Nail drug testing in London

Nail drug testing in London is available from AlphaBiolabs. Nail clippings provide an alternative to hair drug testing when the donor has no or little hair. There may also be religious reasons why a donor doesn’t want to have their hair cut.

Obtaining a sample is less obtrusive with nail drug analysis. Nails provide a highly stable, simple-to-collect and easy-to-transport sample. Clippings need to be taken as near to the nail bed as possible. If the nail is long (5 mm or above) then only one would be required. If the nails are short then it may be best to take clippings from a couple of nails. Either fingernails or toenails can be used for the drug test, but not a mixture. Approximately 10 mg of nail is required in total. The advantage of using toe nails is that there is less potential for contamination. Acrylic nails, Shellac and other forms of nail varnish would need to be removed as this may damage the surface of the nail and impact on the drug results.

Nails can be tested for the following drugs: methamphetamine, amphetamine, benzodiazepines, cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy (MDMA), ketamine, methadone, opiates, PCP and zolpidem.

In hair, any drug that is consumed circulates in the bloodstream and a proportion of it and its metabolites enter the hair follicle and become incorporated into the keratin of the hair shaft.

The principle of drug incorporation into nails is similar because nails are also made of keratin. It is this fibrous protein that again traps any drugs and their biomarkers ready for detection. The turnaround times for both hair and nail testing methods are 3 days.

A major difference is that unlike head hair, nails can’t be segmented to provide a month-by-month analysis of the donor’s drug usage. Instead, nail drug testing can give an overview and detect a drug for up to 12 months after use.

Sample collection options for nail drug testing in London

Nail drug testing in London is made easy thanks to flexible options for sample collection. We offer a secure, rapid and convenient service via our experienced network of highly qualified sample collectors. These sample collectors can visit any convenient address (home, work or a solicitor’s office) to collect a sample under chain of custody procedures.

Alternatively, rather than having to arrange an appointment for sample collection, those needing a nail drug test can call into one of our two London Walk in Centres* (based in Camden in North London and Clapham in South London) where the nail clippings can be collected.

Expert sample collectors at the Walk in Centres ensure that the process is carried out quickly, efficiently and with no risk of contamination. This is ideal for those instances when you need to be certain that the results of a drug test are completely accurate and that the sample has not been tampered with.

Call 0333 600 1300 now for more information on nail drug testing in London or email us at info@alphabiolabs.com.