How to beat a Fingernail Drug Test?
The truth is fingernail or nail bed drug tests are extremely difficult to beat if you are a drug abuser.
Nail bed drug test is similar to the hair drug test with a detection window of 3-6 months and unlike the hair, drugs can get trapped in the keratin fibers of the nail making it near impossible to beat compared to oral saliva or mouth swab drug test or even hair drug test that have a higher success rate.
Keep in mind: Unlike hair testing, nail testing can only tell you if a substance or Drug was used but not when it was used. Since nail bed drug test has similar detection window compared to hair drug, check if you pass a hair drug test through our hair drug testing kit.
Sample collection is only possible where fingernails and toenails are long enough, and where they have a normal appearance and are not contaminated with dirt, oil, nail polish or false nails. If you have diabetes or peripheral artery disease, extra care is require to collect the sample.
Fingernails and hair are made of the same material, keratin. As the nail grows, substances can pass from the blood vessels below the nail into the keratin fibers where they become trapped. Fingernails are four times thicker than the typical strand of hair and often capture more of a substance than hair can.
If you are wondering “How to beat a Nail Drug Test,” there are two options. One, you can trim your nails until the end of your nail bed so that the tester is unable to take your nail samples for drug testing. Two, you can replace your nails with false nails. Of course, there is one more option - “Refrain from Drugs, Get Clean”.
Table of Contents
- How To Beat A Fingernail Or Nail Bed Drug Test?
- What is a Fingernail or Nail Bed Drug Test?
- How is Fingernail Keratin Different From Hair Keratin?
- What You Need To Know About Nail Drug Testing?
- Drug Detection in Fingernails
- How Does The Nail Drug Test Work?
- How to Pass a Fingernail Drug Test?
It is threatening that your nails can record your drug usage. Even though they are dead cells, they act as a reservoir of drug traces where your earlier drug usage may be brought to light through this test. It may pose a threat even if you are an occasional smoker. The fingernail drug test kits can exhibit your drug usage even if you are an occasional drinker. It is one such test which is a bit tougher to cheat or remove the drug traces.
Don't worry. There are some hacks where you can outperform the Nail Bed Drug Test despite taking moderate drugs. If you are a heavy smoker, there are some solutions too.
But before that, let us explore through some basics about the Nail Bed Drug test, the nature of their test and how it works.
What is a Fingernail or Nail Bed Drug Test?
A nail bed drug test or a fingernail drug test is a method employed to screen the nails for the presence of drug(s) or its metabolites. Collection of nails for testing is easier and is done under direct supervision of the collector. The results are stable as it stores the drug traces for an extended period of time compared to hair.
Drug abuse had been increasing rapidly year after year, but the drug testing methods were not accurate enough to track down the illegal drug usage. Hence, the drug testers came up with some new testing methods to stay ahead of the curve to curtail the illegal drug abusers in style. In that sense, they identified that dead cells like hair and nails retain the metabolites for a longer time than other parts of the body.
After the successful evaluation and accurate testing results through hair drug testing, researchers put forth fingernail for drug testing. They justified that since the nail is also a dead cell, it would have the same accuracy as the hair drug testing.
According to the lab sources, Hair and Nail drug testing is harder to cheat. Fingernails are composed of keratin, the same complex substance that is present in the hair. To be specific, it is the keratin that connects the dead cell (hair) to the root up to the dermis. Similarly, it is the nail cells that connect itself to the root of the skin.
Keratin in the fingernails gathers and stores the chemical components that get circulated in the blood from the root of the dermis. It sends the drug metabolites to the nail fibers which get stored in the nail for a long time. There are certain differences between fingernail and hair keratin growth, functioning of keratin, etc., that you should know.
How is Fingernail Keratin Different From Hair Keratin?
Fingernail keratin is four times thicker than the keratin found in the hair. One such reason is the direction of their growth. While the hair keratin grows in one direction from the root to the tip, the nail keratin grows in two directions. The nail grows from the germinal matrix and as they elongate, a new keratin layer forms over and below the older nail forming a new layer of nail on both sides. This process repeats adding layer over layer forming a thick and long nail.
If you think that it is the germinal matrix that is feeding the drug substances from the blood to the nail, then it is a myth. The real fact is that the drug enters into the nail bed through the blood vessels directly. As the nail grows out, the drug and alcohol biomarkers get trapped in the nail matrix of keratin which grows along with the nail. Chronic drug users will have increased intensity of the drug traces in their nails. Occasional users get tracked with the metabolites in their nail based on their usage.
Of note is that the toenails provide a longer detection window than the fingernails. Hence, if the donor is unable to provide adequate fingernail sample, then toenails will be considered.
There are various fingernail drug testing facts that may benefit you to beat the fingernail and alcohol nail drug tests.
What You Need To Know About Nail Drug Testing?
The fingernail drug testing can bring out the drug use history for up to eight months and toenails 12 months. Nail samples can expose the usage of illicit drugs like AMP, MAMP, BAR, COC, OPI, BZO, etc.
Nail drug testing, despite being the newest method in drug testing, had been used in previous investigational processes since the 1800s. Some of them include
- Environmental exposure analytics
- Poison intake investigation measures
- Forensics, etc.
During the drug therapy monitoring, nail drug testing had been found as a valuable testing method for illicit drugs. AMP and MAMP were the first drugs that were traced with the nail drug testing during the early 1984.
In general, a 3-mm nail sample can provide a history of drug exposure for approximately 3 to 12 months after use.
Drug Detection in Fingernails
Drug detection in fingernails is not a stable measure as it depends upon the growth of the nails. It differs from person to person based on age, health condition, chronic diseases, drug usage, weather, ambience, etc. As we know, drug metabolites can accumulate in the nails for about three to six months, in some instances where people live in damp areas, the drug traces can get away within three months. However, in reference to the accuracy of the results, fingernail drug testing provides accurate results compared to the hair drug tests. It is because the fingernails do not have any pigments that can alter the drug test results. To be short, detecting drugs in the fingernails are more accurate with less moderation or alteration in final results. This indicates the fact that hacking the fingernail drug test is highly impossible.
How Does The Nail Drug Test Work?
The nail drug testing laboratories undertake certain procedures:
- They collect the nail samples and wash it with acetone for initial testing.
- If it is for EtG or PPFG analysis, then the samples would be washed with hexane.
- After the wash, the nails would be dried at room temperature.
- They are pulverized by the mini ball beater and they are calibrated.
- After pulverization, the acid digestion is carried out; 0.1 N of hydrochloric acid is taken at 53 degree Celsius to check for certain drugs like AMP, COC and selective opioids.
- Sonication of the nail samples is carried out using methanol for two to three hours. The nail dust is separated and treated with 0.1 N of hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide for THC analysis.
- If it is for EtG or PPFG analysis, the nail samples will be subjected to sonication in the de-ionized water for two hours.
- After the above initial preparation, the ELISA testing method is used for preliminary illicit drug screening except EtG, KET, BUP, NALT, NAL, NKET, 6-BNAL, BTF, NALB and PPFG.
- After the confirmation of the drug traces in the preliminary testing, consecutive confirmatory testing using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) is done to confirm the presence of drug metabolites in the nail samples.
With these strict guidelines followed during the drug test, do you think that you can cheat the fingernail drug test without traces? That is nearly impossible.
Despite the impossibilities, there are some hacks which could give you a ray of hope.
How to Pass a Fingernail Drug Test?
These are some possibilities that may help you to pass the fingernail drug test:
- Fingernail drug test can be undertaken only if there is an acceptable growth of nails in the fingers. So, you could keep your nail growth low to escape the fingernail drug test. Extend the time until you are sure that you are free of drugs and passed 12 weeks without consuming drugs.
- The nails should be of normal appearance for the drug tests to happen. Falsify your nails using nail polish or false nails to escape the nail test.
Despite these loopholes to escape from the nail drug test, you can also clear the nail drug test by not consuming drugs and keeping yourself clean.
These are some of the methods where you can clear the nail drug test. There is no over-the-counter fingernail drug testing kit, but with a hair drug testing kit, you can compare it for the presence of drugs in your nails.
Concluding Words
As the crime and its variations increase, the researchers of the drug testing industry are also coming up with some new solutions where you can identify the drug abuser using certain microbiological and technological factors. Keeping that in mind, being clean would never create any threat to your progress in life. Fingernail drug tests are not deterrents to your career because the real obstacle is the drug and not the drug test.
FAQs
Can you trick a nail drug test? ›
When paired with a urinalysis test, or a hair test, nail drug testing can provide a comprehensive view of a person's drug use history. Currently, there are no known adulterants, or ways to "cheat" this method of drug screening.
How do you clean your nails off drugs? ›Common nail washing methods include short alcohol, water, acetone or dichloromethane rinses at room temperature (1).
How long does it take to pass a nail drug test? ›Fingernails are four times thicker than the typical strand of hair, which means you can often capture more of a substance than within hair. The metabolites are locked into the keratin fibers along the entire length of the nail providing a detection period of between 3-6 months after drug or alcohol abuse.
How accurate is a fingernail drug test? ›Fingernail testing cannot be used to establish recent drug usage: substances can only be identified in fingernails between two and four weeks after ingestion. It is also unsuitable for confirming one-time substance use, as it is unlikely that the drug will have made it into the keratin.
How long do drugs stay in your nails? ›As the nail grows, chemicals (illicit substances, drugs, alcohol biomarkers, etc.) incorporate into the keratin fibers where they can stay for extended periods of time (3–5 months in fingernails, and 8–14 months in toenails) (3).
Does acetone show up on drug test? ›Tests can show the amount of acetone in your breath, blood and urine.
What drugs are tested in a nail drug test? ›As well as testing for EtG (ethyl glucorinide) alcohol markers, fingernail drug tests can confirm the presence of drugs including opiates, cocaine, amphetamines, barbiturates and benzodiazepines with high accuracy.
What does a 5 panel nail drug test for? ›5 Panel Hair or Fingernail Drug Test Looks For:
Cocaine. Opiates (Codeine, Morphine) Cannabinoid (Marijuana/THC) Specimen validity testing levels in the urine.
The 9 Panel Hair and Fingernail Drug Test is a comprehensive screening test that looks for recent use of commonly abused drug substances. The 9 Panel Hair and Fingernail Drug Test can typically detect drugs use up to 90 days or more. Most drugs will become detectable in hair starting at 7-10 days after use.
Which is better hair or nail drug test? ›Hair and nails are both formed by keratin, the fibrous protein that also traps drug and alcohol biomarkers. Therefore, both forms of testing can be used to detect the same thing. In fact, due to nail keratin being 4x thicker, nails will often capture more accurate results than hair.
What is the fingernail test? ›
The capillary nail refill test is a quick test done on the nail beds. It is used to monitor dehydration and the amount of blood flow to tissue.
What is on a 7 panel drug test? ›Standard 7-panel test: typically looks for marijuana, cocaine, opiates, PCP, amphetamines, benzodiazepines, & barbiturates.
Can you get a false positive nail drug test? ›Discussing your results with the doctor
In some cases where a donor is taking a legitimate prescription drug, a false-positive may occur.
Your fingernails grow slowly — in fact, they grow about one tenth of an inch (2.5 millimeters) each month. At that rate it can take about 3 to 6 months to completely replace a nail. Where your nail meets your skin is your cuticle. Cuticles help to protect the new nail as it grows out from the nail root.
How long does EtG nails last? ›Within this context, our findings support EtG in hair and fingernails as an objective long-term, up to 12 weeks, qualitative indicator of any alcohol use 11.
How long will delta 8 stay in your system for a drug test? ›Last Words. While delta-8 THC's effects last up to five hours in your body, the metabolites can stay in your system for up to 90 days. Luckily, the most common tests can detect metabolites for only a few days. However, if you are a chronic user, the test can yield positive even after 30 days.
How far back does a 10 panel urine test go? ›Some 10-panel drug tests are designed to test for drugs in hair samples. The drugs can be detected for up to 90 days when a hair sample is used. What this means is that the drug being tested for might no longer be able to be detected after these periods have passed.
How far back does labcorp drug test go back? ›In general, the detection time is longest in hair, followed by urine and oral fluid. Drugs in hair may be detectable for up to 90 days, whereas drugs in urine are generally detectable for one to seven days (or longer in chronic users) and in oral fluid from five to 48 hours. Was this helpful?
What do drug users use nail polish remover for? ›While the other items on this page are used to facilitate drug use, nail polish remover may actually be a drug of abuse. People who engage in huffing (which involves inhaling the fumes of paint, liquid paper, aerosols, and other common items) may use nail polish remover for this purpose.
Can lacquer thinner make you fail a drug test? ›In addition to this, chemicals that people can easily be exposed too may cause a false positive for alcohol testing. Some examples of these are paint, thinners, glue, and plastics, all produce a fume that when inhaled may manifest as a false positive on the breathalyzer test.
Is fingernail polish remover acetone? ›
Traditional nail polish removers are made up of an acetone solvent and a fatty material like lanolin or caster oil. Acetone removes polish by quickly breaking apart the nail varnish and stripping the polish from the nail plate surface.
What medications affect nails? ›Various anti-infective drugs, including tetracyclines, quinolones, clofazimine and zidovudine, cause the nail plate to detach from the nail bed after exposure to light, or cause nail discoloration. Psoralens and retinoids can also have the same effects.
What is a nail bed? ›The nail bed is the pinkish-colored soft tissue underneath your nail plate (the hard part of your nail). Nail beds aren't one-size-fit-all. They're different shapes and sizes. Some people have shorter nail beds while others have longer ones.
What is the most common pre employment drug test? ›Urinalysis – A urine test is the most common form of pre-employment drug testing and is typically conducted once a conditional offer of employment has been sent. A urine test can show traces of drug use even after the effects of the drug have worn off and remain in the body for an extended period of time.
What is a 5 panel Non DOT drug test? ›Non-DOT drug testing can include a wider range of substances
A DOT drug test involves a 5-panel test. This tests for cannabis, cocaine, amphetamines, opioids and phencyclidine (PCP). With a non-DOT urine drug test, the employer can choose to test for a wider range of drugs.
Urine testing shows drug use over the last 2 or 3 days for amphetamines, cocaine, and opiates. Marijuana and its metabolites, cannabinoids, may be detectable for several weeks. Methadone, barbiturates and benzodiazepines can be detected for about a week.
What does a 12 panel drug test? ›This panel contains the following components: Amphetamine, Barbiturates, Benzodiazepines, Cocaine, Methadone, Methamphetamine, Opiates, Oxycodone, Phencyclidine, Propoxyphene, Cannabinoids (THC), and Tricyclic Antidepressants or their metabolites. Please indicate suspected substance(s).
How many nanograms does labcorp test for? ›Just as for other types of lab tests, both screening and confirmatory tests are interpreted based on a defined cutoff level (e.g., 50 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) for urine samples).
How long does it take for a 9 panel drug test to come back? ›Drug test results typically take 24 to 48 hours, depending on the type of test being performed (e.g., urine, hair or DOT).
How much is a toenail drug test? ›Available from just $99, our Drug & Alcohol Nail Test offers you a discreet, easy way to test for drugs and/or alcohol with only fingernail clippings or toenail clippings required.
Does phentermine show up on a 10 panel drug test? ›
It works by lowering your appetite. Taking phentermine can cause false positive urine test results for amphetamines.
How does hair follicle testing? ›A hair follicle drug test, also known as a hair drug test, screens for illicit drug use and the misuse of prescription medication. During this test, a small amount of hair is removed from your head using scissors. The sample is then analyzed for signs of drug use during the 90 days preceding the test.
What does it mean if you have no half moons on your nails? ›Some people cannot see a half-moon, or lunula, on the nail while a missing half-moon may suggest a person has a vitamin deficiency or a serious medical condition. Nails grow from a pocket under the skin that doctors call the matrix. The matrix helps make new cells.
Why do doctors check fingernails? ›Did you know your nails can reveal clues to your overall health? A touch of white here, a rosy tinge there, or some rippling or bumps may be a sign of disease in the body. Problems in the liver, lungs, and heart can show up in your nails.
What is nail refill? ›When we speak of the Retouching - often also called Refill - we mean exactly the Maintenance that Nails Extension requires: during weeks the Natural Nail continues to grow and the Extended part with the Gel Nails moves away from the Cuticles area...exactly as it happens to the hair with the dye!
What is mop on a urine test? ›The MOP Rapid Test is a rapid urine screening test that can be performed without the use of an instrument. The test utilizes a monoclonal antibody to selectively detect elevated levels of Morphine in urine. The MOP Rapid Test yields a positive result when Morphine in urine reaches 300ng/mL.
What are the cut off levels for drug testing? ›| Initial test analyte | Initial test cutoff1 | Confirmatory test cutoff concentration |
|---|---|---|
| 6-Acetylmorphine | 10 ng/mL | 10 ng/mL. |
| Phencyclidine | 25 ng/mL | 25 ng/mL. |
| Amphetamine/ Methamphetamine | 500 ng/mL | 250 ng/mL. 250 ng/mL. |
| MDMA4/MDA5 | 500 ng/mL | 250 ng/mL. 250 ng/mL. |
...
Test Includes:
- Amphetamines.
- Cocaine.
- Opiate.
- Cannabinoid.
- Ecstasy.
- Methadone.
- Heroin.
- Ethyl glucuronide.
Nails provide up to six months of drug use history and up to three months of alcohol history, according to Lewis. Biomarkers are detectable in nails as early as one week after drug or alcohol use. A typical sample is 2 to 3 millimeters, about the thickness of a quarter.
What does a 5 panel nail drug test for? ›5 Panel Hair or Fingernail Drug Test Looks For:
Cocaine. Opiates (Codeine, Morphine) Cannabinoid (Marijuana/THC) Specimen validity testing levels in the urine.
What is a 9 panel nail drug test? ›
The 9 Panel Hair and Fingernail Drug Test is a comprehensive screening test that looks for recent use of commonly abused drug substances. The 9 Panel Hair and Fingernail Drug Test can typically detect drugs use up to 90 days or more. Most drugs will become detectable in hair starting at 7-10 days after use.
What is on a 7 panel drug test? ›Standard 7-panel test: typically looks for marijuana, cocaine, opiates, PCP, amphetamines, benzodiazepines, & barbiturates.
Which is better hair or nail drug test? ›Hair and nails are both formed by keratin, the fibrous protein that also traps drug and alcohol biomarkers. Therefore, both forms of testing can be used to detect the same thing. In fact, due to nail keratin being 4x thicker, nails will often capture more accurate results than hair.
What can nail test detect? ›As well as testing for EtG (ethyl glucorinide) alcohol markers, fingernail drug tests can confirm the presence of drugs including opiates, cocaine, amphetamines, barbiturates and benzodiazepines with high accuracy.
How fast do fingernails grow? ›Your fingernails grow slowly — in fact, they grow about one tenth of an inch (2.5 millimeters) each month. At that rate it can take about 3 to 6 months to completely replace a nail. Where your nail meets your skin is your cuticle. Cuticles help to protect the new nail as it grows out from the nail root.
What is the most common pre employment drug test? ›Urinalysis – A urine test is the most common form of pre-employment drug testing and is typically conducted once a conditional offer of employment has been sent. A urine test can show traces of drug use even after the effects of the drug have worn off and remain in the body for an extended period of time.
What is a 5 panel Non DOT drug test? ›Non-DOT drug testing can include a wider range of substances
A DOT drug test involves a 5-panel test. This tests for cannabis, cocaine, amphetamines, opioids and phencyclidine (PCP). With a non-DOT urine drug test, the employer can choose to test for a wider range of drugs.
Urine testing shows drug use over the last 2 or 3 days for amphetamines, cocaine, and opiates. Marijuana and its metabolites, cannabinoids, may be detectable for several weeks. Methadone, barbiturates and benzodiazepines can be detected for about a week.
How far back does a 10 panel urine test go? ›Some 10-panel drug tests are designed to test for drugs in hair samples. The drugs can be detected for up to 90 days when a hair sample is used. What this means is that the drug being tested for might no longer be able to be detected after these periods have passed.
What does a 12 panel drug test? ›This panel contains the following components: Amphetamine, Barbiturates, Benzodiazepines, Cocaine, Methadone, Methamphetamine, Opiates, Oxycodone, Phencyclidine, Propoxyphene, Cannabinoids (THC), and Tricyclic Antidepressants or their metabolites. Please indicate suspected substance(s).
How many nanograms does labcorp test for? ›
Just as for other types of lab tests, both screening and confirmatory tests are interpreted based on a defined cutoff level (e.g., 50 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) for urine samples).
What is mop on a urine test? ›The MOP Rapid Test is a rapid urine screening test that can be performed without the use of an instrument. The test utilizes a monoclonal antibody to selectively detect elevated levels of Morphine in urine. The MOP Rapid Test yields a positive result when Morphine in urine reaches 300ng/mL.
What are the cut off levels for drug testing? ›| Initial test analyte | Initial test cutoff1 | Confirmatory test cutoff concentration |
|---|---|---|
| 6-Acetylmorphine | 10 ng/mL | 10 ng/mL. |
| Phencyclidine | 25 ng/mL | 25 ng/mL. |
| Amphetamine/ Methamphetamine | 500 ng/mL | 250 ng/mL. 250 ng/mL. |
| MDMA4/MDA5 | 500 ng/mL | 250 ng/mL. 250 ng/mL. |
...
Test Includes:
- Amphetamines.
- Cocaine.
- Opiate.
- Cannabinoid.
- Ecstasy.
- Methadone.
- Heroin.
- Ethyl glucuronide.