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Have you recently been through a divorce? Are you feeling the impact of the divorce in ways that you didn't plan for? After my divorce, my kids and I went through several months where they were angry and I felt like a complete failure. It was almost a year before I decided to begin seeing a family therapist to help us get through such a difficult transitional time for the entire family. She was so understanding, compassionate and helpful. She helped us talk through our feelings and provided us with the tools that we needed to get through the most difficult time in our lives.

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family therapy after a divorce

3 Surprising Facts About Testing Hair Follicles For Drug Use

by Fernando Barnett

If you are one of the millions of people in the United States who must pass a drug test as part of your employment, you are probably familiar with urine drug screening. However, it is becoming increasingly common for employers to test the hair of their employees, in order to get a more accurate reading. In that instance, there are several key pieces of information that you should know. 

Testing Hair Follicles Provides A More Accurate Result

Unfortunately, when doing a urine drug screen, it is possible for some drugs to be naturally flushed from the body in as little as two days. The hair follicle test can pick up even occasional use of a drug for up to 90 days after its ingestion.

It is important to remember that the use of antidepressants, pain medication and steroids may all appear in a drug screen. If you can prove that you have a prescription for that medication, it is unlikely to be a problem in most situations.

Your Race May Impact The Functionality Of The Test

As with virtually any medical procedure, there is always going to be the possibility of errors or deviations that cause an inaccurate result. One such problem for testing hair follicles for drug use relates to race.

Specifically, the hair of Caucasian individuals is finer and thinner and may not maintain the metabolized drug for as long as the hair of other races. As a result, it would be possible for their occasional drug use to not appear in noticeable amounts, soon after the drug use occurred.

They Can Test Hair From Anywhere...Not Just Your Head

If someone is bald, balding or has very short hair, it is easy to assume that they cannot submit to a hair follicle drug test. The truth is that it is possible to test the hair from any body part, including legs, arms, eyebrows and elsewhere, if the hair is long enough. 

A good rule of thumb is that if the hair is at least one inch long, it can be tested for drug use. It will also be helpful to remember that it takes a few days after drug use for the proof to appear in your hair.    

In conclusion, if you have been asked to submit to a drug screening of your hair follicle to be eligible for employment, it is important to remember that failing it or refusing to complete it could be grounds for terminating your employment. Despite what you may have heard, there is no shampoo, hair product or supplement that has been proven to remove evidence of drug use from your hair as of April 2015.

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