Drug and Alcohol Nail Test

A drug/alcohol nail test can provide an overview of a person’s drug and/or alcohol consumption, for a period of up to 12 months.

When a person consumes drugs, they are broken down by the liver and their metabolites are released into the bloodstream.

These metabolites then pass to the blood vessels below the nail and into the nails themselves. As with hair, nails are made from keratin, which is a fibrous protein. Illicit substances become trapped in the keratin fibres of the nail and can be identified via laboratory testing.

Likewise, when alcohol is consumed, it is processed by the liver and its metabolites are released into the bloodstream. A nail alcohol test looks for the presence of ethyl glucuronide (EtG), a specific long-term biomarker of ethanol (the intoxicating agent in alcoholic drinks).

AlphaBiolabs is one of Ireland’s leading drug and alcohol testing laboratories, with over 20 years of experience providing drug and alcohol testing for peace of mind.

More reasons to choose AlphaBiolabs for your Drug and Alcohol Nail Test:

• Results in 7 business days*
• Easy-to-use kit with only fingernail or toenail clippings required
• Up to 12-month overview of drug and/or alcohol use
• Drug test includes 12 substances
• We’re accredited to the international quality standard ISO 17025, ensuring our processes meet the highest international standards for accuracy and reliability
• We’re rated 5 stars on DNA Testing Choice, based on reviews from real customers
• We prioritise your privacy and guarantee 100% confidentiality throughout the testing process
• Accurate results, based on the samples we receive into our laboratory

*Business days from when your samples arrive at our laboratory, before 10am.

You might need a peace of mind nail test for drugs or alcohol if:

• You’re a parent or guardian concerned about a child’s possible drug or alcohol use
• You’re a partner, spouse or relative of someone who has misused drugs or alcohol and want reassurance that they have remained abstinent
• You have previously misused drugs or alcohol and want to demonstrate abstinence to close friends or family
• You’re recovering from substance misuse and want to demonstrate abstinence as part of a recovery programme

If testing a child under 16 years of age, an adult with guardianship must give consent on behalf of the child being tested.

We also offer a drug test using hair.

If you require a drug or alcohol test for legal purposes, call 01 402 9466 or email testing@alphabiolabs.com

All our tests are extremely accurate, based on the samples we receive.

As an ISO 17025-accredited testing laboratory, our processes are meticulously reviewed on a regular basis to ensure our methods meet the highest possible standards for laboratory testing.

With AlphaBiolabs, you can be confident that you will receive a highly accurate and reliable result.

Fingernails and toenails grow at different rates, with each nail growing continuously and independently from the others throughout our lives.

Fingernails grow faster than toenails. This means that fingernails can provide us with an approximate six-month overview of drug or alcohol consumption, with toenails providing an approximate 12-month overview.

Nail testing is an extremely reliable method for determining whether a person has consumed drugs or alcohol during the six- or 12-month period prior to the samples being collected.

However, we cannot say when these substances were consumed, only whether they have been detected in the nail in the six- or- 12-month period prior to the samples being collected.

It is important that only fingernail clippings OR toenail clippings are submitted for testing. We cannot test both nail types in the same test.

This is because fingernails and toenails grow at different rates, with fingernails providing an approximate six-month overview of drug and/or alcohol consumption and toenails providing an approximate 12-month overview.

Yes, you can submit pre-cut fingernail clippings or toenail clippings for testing.

However, it is important to remember that the test will only detect drugs or alcohol consumed during the approximate six-month (fingernails) or 12-month (toenails) period prior to the nails being cut.

Only nail clippings without any artificial nail applications can be submitted for testing

No. All artificial nail applications MUST be completely removed before the nail clippings are taken, otherwise the sample will be rejected.

Your secure, password-protected results will be emailed to you within seven business days from receipt of your samples at our laboratory.

Results will be sent to the email address you supply when placing your order.

A drug/alcohol nail test will tell you which substances were detected in the nail, providing an overview of up to 12 months (approximate six-month overview for fingernails and approximate 12-month overview for toenails).

Yes, the person being tested must give their consent for the test to be performed. The test cannot be carried out without this consent.

If testing a child under 16 years of age, an adult with guardianship must give consent on behalf of the child being tested.

No, hand sanitiser will not affect the results of a nail alcohol test.

A nail alcohol test looks for the presence of ethyl glucuronide (EtG), a specific long-term biomarker of ethanol (the intoxicating agent in alcoholic drinks) that is present in the bloodstream when alcohol has been consumed.

As laboratory testing looks for the presence of an ethanol metabolite, rather than ethanol itself, the application of hand sanitisers or gels that contain ethanol (alcohol) will not affect the results.

Our Drug and Alcohol Nail Test is for peace of mind only. This means that the results are purely for your own information and cannot be used in legal proceedings.

If you require a nail drug test or a nail alcohol test for legal or official matters, you’ll need to instruct us for a legal drug or alcohol test. 

To request a quote, call us on 01 402 9466 or email testing@alphabiolabs.com.