ineffective-lice-treatments

Lice Just Aren’t The Same As They Once Were

/in /by

Head lice can be like cockroaches if you don’t get the right head lice treatment, meaning they will keep coming back. That’s why an effective head lice treatment is so important. If you needed the plumbing fixed in your home, you wouldn’t call a plumber who had a bad reputation, would you? Well, don’t do that with lice treatments either. If a head lice treatment is ineffective at killing all the lice and eggs on the head, then another infestation can occur from the left behind nits (eggs). Those nits can hatch and cause another outbreak. Killing the nits is a crucial part of the lice treatment process and many treatments don’t work in this day and age.

What Do Scientists Say About Store-Bought Lice Treatments?

According to an article by CBC News, for the last few years, scientists have been finding that head lice have acquired resistance to pyrethrins and permethrin, which are compounds found in many over-the-counter lice treatments. These resistant lice are called super lice and are much more relentless and strong then they were 30 years ago.

“Over the past 35 years or so, head lice have built up considerable resistance to pyrethroids via genetic mutations,” says lice expert, John Clark in the CBC article. In 2014 he said, “The efficacy of all those products has gone way down. It started out at 100 per cent, now we’re down to 20 to 30 per cent in recent clinical studies.” The efficacy has gone down even more within the last three years.

This brings frustration to many parents. Lice treatments and shampoos such as Rid, Nix, Kwellada and R&C Shampoo used to be the most popular lice products in North America. They also used to work perfectly fine. These products are now losing popularity as studies are being released and parents are finding out themselves that they are no longer effective and killing lice. Many studies have also recently found that pyrethrins and permethrin can have harmful effects on children. This is also the case with many home remedies. Are these things even worth trying if they are ineffective and potentially harmful to your children?

If you are faced with head lice, be aware of recent facts and statistics about store-bought treatments and other remedies that have been reported on. Lice are not harmful, but many treatments are. Check out our treatments page to learn about our safe, effective and revolutionary lice treatments. We also have do-it-yourself treatments that can be used in the home.

 

 

 

Pyrethroids: A Harmful Chemical Found in Head Lice Treatments

/in /by

We all love flowers, don’t we? They are pretty and smell nice and women love to receive them as a gift. Something so beautiful seems harmless but surprisingly and unfortunately, a certain chemical that derives from flowers can be harmful and has even been proven to cause abnormal behavior in children. It just so happens that this chemical is found in almost all drugstore lice treatments and almost all household insecticides.

Pyrethroids

A pyrethroid is an organic compound similar to the natural pyrethrins produced by the flowers of pyrethrums. They work by damaging the nerves of insects and eventually killing them. It is essentially poison and has been reported to be very toxic, yet it is used all the time. Yahoo.com has recently reported on a study that shows pyrethroids to be linked to abnormal behavior in children. The research on this study was published in the journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine and found that children with high levels of certain pyrethroids in their system are more likely to display abnormal behaviors at age 6 than those who didn’t.

The Study

Scientists conducted research by measuring the levels of five pyrethroid metabolites in the urine of women who were in the early stages of their pregnancy and later, in their 6-year-old children to see if there was a link between being exposed to the chemical in the womb and childhood, and behavior that could suggest neurodevelopmental damage.

About 300 women took part in the study by filling out questionnaires about socioeconomic factors, lifestyle, their child’s behavior, and various things their child has been exposed to. Phycologists also did behavioral assessments on the children, along with taking urine and dust samples from them.

“Behavior was rated using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, a validated behavioral screening test for children, with a focus on altruism (how social children are), internalizing disorders (the inability to share problems and ask for help), and externalizing disorders (being defiant and disruptive).”

Three of the pyrethroid metabolites showed up most often in the urine of mothers and their children: trans-DCCA, cis-DBCA, and cis-DCCA.

The Conclusion

“Here’s what researchers determined: Mothers with higher levels of cis-DCCA in their urine during pregnancy were more likely to have children with a higher risk of internalizing behaviors. Higher levels of another metabolite, 3-PBA, in the children’s urine was linked with a higher risk of externalizing behaviors. Overall, children with the highest levels of metabolites in their urine were three times more likely to have abnormal behavior than those with lower levels. As a result, the researchers concluded that pyrethroids might alter neurochemical signaling in the brain.”

This is both frightening and surprising. Help spread the word about harmful lice treatments.

Our Safe Treatment

Our mission is to educate as many parents as possible about the potential harm of many over-the-counter lice treatments. We have the answer to every parent’s head lice crisis: Our FDA-cleared AirAllé® device. We know how important your child’s safety is to you and our treatment is completely chemical and pesticide free. It’s easy and comfortable and does the trick by killing head lice and their eggs with controlled heated air.

Give us a call for questions or concerns. We are here to make the head lice removal process as fast and easy as possible.