When it comes to employment screenings, the hair test is recognized as the most stringent of all other cannabis tests. How long does THC stay in hair? It is a question many people are asking themselves. If you have ever wondered about the answer, then this article will be of great interest to you!
How THC Shows up in Hair
When you smoke, vape, or eat marijuana, the active chemicals in the drug enter your circulation. These cannabinoids travel via circulation to cannabinoid receptors on cells all over the body, where they bind and produce their effects once they’ve arrived.
Some of the cannabinoids travel via the blood vessels that nourish the scalp’s cells. THC makes it across the barrier between vessel and follicle cells known as the hair papilla, entering the matrix where actual hair development occurs. It might take 5–10 days for that part of the hair to journey through your scalp and be detected in the hair for the next three months.
A 1.5-inch hair segment taken close to the scalp can reveal the period of cannabis usage for the previous three months, assuming that hair grows roughly 0.5 inches each month. Testers may also take the hair sample from any of the following: arm, leg, pubic, or armpit.
Is the Hair Test Accurate?
Hair tests are often preferred because they are less invasive and faster to conduct than urine or blood testing. This hair test detects carboxy THC (THC COOH), a metabolite of THC.
While this is considered a highly reliable method, it may produce false positives from time to time owing to second-hand smoking and physical contact with smokers. It also suggests a greater THC concentration in darker hair.
It is possible that the hair test will not detect THC in some cannabis users, especially if they are light users. It also cannot specify how much cannabis someone has used. Drug and Alcohol Review recently published research revealing that THC was discovered in 77% of heavy users and 39% of light users, respectively.
Other Factors Affecting How Long THC Stays
There’s no way to know how long THC will stay in one’s system for a drug test, but there are several factors that can affect how long it stays in the body.
THC stays in the body longer if you’ve been smoking marijuana on a regular basis or consuming a greater THC concentration. The same goes for ingesting edibles, which are broken down more slowly and kept in the body for longer than smoking or vaping.
THC is stored in fatty tissues throughout the body. Those with less fat in their bodies will process THC from their system faster than those who have more fat. Someone who eats well, exercises regularly, and gets sufficient sleep will expel THC at a quicker rate than someone who is unwell.
However, performing a lot of exercises before a marijuana test may raise THC concentration. This is because THC stored in fat gets released back into your body when the fat breaks down.
Some people claim that they passed the hair test by bleaching, recoloring, and using detox shampoo, but this is not always the case. The only surefire way to pass a THC hair test is to go drug-free for at least three months before the test!
Closing on How Long Does THC Stay in Hair
The hair test is often conducted on a 1.5-inch hair segment near the scalp. This test will reveal if you have used cannabis in the past 3 months or so. The result is also determined by how often you use cannabis as well as other personal factors. The only sure way to pass a THC hair test is to abstain from drug use for at least ninety days before the test!
