Hair alcohol testing for independent individuals
Our hair alcohol testing service is an effective and reliable type of testing that provides an analysis that can indicate the likelihood of ongoing, chronic alcohol consumption.
Our hair alcohol test detects two types of markers; ethyl palmitate (EtPa) and ethyl glucuronide (EtG) as standard. These markers are ‘by-products’ created by the body in the presence of alcohol so allow us to assess alcohol consumption.
Hair can provide alcohol detection for months and grows at an average rate of one cm per month. For example, for a three-month period analysis, a three cm section of scalp hair will be used. We provide analysis for up to a six-month period.
We can also analyse smaller sections for the presence of EtPa and EtG however these results should be interpreted with caution.
We strongly recommend that EtPa and EtG analysis is used in conjunction with other forms of evidence such as blood alcohol tests, clinical assessments, and a look at historic alcohol use to obtain a comprehensive picture.
