Hair Drug Test – Cotinine

Hair detection has unique advantages in the field of drug testing. Hair can provide long-term medication information that is not available in other biological samples such as blood and urine. Hair samples are relatively easy to take, easy to carry, and easy to store for long periods of time. The slow metabolism of drugs in hair can persist for a long time, and these factors provide better conditions for drug analysis.

Cotinine is the first-stage metabolite of nicotine, a toxic alkaloid that produces stimulation of the autonomic ganglia and central nervous system when in humans. Nicotine is a drug to which virtually every member of a tobacco-smoking society is exposed whether through direct contact or second-hand inhalation. In addition to tobacco, nicotine is also commercially available as the active ingredient in smoking replacement therapies such as nicotine gum, transdermal patches and nasal spray.

What you will receive:

• Foil pouch containing drug test
• Full Instructions
• Buffer (1.0mL brown cap)
• Specimen Collection Tube with Catalyst Powder (5mg green cap)
• Collection Paper
• Template Card

For more detailed information about drugs and drug testing read our A-Z on drugs.

For a laboratory based hair drug test you can view these test kits here.

Test Procedure

1. Add the buffer to the Specimen Collection Tube with Catalyst Powder and shake it evenly to prepare the lysate.
2. Add the hair sample to the prepared hair lysate, tighten the cap onto the specimen collection tube, then shake the tube vigorously to mix the specimen and the lysate. Leave the tube alone for 5 minutes.
3. Remove the test cassette from the sealed pouch and use it within one hour. Place the test cassette on a clean and level surface.
4. Remove the clear cap of the specimen collection tube and transfer 3 full drops of specimen (Lysate) (approx. 120 mL) to the specimen well (S) of the test cassette, and then start the timer.
5. Avoid trapping air bubbles in the specimen well (S). For multi-panels, you need to add 3 drops of lysate to each specimen well. Wait for the coloured line(s) to appear. Read results at 5 minutes.
6. Wait for the coloured line(s) to appear. Read results at 5 minutes. Do not interpret the result after 10 minutes

View the full test instructions here.