to pass a hair follicle test. Materials include:

• Hair test (to test the hair to see if the procedure has worked)
• Detox shampoo
• Distilled white vinegar (large bottle or jug)
• Shower caps (a bunch)
• Goggles (to protect eyes)

Clear Choice Hair Follicle Shampoo is the go-to shampoo for those looking to pass a hair follicle test. This detoxifying shampoo is guaranteed to clear your hair of toxins for up to 8 hours with a simple two-step process. Clear Choice has been helping enthusiasts like you and I pass drug tests since 1993!

It is not recommended to order this product off of eBay, or from illegitimate retailers.

Here’s where things get intense. There are two common methods of DIY hair detox for drug testing.

For the first one, the hair is washed, bleached, and then redyed. A thick baking soda paste is then slathered onto the hair and scalp, then left on for 10 minutes or so. Hair is then washed using a detox shampoo that contains abrasive agents like a  salicylic acid shampoo.

The second method relies on detox shampoos created with drug tests in mind. It’s possible that baking soda paste and vinegar rinses may be an adequate detergent replacement for light consumers, however, many may not want to risk it. Here’s the gist of what people do:

1. Massage distilled white vinegar into scalp and hair to strip and loosen oils
2. With vinegar still in hair, massage in a salicylic acid shampoo
3. Carefully wipe and clean face and entire body (you can use apple cider vinegar as a natural toner, stripping oils)
4. Put hair in a shower cap and wait 30 minutes
5. Rinse hair
6. Wash at least twice with a Detox Shampoo
7. Rinse

Those that have some time may be interested in experimenting with some natural detoxing agents. These natural products are known to help detox hair and promote healing and nourishment. Going all in on the natural route can be risky for heavy consumers.

These products do not completely strip hair like the more aggressive detox regimes do. Though, the overall results can be surprising. It’s important to keep in mind that when you go all-natural, you risk not quite getting the results you want.

However, these products can boost the health of your hair overall and may be worth adding to your pre-test detox plan. These remedies can also be applied multiple times until the desired result is reached. If possible, you may want to home-test your hair before participating in an official hair follicle analysis.

Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a natural detergent replacement. It is not as abrasive as the intense Tide detergent many detox regimes require. However, a thick baking soda paste can be applied to the scalp and hair prior to washing with a purchased detox shampoo.

This will remove metabolites from the cuticle of the hair. This may be beneficial for lighter cannabis consumers. However, something stronger may be necessary to reach metabolites deeper into the hair strand.

Another popular way to use baking soda is in a thick salt and vinegar paste:

• 2 cups baking soda
• 1 cup sea salt
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar

Mix all of these together and apply as a thick paste to the scalp and work into the strands of your hair. Let this paste sit for five to 10 minutes. Shampoo and then repeat as needed. Salt and baking soda are excellent detergent replacements, stripping and dehydrating hair of the sebum (oil) that contains cannabis metabolites.

There are a few other products that may be helpful in a complete hair detox. These ingredients can be mixed in with homemade detox pastes or applied separately to heal the hair.

• Aloe vera gel (can be mixed with baking soda to aid detox)
• Bentonite clay
• Activated charcoal

Try booking your own hair drug test before the real deal.

Doing this can help you understand what may come back on the test taken for your work or whichever other entity is making you take the test.

On average, you can expect to pay between $100 and $150 for a standard test. However, prices can go higher for more comprehensive panels that test for a broader range of substances.

The time it takes to receive results from a hair drug test typically ranges from 3 to 7 business days.

This period includes the time needed to collect the sample, send it to the lab, conduct the analysis, and report the findings. Some testing facilities offer expedited services for an additional fee, which can shorten the turnaround time.

Generally, you’ll be notified immediately if you fail the test.

It is extremely important to always make sure your hair is adequately conditioned and nourished after a detox. For a bare minimum, allow your standard conditioner to soak in for one hour after detox or bleaching treatments. Those with long hair may want to tuck their locks into a shower cap during this deep conditioning process.

After applying harsh detergents to your hair, intense nourishment is needed. This simple recipe uses soothing and moisturizing aloe vera gel, which adds shine and hydrates brittle and dry hair.

Coconut oil is extremely moisture-intensive, and acts as a lovely carrier oil for the antioxidant vitamin E. Honey is a natural humectant that encourages shine and preserves moisture retention.

• 5 tablespoons aloe vera gel
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil (melted, can substitute olive oil)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 teaspoon or two punctured capsules of vitamin E

Optional:

• 1 teaspoon sweet almond oil
• 1 teaspoon rosehip oil
• Lavender essential oil

Mix all ingredients together and then slather onto your hair for a moisture-rich hair mask. Leave on for 30 to 60 minutes, then shampoo with a gentle product and condition as normal.

Maintaining a healthy diet rich in colorful and nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables overall can certainly change what metabolites are present in the hair by altering anything secreted through the sebum and perhaps the bloodstream. However, drinking a simple detox elixir prior to a hair test is unlikely to have an effect.

As mentioned earlier, cannabis metabolites aren’t thought to even show up in the hair until five to seven days after it was consumed. Once these metabolites show up in the hair, they are more or less stuck there and form a chronological record of what you have experienced.

Detox drinks work better for urine and saliva tests. Both urine and saliva tests can be diluted to disguise the concentration of THC metabolites floating around in bodily fluids.

However, as long as these drinks are natural, safe, and healthy, there’s no harm in drinking one in the days prior to a hair test to continue to dilute the metabolites in your sweat, sebum, and system as a whole. Some natural detoxifiers that are safe to consume include:

• Food-grade aloe vera gel/juice
• Food-grade activated charcoal
• Food-grade bentonite clay
• Lemon
• Apple cider vinegar

Although, keep in mind that no research or sound scientific evidence suggests that this is actually beneficial.