Can you still do a hair drug test if I am bald?

Yes, a hair drug test may be conducted using head or body hair.

Most testing facilities require a hair sample of approximately 100 milligrams and 1.5 inches in length to conduct hair drug testing.

Approximately 120 strands of hair are needed to satisfy this minimum requirement for testing. If placed flat, this would equal about 1 cm in width of hair. If gathered together, the swatch of hair would be about the circumference of a pencil. For individuals with very curly hair, the amount collected for sampling would be about the size of a regular cotton ball.

If you are bald or have limited hair on your head, a sample may be collected from your chest, underarm, leg, or face. Collection preference is given to body hair that meets the preferred 1.5-inch length. However, hair from several head or body locations can be combined to obtain a sufficient amount of hair for testing.

The hair on your head grows at a predictable rate. A sample of hair that begins at the scalp and extends for 1.5 inches is generally considered to indicate a 90-day window of drug usage, or 30 days for each 1/2 inch of hair. However, the rate of growth of body hair is variable. Thus, if body hair is used for a hair drug test, the results may only be used to indicate a positive or negative result without reference to a specific time frame.