How To Pass A Hair Follicle Drug Test. Methods That Work

Daniel Miller, Ph.D Pharmacology, Drug Testing Specialist

Last updated on Apr 30, 2024

Today, I will explain how to pass a hair follicle test. I’ll focus on methods backed by scientific research and discuss the relevant studies.

These methods are effective not only for THC but also for meth, opiates, alcohol, and cocaine.

The challenge with hair follicle tests, particularly for marijuana, is that THC stays in your body fat and continues to release into your bloodstream. This can lead to your hair testing positive for THC weeks or even months after you’ve stopped using.

This hardly seems fair, right?

Let’s explore how to eliminate drug metabolites from your hair. I’ll make sure to discuss safe methods for your hair, complete with step-by-step instructions.

Before we get into the methods, it’s important to understand how drugs get into your hair and how they are detected in tests.

You might say, “Hey, I’m not really into the science or specifics of how drug testing on hair works. Can we just get to the methods?” Sure, I’ll keep it simple and focus on the practical steps.

Sure: skip to the methods section.

How drugs get into the hair

Hair is mostly made up of a protein called keratin and has three main parts: the cuticle, cortex, and medulla.

Cuticle: This is the outer layer, made up of overlapping scales. Think of it like shingles on a roof. The cuticle guards the inner hair layers and is key to the hair shaft’s strength.

Cortex: The thickest layer, the cortex holds most of the hair’s pigment (color), along with a substantial amount of keratin. It’s responsible for the hair’s elasticity and strength.

Medulla: This innermost layer varies depending on the hair type. It’s a soft, thin core that can be continuous, fragmented, or completely absent.

When you ingest drugs, they enter your bloodstream and get broken down by your body.

These breakdown products, along with the original drug, can then integrate into your hair’s structure.

As hair grows from the follicle, it’s exposed to your body’s internal environment, including the blood.

So, drugs and their metabolites circulating in your blood can get into the hair follicle and become part of the newly formed hair.

This mainly happens in the cortex, where the hair shaft is formed with keratin.

Once drugs are in the hair shaft, they’re essentially “locked in” as the hair continues to grow.

Since hair generally grows at about 1/2 inch per month, the segment of hair showing drug use can be pinpointed.

How does hair follicle drug test work?

During the test, about 1.5 inches of your hair will be cut and dissolved in a solvent.

The test then measures the concentration of drug metabolites in that solvent. If the level is above a certain threshold, you’ll fail the test.

At the end of this article, I’ll provide a detailed explanation of the hair drug testing process for those interested.

So, the goal is to reduce these drug metabolites in your hair below the cutoff level before the test.

Hair follicle drug test cut-off levels

How long do drugs stay in hair?

Once drug metabolites enter your hair, they’re there to stay, at least until you cut that section of hair. Drug tests typically examine 1.5 inch of hair, which represents about 3 months of growth.

So, the test can reveal drug use within the last 90 days.

But here’s the catch: drugs stay in your blood for a while before being deposited into your hair.

If you cut your hair about a week after your last drug use, the newly grown hair should be clean of drug metabolites, making it undetectable in tests.

Most drugs linger in the blood for a few days to a week.

However, THC (marijuana) is a different story. It’s fat-soluble, binds to body fat, and is continuously released back into the bloodstream.

This is why marijuana can be detected in urine for a much longer period, especially in heavy users – sometimes months after the last usage.

Consequently, THC can be deposited into newly grown hair for several months after the last use, causing a positive test result.

How to destroy metabolites in hair

The basic structure of a hair shaft consists of three layers: the cuticle, cortex, and medulla. Drug metabolites are stored in the cortex.

To pass the test, you need to remove these metabolites. Here’s a breakdown of the process:

1. Open Hair Cuticle: This is the first step to accessing the cortex where the metabolites are stored.
2. Dissolve Drug Metabolites in Hair Cortex: This involves using certain chemicals to break down the metabolites.
3. Wash Out the Dissolved Residues: After dissolving the metabolites, they need to be thoroughly washed out of the hair.
4. Close the Hair Cuticle: This is crucial to prevent hair damage and maintain the integrity of the hair shaft.

Various chemicals and special shampoos are used in this process.

Studies have shown that treatments like vodka, disinfectants, bleach, hair relaxers, and others can reduce drug metabolites in hair.

Manipulation of THC Hair Concentrations by Commercially Available Products

In this study, they found that everyday products like vodka, hair tonic, Zydot shampoo, Desderman disinfectant, and Head and Shoulders shampoo could significantly reduce THC levels in hair.

We’re talking about a reduction ranging from 52% with the shampoo to 65% with the disinfectant. his is huge because it shows that these common products can make a big difference in drug test results.

Source: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/12/10/900

Coloring, Bleaching, and Perming: Influence on EtG Content in Hair

Now, this is interesting: coloring didn’t change the EtG (a marker for alcohol) levels much, but bleaching caused a whopping 73.5% decrease.

Perming went even further, with a 95.7% reduction. This tells us that chemical processes can really break down EtG in hair.

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23851910/

Influence of the Cosmetic Treatment of Hair on Drug Testing

Cosmetic hair treatments like bleaching or dyeing can lower the drug content in hair by 40%-60% for most drugs, and even more for morphine.

The more damaged the hair, the greater the decrease in drug levels. So, it turns out how you treat your hair can really affect drug test results.

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9228567/

Influence of Cosmetic Hair Treatments on Cannabinoids in Hair: Bleaching, Perming and Permanent Coloring

This study showed that bleaching and perming can significantly reduce cannabinoid levels in hair.

Bleaching had a stronger chemical degradation effect, while perming seemed to leach out the cannabinoids.

Interestingly, regular hair coloring didn’t have much effect.

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30851603/

Influence of Chemical Straightening on the Stability of Drugs of Abuse in Hair

Chemical straightening or relaxers can also reduce drug concentrations in hair.

After treatment, only 5-30% of the original drug concentration remained.

This means relaxers can be quite effective in decreasing drug metabolites in hair.

Source: https://academic.oup.com/jat/article/39/1/13/2797987

Can you pass hair drug test with relaxer?

A quick note: there’s research from 2015 that found hair relaxers can destroy part of the drug metabolites.

So, using a hair relaxer might be a useful step in trying to pass a hair drug test.

Source: https://academic.oup.com/jat/article/39/1/13/2797987

Methods to pass a hair follicle drug test

Keep in mind, each method requires multiple applications since studies show that a single application only destroys a fraction of drug metabolites in the hair.

To get these levels below the detectable threshold, you’ll need to apply these methods several times before your test.

DIY remedies

These remedies typically feature ingredients such as bleach and vinegar. They have the advantage of being generally cheaper.

However, there are several downsides.

They can be harsh on both hair and scalp, leading to significant damage, and their application can be painful. These methods usually require multiple applications, which can amplify the damage.

There’s also the risk that the drug test collector might notice the damage to your hair and scalp and choose to take samples from other parts of your body.

Additionally, when you consider the number of ingredients needed, the cost can sometimes rival that of professional detox shampoos.

Lastly, preparing and applying these remedies can be quite time-consuming.

Here’s what some folks have said about DIY methods like the Macujo method:

“Wouldn’t wish that process on my worst enemy.”

“The relaxer really irritates your scalp after the Macujo.”

“Bleach makes scalp burn like hell, apparently, and cause hair/scalp damage.” “Crazy scalp melting treatment.”

“So when I damaged my hair, I felt like my life was ruined.”

“After my test, I decided to cut my hair because I wasn’t trying to look like Patchy the Pirate, so I got a bald fade.”

“I had dandruff and pieces of my scalp were falling out for like a week and a half after.”

Drug test detox shampoos

The advantages of certain hair treatment methods include their ability to not damage hair and some even have effectiveness backed by scientific proof.

On the downside, these methods tend to be more expensive compared to DIY options.

Additionally, it’s worth noting that many shampoos marketed as “detox” may not be effective for drug tests.

Home remedies to pass a hair follicle drug test

The Macujo method

What you’ll need:

• Rubber gloves for hand protection.
• Goggles to safeguard your eyes.
• A water source, like a sink or tub.
• Old Style Aloe Toxin Rid Shampoo.
• Clean and Clear Deep Cleaning Astringent (with salicylic acid).
• White vinegar.
• Tide liquid laundry detergent.
• A shower cap or plastic bag for hair coverage.

Step-by-step instructions:

1. Protect Yourself: Don gloves and goggles for safety.
2. Wet Your Hair: Use warm water to dampen your hair.
3. Apply Vinegar: Massage white vinegar thoroughly into your hair and scalp.
4. Add Astringent: Apply the Clean and Clear astringent over the vinegar.
5. Cover and Wait: Put on a shower cap and wait for 30 to 45 minutes.
6. Rinse: Remove the cap and rinse your hair well.
7. Shampoo with Aloe Toxin Rid: Lather your hair with the shampoo, then rinse.
8. Apply Tide Detergent: Lather a small amount of Tide into your hair, then rinse carefully. Be cautious to avoid contact with eyes and mouth.
9. Repeat if Necessary: Some people repeat the process multiple times before a test.

Time required:

• Single Cycle: About 1 to 1.5 hours.
• Daily Time: 2 to 3 hours if done twice daily.
• Total Time: For a 5-day prep, you might spend 10 to 15 hours in total.

Success stories of passing a hair follicle drug test with the Macujo method:

• https://www.reddit.com/r/trees/comments/2mtrfh/serious_i_passed_a_hair_follicle_test_and_so_can/
• https://www.reddit.com/r/drugtesthelp/comments/p4ol11/hair_drug_test_mike_macujo_and_jerry_g_methods_my/
• https://www.reddit.com/r/trees/comments/b8fb27/my_macujo_method_steps_and_tips/
• https://www.reddit.com/r/drugtesthelp/comments/gj1bwx/hair_testresults_on_macujo_method/
• https://www.reddit.com/r/drugtesthelp/comments/sqh1t2/i_passed_a_hair_follicle_drug_test_using_mikes/
• https://www.reddit.com/r/drugtesthelp/comments/vh38at/mikes_macujo_method/

Can you use conditioner after macujo method?

Yes, using a conditioner is highly recommended. The Macujo Method can severely damage your hair and scalp, so to mitigate this, use a good conditioner. Here’s how:

• After completing the Macujo Method steps and rinsing out the last product, apply a generous amount of conditioner.
• Leave it in your hair for a few minutes to allow deep penetration and nourishment.
• Rinse thoroughly with warm water.

This step is crucial to help restore some moisture and health to your hair after the intense chemical treatment. Remember, the goal is to pass the test without ruining your hair in the process.

Jerry G method

Hey there, I’m Daniel, and I’m going to walk you through the Jerry G Method, another popular approach to passing a hair follicle drug test. But hang in there, because this method is pretty intense.

What you’ll need:

• Rubber gloves for hand protection.
• Goggles to protect your eyes.
• A sink or tub with a water source.
• Permanent hair dye containing ammonia.
• Baking soda.
• Toxin Rid Old Style Aloe Shampoo or a similar detoxifying shampoo.
• A shower cap or plastic bag for your hair.

Step-by-step instructions:

1. Safety First: Always wear gloves and goggles.
2. Dye Your Hair: Apply a permanent hair dye with ammonia. Follow the kit’s instructions carefully, ensuring complete coverage.
3. Wash Your Hair: Post-dyeing, thoroughly wash your hair with Toxin Rid or another detox shampoo.
4. Air Dry: Let your hair air dry. Avoid a blow dryer to prevent further damage.
5. Wait: Give your hair and scalp about 10 days to recover.
6. Repeat Dye and Wash: After 10 days, redo the dyeing process, followed by a detox shampoo wash.
7. Baking Soda Paste: The day before your test, apply a baking soda paste to your hair and scalp.
8. Final Rinse and Shampoo: Rinse out the baking soda, then shampoo once more with the detox product.

Time required:

• Single Cycle: Around 2 to 3 hours, not including the 10-day break.
• Daily Time: Not a daily method. It’s a two-session process with a 10-day gap.
• Total Time: About 4 to 6 hours over an 11-day period.

Reverse Macujo method

Now, let’s talk about the Reverse Macujo Method. Strap in and let’s get weird with this one.

What You’ll Need:

1. Rubber gloves.
2. Goggles.
3. Tide detergent (warning: not for body/hair use).
4. Clean and Clear deep cleaning astringent with salicylic acid.
5. White or apple cider vinegar.
6. Hair conditioner.
7. A shower cap or plastic bag.
8. A timer or clock.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Prepare: Suit up with gloves and goggles for protection.
2. Tide Soak: Wet your hair, then apply Tide generously. Leave it for about an hour.
3. Astringent Application: Rinse out the Tide, then apply the astringent. Cover with a shower cap for 30 minutes.
4. Vinegar Soak: After the astringent, soak your hair in vinegar for another 30 minutes.
5. Condition Your Hair: Thoroughly rinse, then condition your hair. Leave the conditioner on under a shower cap for 10 minutes.
6. Final Rinse: Rinse out the conditioner and gently towel-dry your hair.

This method, like the Jerry G, is pretty intense.

These treatments are harsh, and there’s no solid scientific evidence they work for drug detoxification. Your hair might become fragile and prone to breakage.

So, before you dive in, remember that these methods can be a huge pain in the butt and potentially damaging.

Always consider the risks and the lack of scientific guarantee in these DIY methods.

Your hair health is important, so think twice before trying these intense treatments.

Best drug test detox shampoos to pass a hair follicle drug test

Old Style Aloe clarifying shampoo by Toxin Rid – the most effective solution for hair drug tests

Old Style Aloe Toxin Rid shampoo is currently the most effective shampoo for passing a hair follicle drug test.

It’s guaranteed to work, making it the best option for moderate and chronic weed users.

This deep-cleaning formula is gentle on the hair, removing toxins like THC without causing damage.

Unlike some other products that can cause scalp irritation, Old Style Aloe Clarifying Shampoo is gentle and soothing.

It contains aloe vera to prevent drying, as well as a wealth of other natural conditioners to keep your scalp hydrated, healthy, and happy.

Originally designed to remove hair contaminants, this shampoo has become known for its ability to eliminate drug toxins.

It comes in a 5-ounce bottle, providing multiple washes.

Best of all, it’s legal and has numerous positive customer reviews and success stories.

For the best results, it’s highly recommended that you use the Ultra Clean along with the Old Style Aloe Toxin Rid.

Priced at $199, this shampoo may seem expensive, but it’s the only product we can truly recommend for guaranteed results.

It can be used in Jerry G or Macujo detox methods.

How to use

To use, start 3-10 days in advance of your test. If you have less time, take multiple showers daily.

During each washing, lather the shampoo in your hair for 10 to 15 minutes.

Ensure you use the shampoo 15 times before your test for optimal results.

We suggest the following washing routine:

• Apply regular shampoo
• Rinse
• Apply Old Style Aloe Toxin Rid Shampoo (dime-sized portion)
• Soak
• Rinse
• Apply regular conditioner

Focus on the scalp, where toxins are found. This shampoo offers a reliable and effective solution for passing hair drug tests.

Zydot Ultra Clean – best for light users

Zydot Ultra Clean Shampoo is a more affordable option for those looking to pass a hair drug test.

However, it’s important to note that it may not be very effective for regular marijuana users. This product is best suited for light weed users.

This shampoo is gentle on both hair and scalp, ensuring that it won’t damage your hair or cause scalp irritation. It is a 3-step solution that includes:

• Shampoo: Removes external barriers to expose the inner hair
• Purifier: Penetrates deep within the hair shaft to dissolve and remove impurities
• Conditioner: Controls tangles, adds sheen, and improves manageability

One of the downsides to Zydot Ultra Clean Shampoo is that it can be somewhat complicated to use and may take up to 45 minutes to complete the process.

However, it is priced at just $35.99, making it a more budget-friendly option.

It works best when combined with other products.

How to use

Zydot Ultra Clean Shampoo should be used on the day of the test, and its effects last for about 5 hours.

To use the product, follow these steps:

• Soak your hair thoroughly with water and use half of the shampoo. Massage thoroughly into the roots for at least ten minutes, then rinse.
• Apply all the purifier, ensuring it reaches the scalp. Comb your hair with the purifier and let it sit for about ten minutes before washing it out.
• Use the rest of the shampoo, massage thoroughly, and rinse it out.
• Apply the conditioner, leave it in for 3 minutes, and then rinse out.
• For the best results, repeat this process at least four times before your hair drug test.

While Zydot Ultra Clean Shampoo might not be the most powerful solution, it’s an affordable option for those with lighter drug usage.

How to pass a hair follicle test with dreads

Dreadlocks pose a unique challenge for hair drug tests. The tight weaving makes it hard for detox products to penetrate and cleanse thoroughly.

Tips for dreadlocks:

• If possible, unbraid the dreads before treatment.
• If unbraid is not an option, extend the duration of the product in your hair and apply it more frequently, ensuring thorough penetration.
• Be extra thorough when rinsing out the product.
• DIY methods are not recommended for dreadlocks due to potential for increased damage.

Conclusion

If you’re okay with the risk of damaging your hair and scalp, DIY home remedies might be an option.

However, I highly recommend the combination of Toxin Rid Aloe Shampoo and Zydot Ultra Clean, which has been scientifically proven to be effective.

When considering these methods, always weigh the consequences of failing a drug test against the risks of hair and scalp damage.

Make a well-informed decision that best suits your situation. Remember, you do you, boo!

Weighing your options for passing a hair drug test

In conclusion, you can take a risk and try the Jerry G method or any other home remedy to pass a hair drug test. However, it’s crucial to be mindful of the potential side effects.

Applying harsh substances like bleach, vinegar, and other chemicals to your hair may cause significant damage to both your hair and scalp.

If you’re not keen on experiencing your scalp falling out for a week and a half and would prefer a proven solution, consider using a product like Old Style Aloe Toxin Rid Shampoo. Make an informed decision that best suits your needs and takes into account the possible consequences of each approach.

How to read hair drug test results

A negative result can be determined within 24 hours of hair removal.

A negative result indicates that you haven’t engaged in illicit drug use over the past 90 days.

On the other hand, a positive drug test is confirmed after 72 hours.

All non-negative tests undergo a second gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis. This test confirms a positive result and identifies the specific drugs used.

In some cases, improper collection of the hair specimen may result in the test being rejected completely. In this case, the test may need to be repeated.

The laboratory responsible for testing will deliver the results to the individual or organization requesting the test. They’ll use confidential means, such as secure fax, phone calls, or an online interface, to share test results.

Keep in mind that lab results are considered confidential health information. You’ll need to sign a release before the results are passed on to your workplace, ensuring your privacy is protected.

FAQ