Staying Six Feet Apart Helps Prevent Not Just Sickness, But Head Lice Too

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently advise Americans that individuals who are not from the same household should keep a distance between each other of at least six feet. Combined with masking, this measure is highly effective in preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus. But there’s another less-known benefit that social distancing offers: a significantly reduced chance of being infested with lice.

 

The holiday season is typically the perfect time for spreading both illnesses and head lice alike. Lice Clinics of America clinics often see increased cases of head lice during and after the holidays, when asymptomatic head-lice carriers give hugs and lean heads together. Because head-to-head contact is the primary way that lice spread, staying six feet apart from people not from your household will help you avoid catching not only COVID-19, but head lice as well.

 

“Head lice cases will go up over the holidays just like they do every year, but the six-feet-apart rule might help reduce that,” says Sonia Watt, owner of Lice Clinics of America – Texas Lice Removal. “While it’s been difficult dealing with isolation over the past several months, we’re fortunate to benefit from following public health guidelines in more ways than one.”

 

Stay Safe and Lice-Free

 

Public health experts are recommending that travelers preemptively test for COVID-19 before they leave, and after they return home. Likewise, we at Lice Clinics of America –  Texas Lice Removal encourage you to have all of your household members get a head check for lice before you travel. Taking proactive measures will ensure that your holidays are spent happily and healthily—and that your loved ones won’t be taking home any unpleasant surprise gifts.

 

About Lice Clinics of America

 

Lice Clinics of America has successfully treated more than 950,000 cases of head lice. The company has more than 265 clinics in 20 countries, making it the world’s largest network of professional lice treatment centers. Lice Clinics of America – Texas Lice Removal has three locations. College Station is located at 4444 Carter Creek Parkway, Suite 101, Bryan, Texas 77802. Tomball is located at 11601 Spring Cypress, Suite C, Tomball, TX 77377. The Woodlands is located at 2219 Sawdust Road, Suite 2003, The Woodlands, TX 77380. Each location is open seven days a week by appointment. Call 979-481-6144 for College Station, 832-648-619 for Tomball, or 832-957-0373 for The Woodlands or visit https://texasliceremovalclinic.com for more information or to schedule an appointment.

 

The Case for Heated Air over Lice Shampoo

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Recently, an article was published as a “What are they up to now?” piece on a teenage girl in England who was severely burned four years ago after using a local brand of lice shampoo. The shampoo contained a highly flammable ingredient and her hair caught fire as she walked past the stovetop, resulting in severe burns all over her body. While this tragic outcome is rare, it does underscore that lice shampoos are not always as safe or effective as consumers might assume.

 

“At our clinic, we often have clients say they tried home remedies, sometimes mildly dangerous home remedies, in their attempt to treat head lice on their own,” says Sonia Watt, owner of Lice Clinics of America – Texas Lice Removal, which has locations in College Station, Tomball, and The Woodlands. “Traditional over-the-counter treatments are also proving to be less and less effective as lice continue to develop resistance to the chemicals used in them.”

 

“As head lice professionals at Lice Clinics of America, we have an effective and safe head lice treatment at our fingertips,” says Dr. Krista Lauer, National Medical Director of Lice Clinics of America. “Sometimes, something that seems safe turns out to be dangerous.”

 

Lice Clinics of America doesn’t use chemicals in its treatment – instead, we use the AirAllé device, an FDA-cleared medical device that uses precision-controlled heated-air that desiccates head lice and their nits (also known as lice eggs). The heated air kills lice and nits in about 30 seconds and it takes, on average, an hour for a whole head of hair to be treated in one of the franchise’s 265 clinics.

 

“The stigma associated with an infestation may lead people to desperate measures. Despite our best efforts, misinformation continues to abound. Recently, when looking at educational materials available to teachers, we found an article on an official site suggesting the use of mayonnaise. We know this doesn’t work – mayonnaise doesn’t kill nits, and because it is left on the head in a plastic bag for hours it creates a real suffocation hazard.” says Sonia.

 

Lice Clinics of America has successfully treated more than 675,000 cases of head lice. The company has more than 265 clinics in 20 countries, making it the world’s largest network of professional lice treatment centers. Lice Clinics of America – Texas Lice Removal has three locations. College Station is located at 4444 Carter Creek Parkway, Suite 101, Bryan, Texas 77802. Tomball is located at 11601 Spring Cypress, Suite C, Tomball, TX 77377. The Woodlands is located at 2219 Sawdust Road, Suite 2003, The Woodlands, TX 77380. Each location is open seven days a week by appointment. Call 979-481-6144 for College Station, 832-648-619 for Tomball, or 832-957-0373 for The Woodlands or visit https://texasliceremovalclinic.com for more information or to schedule an appointment.

 

Post-Halloween Head Lice

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Now that Halloween has passed, be careful—your child may have taken home more than just candy.

 

As the year-end holiday season begins and friends and family gather together more frequently, the chance for catching head lice increases. Halloween is no exception: young children spending time together dressing up, trick-or-treating, and sharing candy creates the perfect opportunity for lice to find new hosts. Get to know the potential ways your child may have been exposed to head lice, and what actions you can take to ensure that they’re lice-free.

 

(Don’t) Put Your Heads Together

 

The primary method of head lice transmission is direct head-to-head contact between someone who’s infested and someone who isn’t. This most often takes place when people sit side by side, exchange hugs, and take photos. And for a night full of posed pictures with everyone in costume, that’s a big risk! Squishing into frame together for a selfie may result in a cute photo, but the consequence of catching head lice may turn it into a not-so-cute memory.

“Photos are one of the most common ways we see our clients get infested,” says Sonia Watt, owner of Lice Clinics of America – Texas Lice Removal. “They’ll come in saying ‘I have no idea how we got lice’, and we’ll ask ‘have you been visiting friends or family, taking photos where you’re leaning heads together?’ And that’s when a light dawns on them and they realize they have been, and that’s how they got infested.”

Sharing Isn’t Always Caring

 

While head-to-head contact is the most common way that head lice spread, there is also a risk of infestation from sharing hats and head coverings. Halloween festivities amplify this risk due to the many hats, wigs, headpieces, and costume masks that kids wear and take turns trying on. If a louse happens to take an unexpected ride on a hat or a wig that’s passed from one child to another, it can easily start a new case of head lice. The same is true for hairbrushes and combs that are used on more than one child as parents help kids style their hair for their costumes.

 

Checking for Head Lice

 

Even if you feel confident that their friends or family members haven’t passed it on to them, it’s always worthwhile to check your kids for lice. Before you head-check, make sure you know what to look for. An adult louse is only as big as a sesame seed, and their much-smaller eggs blend in very easily to the hair shafts they’re attached to. A magnifying glass may help you more accurately identify what you see. Check the hair at the back of the neck, behind the ears, and around the hairline for nits; check random areas of the scalp to try and spot hatched lice. A lice comb will remove any nits in the hair that you may find.

“Head lice is very often misdiagnosed,” says Sonia. “Especially because people don’t really know the facts. They’ll schedule a treatment when they don’t have anything other than itchiness, or they’re convinced they’ve seen lice eggs in their child’s hair when it’s actually just dandruff. And that’s where we come in, to head check and treat but also to help educate.”

 

Whether there’s a new case of head lice in your family or you just want everyone in your household checked for peace of mind, Lice Clinics of America is here to help. Our professionally trained staff are equipped to diagnose active infestations of lice during head checks, as well as perform thorough treatments using the patented AirAllé device. The AirAllé uses concentrated heated air to kill over 99% of bugs and eggs in just one hour. No matter your family’s situation, we are determined to help you remain lice-free.

 

About Lice Clinics of America

Lice Clinics of America has successfully treated more than 950,000 cases of head lice. The company has more than 265 clinics in 20 countries, making it the world’s largest network of professional lice treatment centers. Lice Clinics of America – Texas Lice Removal has three locations. College Station is located at 4444 Carter Creek Parkway, Suite 101, Bryan, Texas 77802. Tomball is located at 11601 Spring Cypress, Suite C, Tomball, TX 77377. The Woodlands is located at 2219 Sawdust Road, Suite 2003, The Woodlands, TX 77380. Each location is open seven days a week by appointment. Call 979-481-6144 for College Station, 832-648-619 for Tomball, or 832-957-0373 for The Woodlands or visit https://texasliceremovalclinic.com for more information or to schedule an appointment.