Products marketed for cleansing hair to pass a drug screening test typically claim to remove or mask drug metabolites present in the hair shaft. These formulations often contain strong detergents, oxidizing agents, and chelating compounds intended to penetrate the hair cuticle and dissolve or bind to drug molecules. An example is a multi-step process involving shampooing, applying a detoxifying treatment, and rinsing with a specialized conditioner.
The purported benefit of using these treatments lies in potentially circumventing hair follicle drug testing, which has a longer detection window compared to urine or blood tests. Hair analysis can detect drug use over a period of several months, offering a broader historical perspective on substance consumption. The origin of these specialized shampoos stems from the demand to pass employment-related or legal drug screenings where hair testing is the preferred method.
