sandman365

I have read a lot on this and I am hoping someone can help me on this.

If you search the web (Google: open hair cuticle) you will get multiple listings for using basic substance e.g. ammonia or baking soda to open the cuticle to expose the cortex of the hair. The cortex is where the melanin (color) is located which has all the toxins. When coloring your hair this is what must be done in order to strip the color and replace with the dye.

Vinegar on the other hand is exremely acidic which CLOSES the cuticle thus not allowing the cortex to be exposed. Multiple websites describe this. Just search it in google as above.

No doubt the macujo method has worked for the majority and please let me emphasize I am not trying to challenge or refute the validity or effectiveness of this method. However, I am just pondering if it's the clean and clear (salycilic acid) more than anything else and perhaps the success rate would be higher if a basic solution was used as opposed to vinegar (to allow more salycilic acid into the cortex by opening the cuticle)

Another observation is that every post I've seen in which the user had their hair colored/stripped passed their test. Again if you speak with your hairstylist (or Google hair coloring or cuticle opening) they will tell you that in order to open the cuticle to get the melanin out and false color in they have to use a basic solution to do it.

I DON'T want to cause panic/confusion or disagree with anyone. I am only opening this for discussion and research.

Link to info on pentrating cuticle: Hair Color Chemistry

Here is a link to a site that offers some good technique that may be added with benefit to the macujo method. Look at the last paragraph. You'll notice they start with Baking Soda then go to DYE and then finish with vinegar/lemon juice to close cuticle to keep dye in. I would substitue the dye for Clean and Clear and then wash with Tide and then finish with Vinegar (then ALOE RID). Also I would start the whole process with Tide to get all oil and contaminates off outer shaft of hair. So here is the sequence Tide-Baking Soda(in water)-Clean and Clear-Tide again-Vinegar-Aloe Rid: pH & Hair - Hair Science - HairCrazy.info


Also look at the pdf article from USDTL (lab used inseveral federal cases) These are the instructions for collecting the hair. The specifically indicate that if the hair is permed/dyed/bleached to then go for body hair i.e. these effect the results United States Drug Testing Laboratories

Thanks
SM365

1tokeovertheline

If you have a hair test coming up try what you are suggesting and let us know your smoking history and results of your test. You need to have proof like Macujo did that it works and then get more people to follow suit and get a good sucess rate. I wouldn't want to stake my livelyhood on speculation that something might work better. I would need to see proof it works and more than one time. You may be onto something but like I said I wouldn't want to be the test subject when my job, ccustody of my kids, jail time or whatever depends on passing.

The MacCujo method was tried several times by MacCujo and then by a whole bunch of people. Some of them failed, but it seems to have the best sucess rate so far.

They don't take body hair if your hair has been dyed or bleached. You can read lots of info on the internet that isn't so. Even NORML has articles on their website that is so. Read the posts that you referred to. I have yet to see a post that claims body hair was taken because their hair was dyed or bleached, but I guess I could have missed one.

sandman365

I agree wholeheartedly and I apologize if I did not clarify that my post was not to invoke panic/question but rather only to understand a little better behind the mechanism of how this method is succesful and ways it can be inproved (if possible). Certainly changing methods is not something to fool around with when considering custody/jobs etc.

My only reason to mention the bit about the direction from the lab to not take hair that is dyed or permed is to provide proof, if you will, that this will definetly help pass the hair test i.e. they would not specifically mention it if it did not interfere with the results.

I agree, they will not take body hair unless you actually admitted to the perm or coloring. That is what actually got me thinking about the whole thing. How those that have permed/bleached/dyed their hair have never failed. Then I looked at the method of dying the hair and saw the discrepency between vinegar/ammonia and opening/closing the cuticle.

I just hoped others might have some input as to the "logic" of my thought process based on the links I provided and the their searches into what actually opens the cuticle of the hair as that is the name of the game. If that cuticle does not open you will not gain access to the toxin to alter/wash it out.

Let me just say that I am NOT IN ANY WAY saying that anyone should deviate from the macujo method.

I smoke 4-5X/week, heavy on weekends. I will have a hair test in the coming months and will post my results. I will try the method I outlined and post back.

Thanks! Peace
SM365

sandman365

Just found this post which seems to make sense. The vinegar strips the outside/ clean and clear opens the cuticle and tide washes out the toxin.

http://www.marijuana.com/420/blood-h...tml#post432631