Can Chicken Lice Infest Humans?

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In recent years, the practice of adopting and raising backyard chickens has risen dramatically in popularity. Hatcheries nationwide have seen sharp increases in sales of baby chicks in 2020, to the tune of 500% of their previous year’s sales, as the COVID-19 pandemic keeps families home and motivates them to become more self-reliant.

 

But while new chicken caretakers typically anticipate the need for supplies like fencing or coops, some do not anticipate the high likelihood of their chickens becoming infested with chicken lice. That’s right—chickens can get lice! The seemingly sudden appearance of these parasites often has chicken owners worried that as they treat their flock, they may become infested by chicken lice themselves. Fortunately, there is no risk of humans or pets becoming infested by chicken lice. Read on to find out why.

 

Chicken Lice vs. Human Head Lice

While both humans and chickens can get lice, the physiological features, preferred diet and habitat of these insects differ vastly. Chicken lice reside solely on chickens, as well as wild birds, which can transfer the parasite to domestic flocks. Chicken lice may live specifically in the feathers, around the feet, or on the head. Depending on the species (there are more than one species of chicken lice) their diet may consist of their avian host’s feathers or dead skin. By comparison, human head lice (one of three species that can infest humans) live exclusively on the scalp and feed on human blood. These differences between chicken lice and head lice mean that humans are not at risk of chicken lice infestation.

 

“We have had several customers over the years contact us, worried about catching chicken lice,” says Sonia Watt, owner of Lice Clinics of America – Texas Lice Removal, which has locations in College Station, Tomball and The Woodlands. “They’re taking care of their own chickens, or they have a friend or a relative with chickens, and they start feeling itchy after petting or handling them. Sometimes they coincidentally have head lice and that’s what’s bothering them, but in every instance, they do not have chicken lice.”

 

If you feel itchy after handling chickens, it may actually come from bird mites. Bird mites are a parasite that commonly infests chickens, and unlike chicken lice, they do feed on humans as well. If their bird host leaves its nest or coop, the mites may migrate into homes via cracks and crevices in the building’s structure. They seek out human hosts to feed on once they move in. While mites can’t live on humans or inside homes for long, they can absolutely be a nuisance while they are alive.

 

If you or your family members have itchy scalps or sensations of crawling on the head, pay a visit to Lice Clinics of America – Texas Lice Removal for a professional head check. Our trained experts will be able to confidently identify if what you are experiencing is a case of head lice. If your head check is found to be positive for lice, we’ll be ready to help you with a range of treatment options. Lice Clinics of America clinics exclusively use AirAllé, an FDA-cleared heated-air medical device to safely and effectively treat head lice. In just one hour at our clinic, you and your loved ones can be lice-free.

 

“We always feel that it’s better to get a head screening with us at the clinic than to wait around and see, and later discover that you’ve had head lice for a while,” says Sonia. “If we discover head lice during your screening, we can take care of it all in one go!”

 

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.

Chemicals in Lice-Treatment Products Linked to Health Problems in Children

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A study in Occupational and Environmental Medicine reports what many have feared for decades—that “exposure to certain pyrethroids, at environmental levels, may negatively affect neurobehavioral development by six years of age.” Pyrethroids are a class of chemicals used in insecticides, including the most popular head-lice medications.

 

For the study, the researchers measured levels of five pyrethroid metabolites in the urine of women in the early stages of pregnancy and, later, in their 6-year-olds to see if there was a link between being exposed to the chemical in utero and childhood, and behavior that could suggest neurodevelopmental damage.

 

“Pyrethroids are neurotoxins, says clinic owner Sonia Watt, owner of Lice Clinics of America – Texas Lice Removal. “They work by disrupting the nervous systems of insects, killing them in the process. Health advocates have for years questioned the medical wisdom of putting neurotoxins on children’s scalps.”

 

Pyrethroid Chemicals in Lice Products: Study Results

There were three pyrethroid metabolites chemicals in lice products that showed up most often in the urine of mothers and their children: trans-DCCA, cis-DBCA, and cis-DCCA. The conclusion of the study was that “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 follows a 2015 study in Environmental Health that found that “Pyrethroid pesticides cause abnormalities in the dopamine system and produce an ADHD phenotype in animal models, with effects accentuated in males versus females. However, data regarding behavioral effects of pyrethroid exposure in children is limited.”

 

While neither study proves a medical link between pyrethroids and behavioral change in children, there is certainly reason for concern. Pyrethroids remain the first line of defense against head lice recommended by many doctors. This is changing, but not necessarily due to health concerns. Multiple studies performed in recent years have found that most head lice in the United States and other countries are developing resistance to pyrethroids, so these neurotoxins that parents are putting on their children’s heads are losing effectiveness.

 

New Recommended Treatments for Head Lice

The medical world is starting to shift gears. In 2015 the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) updated its guidance on head lice treatment as new products were introduced after the AAP’s 2010 report.  The new report was published in the journal Pediatrics, and it highlights some exciting new developments in the battle against head lice, including the revolutionary AirAllé medical device.

 

“The ideal treatment of lice should be safe, free of toxic chemicals, readily available without a prescription, easy to use, effective, and inexpensive,” the AAP said.  The article notes that the overall spending on lice treatment has risen to nearly $1 billion annually, with as many as 12 million children contracting head lice each year.

 

The AAP lists the AirAllé medical device as an effective lice treatment device: “The AirAllé (Larada Sciences, Salt Lake City, UT) is a custom-built machine that uses one 30-minute application of hot air in an attempt to desiccate the lice.” It uses no chemicals and instead dehydrates lice and eggs. Clinical studies found that the AirAllé kills live lice and more than 99 percent of eggs in a single session. In addition to being chemical-free, the treatment eliminates the need for weeks of nitpicking to make sure all eggs are removed.

 

The AirAllé medical device is available exclusively at Lice Clinics of America treatment centers. Lice Clinics of America is the world’s largest and fastest-growing network of professional lice clinics, with hundreds of clinics in some 20 countries.

 

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.

Why You Need A Lice Comb

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When it comes to tackling a case of head lice, one recommendation you’ll find over and over by lice experts is to do combing. Combing can serve as both a confirmation of whether someone has head lice, as well as a way to treat an infestation by physically removing the bugs and nits.

 

“If you are going to treat lice at home, you will definitely need to comb out the lice and nits, even if you are using some sort of topical solution,” says Wade Huntsman, owner of Lice Clinics of America – Colorado.

 

Many tools known as lice combs are available on the market today to aid in the combing process. But is a dedicated comb for head lice truly necessary? What differentiates a lice comb from regular hair combs?

 

Hair Combs vs. Lice Combs

Typically, an adult louse grows to the size of a sesame seed. The eggs (also called nits) that they lay are, of course, even smaller. Because the size of head lice and their eggs is so small, the gaps between an average hair comb’s teeth are just too big to effectively catch them. The plastic material that most hair combs are made of is also too smooth to “grip” any nits and bugs enough to remove them from the hair.

 

By comparison, lice combs have teeth that are precisely spaced so lice and eggs of all sizes are unable to pass through. Most lice combs have durable metal teeth that often have grooves specifically designed to help the comb “grip” and remove any lice and eggs that are found. This is especially important in the removal of lice eggs, which are fixated so strongly to the hair shafts that the only way to remove them is by forcefully sliding them for the full length of the hair strand. Without the features of a dedicated lice comb, a hair comb will have little to no effect on an infestation of lice.

 

Even with a dedicated lice comb, effectively removing all lice and nits can be a challenge for someone who has never done it before.

 

“People come in all the time to our clinics saying, ‘I’ve been combing every day for weeks, but we still have lice,’” Huntsman says. “There is certainly a technique to using a lice comb effectively. While most clients prefer us to do the treatments for them, we are happy to instruct them on how to properly use a lice comb if they decide to self-treat at home.”

 

The Lice Clinics of America lice comb adheres to the standards required of a lice comb to be effective. Our professional technicians use the comb in all of our lice treatment clinics worldwide. You can purchase a Lice Clinics of America lice comb for home use from Lice Clinics of America – Colorado.

 

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 – Colorado is located at 300 S. Jamaica Court, Suite 310, Aurora, CO 80014. The Aurora location is open seven days a week by appointment. Call 720-499-1578 or visit https://liceclinicscolorado.com for more information or to schedule an appointment.

 

The Head Lice Life Cycle

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If you have an infestation of head lice in your household, it can feel impossible to get rid of it. Most “natural” home remedies, prescription treatments, and over-the-counter products are ineffective and will simply prolong your frustration. In order to learn how lice spread and how to get rid of them, you’ll need to understand the lice life cycle. Read on to learn more.

From Egg to Nymph

A head louse’s life begins as an egg, also called a nit. The adult female louse lays the egg and attaches it to a human hair strand using an exceptionally strong glue-like substance. Thanks to this “glue,” the nit will remain on the hair throughout all kinds of bathing, swimming, and hairstyling. Lice attach nits ¼ of an inch or less from the scalp so that it can be kept at an ideal temperature before hatching; that means nits farther than ¼ inch from the scalp most likely have already hatched or are not viable.

 

After approximately eight days, the egg hatches into a nymph. The nymph louse is not yet mature enough to reproduce. The nymph will feed on the host’s blood on a daily basis as it grows and undergoes three molts. Each molt—or shedding of the outer skin—takes approximately three days. This means that it only takes about nine days for a baby louse to become an adult louse!

 

At Lice Clinics of America – Texas Lice Removal, which has locations in College Station, Tomball, and The Woodlands, we professionally train our technicians to spot lice and nits in the hair and determine whether an active infestation is present. While it’s helpful to periodically check the hair for lice at home, distinguishing nits from dandruff and viable nits from empty or dead nits can be challenging. To save yourself the hassle, schedule a professional head check with us by calling 979-481-6144 for College Station, 832-648-619 for Tomball, or 832-957-0373 for The Woodlands.

 

Continuing the Cycle

Once the louse finishes its third and final molt, it is then ready to mate and lay eggs. Female lice are capable of laying up to eight eggs per day for about three days, up until they die. That’s as many as 24 eggs per female louse. No wonder a case of head lice can be so hard to get rid of!

 

When it comes to transferring to a new host, head lice move quickly. They primarily spread to new hosts when there is direct head-to-head or hair-to-hair contact. As this contact occurs, usually during photos, hugs, or sitting and leaning against another person, lice can crawl from head to head in a matter of seconds. It’s easy to see how lice can spread rapidly between kids at school, at summer camp, and even at home.

 

Treating Head Lice

If you or your loved one has come down with a case of head lice, don’t panic—there are safe, quick, and effective treatments available. At Lice Clinics of America – Texas Lice Removal, you can be completely lice-free in an hour after a professional treatment with the AirAllé device. FDA-cleared and safe for young children, the AirAllé device uses controlled heated air delivered to the scalp to kill over 99% of lice and eggs. With no involvement of harmful pesticides or toxic chemicals, the AirAllé device is a safe and effective method for treating a lice infestation.

 

About Lice Clinics of America

Lice Clinics of America is the world’s largest network of professional lice treatment centers, with more than 950,000 successful treatments performed in 265 clinics across 20 countries. 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.

 

Why Over-the-Counter Head Lice Products Won’t Work

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When a child has head lice, many parents go into panic mode and will do almost anything to get rid of the lice as quickly as possible. After grabbing the first lice treatment they see at the drugstore, they race home to put a stop to the head lice infesting their child. Sadly, weeks later they are often still combing out lice eggs.

There are three problems with this treatment approach. Lice Clinics of America – Texas Lice Removal, which services College Station, Tomball and The Woodlands, owner Sonia Watt explains why:

 

“For starters, a majority of over-the-counter (OTC) products don’t work anymore, at least not in the United States,” says Watt. “According to the website ‘Beyond Pesticides,’ virtually all lice in the United States have developed resistance to the OTC and prescription shampoos containing the toxic chemical Permethrin. Several recent studies have confirmed the widespread resistance of head lice to retail products.”

 

“This isn’t really controversial,” said John Clark in a 2014 article titled “Head Lice Growing Resistant to Standard Meds.” Clark is a professor of environmental toxicology and chemistry at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and co-author of one of the studies of resistant head lice. “This is a problem we’ve been showing in development over a period of about 20 years. But our new work now shows that head lice are now almost 100 percent [resistant]. That means there’s an awful lot of resistant insects out there in the U.S. and elsewhere.”

 

“The second reason to avoid commercial lice-removal products is that they may not be safe. Permethrin is a neurotoxin that kills lice by shutting down the insect’s central nervous system,” Watt says. “Lice-removal products have been deemed safe when used as directed, but overuse is common. Panicked parents often over-apply the product, and it may cause serious health problems.”

Richard Clapp, an environmental health expert and professor emeritus at Boston University, has said that Permethrin, especially when combined with other problematic chemicals, can cause seizures and, down the road, behavioral problems. In a 2009 memo, the EPA classified Permethrin as “likely to be carcinogenic to humans” in some conditions.

 

Environmentally relevant levels of pyrethroids—the class of pesticide that includes Permethrin—are also common in some household insecticide products. This means that adding lice shampoo, even the amount directed, to the level of pyrethroids already in a home can overexpose children to the pesticide.

 

“Finally, the third reason for thinking twice before using OTC lice-removal products is that they are not ovicidal, meaning, they don’t kill lice eggs, or nits, which is a real problem in the battle against head lice,” says Watt.

 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pyrethrins (another type of pyrethroids) can only kill live lice, not unhatched eggs (nits). Nits are affixed to hair shafts with a very strong glue-like substance and must be manually removed.

 

“If every nit is not removed, you’ll simply get a new case of head lice when the eggs hatch a week or so after the treatment is applied,” continues Watt.

 

Fortunately, there’s a pesticide-free alternative to lice-removal medications. It’s a medical device (rather than a shampoo), known as the AirAllé device, that uses heated air to dehydrate and kill head lice and 99.2 percent of lice eggs. It’s been clinically proven to be safe and effective and has been cleared for use by the FDA. Treatments using this device are available exclusively at Lice Clinics of America treatment centers throughout the United States and around the world. In most cases, head lice are removed in a single 60- to 90-minute treatment, and the treatment is guaranteed to be effective by the clinic.

 

Lice Clinics of America has successfully treated more than 950,000 cases. 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 Science Behind the World’s Only One-Hour Head Lice Treatment

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It took a biologist researching the evolution of parasites to discover that head lice can be completely eradicated with desiccation, or “drying them out.” Dr. Dale Clayton, a biology professor at the University of Utah, found that lice on birds in more arid climates had a harder time surviving than those on birds in more humid climates. When his own children suffered from a bout of head lice and lice shampoos had little effect, he decided to test a theory and see if drying the head lice with heated air would eradicate them.

Dr. Clayton and his team of student scientists created the AirAllé® (pronounced ‘air-uh-LAY’), a device that concentrates heated air near the scalp—without burning it—where head lice prefer to hang out and lay their eggs. After about 30 minutes, the device can completely eliminate all head lice and their eggs (nits), with less than a one percent chance of recurrence. “It’s the only head lice treatment available that is guaranteed to get rid of everything—lice and their eggs—in just one visit,” says Sonia Watt, owner of Lice Clinics of America – Texas Lice Removal

Lice Clinics of America (LCA) has exclusive rights to use the FDA-cleared medical device to treat head lice. No chemicals or pesticides are necessary, which is good news for parents. “Head lice, known as ‘super lice,’ have been found to have developed a resistance to most over-the-counter products, making those products less effective,” says Watt. “Using the AirAllé, we can have clients out the door, lice and nit-free, in about an hour.”

After trying everything from blow dryers to heated rice bag caps, Dr. Clayton and his team discovered that heated air, if applied at the correct temperature at the right location for a specific amount of time, quickly kills head lice and kills their eggs over 99 percent of the time.

“It’s so rewarding to be able to offer such an effective treatment to parents who are stressed out and frustrated in their unsuccessful attempts to eliminate head lice. They’re always so relieved when they see their ‘lice nightmare’ has come to an end,” says Watt.

About Lice Clinics of America – LCA Texas Lice Removal
Lice Clinics of America has successfully treated 950,000 cases. The company has over 300 clinics in 35 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.

Head Lice and Pop Culture

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From the staff at Lice Clinics of America – Texas Lice Removal

 

Hollywood is full of glitz and glam. Not all of the scenes in your favorite movie are accurate though. This is especially true when it comes to scenes about head lice. Many media perpetuate folklore especially when it comes to home treatment remedies to cure their lice infestation. Let’s take a look at some of these clips and debunk those Hollywood representations.

MOVIES

I Don’t Know How She Does It: https://youtu.be/jawZFND4Bfc

In this clip, the loving mother gets a message from a trusted friend that her daughter has head lice. She immediately becomes itchy and freaked out.

The mind is a powerful thing. The second the word ‘lice’ is mentioned the entire room erupts in scratching behaviors. “We’ve had many a client come in for a head check because they’re convinced their itchy scalp is because of head lice,” says Sonia, clinic owner. In fact, only half of the people who have head lice have itchy heads because the itchiness is an allergic reaction to the lice saliva—and not everyone is allergic to it.

Thankfully this mother seems like she is going to take all the proper steps and make sure her entire family is checked. This is the best way to ensure you can take care of it once and for all!

The Switch: https://youtu.be/gkEsrZpCdOo

In this clip, the mother has a set list of rules for her friend in regard to eradicating the head lice. She tells him to run to the nearest store and pick up a plethora of supplies and gives out instructions on home care.

One of the falsehoods they portray is the notion that all soft objects need to be bagged up for several weeks. In reality, head lice are parasites that require the host in order to survive. They cannot live on inanimate objects. Simply put, there is no need to put items in bags.  The minute lice leave the head, they lose their lifeline and will begin to die. The chances for a louse to navigate back on to a head are close to nil. If you are feeling anxious, you can throw the items in the dryer for 30 minutes.

Another falsehood is that prescription medication is effective. These medications are full of pesticides and harmful chemicals.  Furthermore, they are unable to penetrate the eggshell, so the nits survive the chemical treatment.  The adults also show high resistance to these pyrethroids so unless every tiny egg is combed out and every louse extracted, you are looking at an instant re-infestation.

Speaking of eggs, did you see how large they were in the child’s hair in this clip? In reality, eggs are about the size of a sesame seed.

All in all, though, it was a cute clip of a man taking care of his son’s head lice!

 

TELEVISION

The Office: https://youtu.be/k2Wxx6O3nhk

The television series The Office depicts the humorous side of head lice.  In this episode, the entire office is in a meeting deciding the best strategy to get rid of these little bugs, but they are not all on the same page!

Erin has a very calm sense about how to tackle the problem, but Dwight can be seen in a hazmat suit. Erin takes the smart approach to be calm but offers up some advice that may not be as effective as it seems.

When Dwight suggests using lye to get rid of the lice (side note: extremely bad idea), Erin chimes in that all they need is mayonnaise. Mayo is one of the more common home remedies that we hear clients tried to no avail. Lice have spiracles along their abdomen, which are openings through which the insect breathes.  It takes many hours for mayo to harden enough to clog those tiny spaces.  The mayonnaise also does not kill the eggs so without extracting every single one, you are right back to where you started and have only made egg salad.

Keep the mayo for the kid’s lunches. Here at Lice Clinics of America – Texas Lice Removal, we have a safe and effective treatment that not only kills all of the live activity but the eggs as well.  This will also save you from ending up with a shaved head like Meredith!

Schitt’s Creek: https://youtu.be/5UZ5fbln0mE

The scene opens with Johnny Rose approaching his adult daughter and telling her that he got an email from her school about a lice outbreak in her class. What ensues is back and forth accusations from her dramatic brother after she’s shown scratching and denying why she’s scratching. Johnny asks her to go to the store to “get something and take care of that! I need to change the sheets!” It’s a furiously fast 90-second scene that ends with Alexis emphatically saying, “ugh that’s the last time I take a pity selfie with Kelsey!”

Remember to be careful with your selfie picture taking! Lice spread through head-to-head contact.

Teachers: https://youtu.be/sIOaE0kV46g

Our last clip is just a silly scene of teachers overreacting to their school’s head lice infestation. It is extremely humorous and shows how many people feel when they hear the word lice! Don’t let your child become one of the zombies!

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.

PESTICIDES ARE FOR PLANTS, MAYO IS FOR SANDWICHES

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Traditionally there have been three options when it comes to head lice treatment: drugstore DIY lice products; nit-picking, or home remedies recommended by other parents.

There are challenges with all three of these lice treatments. First, many drugstore head lice products use pyrethroids to kill live lice which is a class of pesticides. Head lice in 48 states in the United States as well as some other countries, have developed resistance to pyrethroids. Since pyrethroids have been linked to behavior problems in children, do you really want to be washing your child’s hair with a pesticide?

“Many parents have come to us after weeks of battling lice with over the counter DIY lice treatments, some have spent hundreds of dollars on treatments that don’t work and have spent countless hours cleaning their house and washing bedding” says Watt of College Station, Tomball, and The Woodlands.

Home remedies are completely unproven. Common recommendations include smothering a child’s head with mayonnaise or petroleum jelly overnight. Mayonnaise? Petroleum jelly?  These approaches are meant to suffocate live lice. “Natural” treatments recommended like tea tree oil can actually prove toxic if over-applied.

These methods, even if they were to be effective with killing live lice, do not kill lice eggs. Killing lice eggs (nits) is the most difficult part of a lice treatment. Nits are extremely hard to see and remove, and if you miss just one, the egg will hatch, and you’ll have a fresh case of head lice on your hands.

“We have seen countless parents come in after trying to treat lice at home with these home remedies, but all they’ve gotten is more frustration” says Watt.

This brings us to combing and nitpicking. This is a long and tedious process.

As Health.com points out, “It’s best to approach lice as a war on many fronts: You need to use a variety of techniques to kill not only adult lice, but also their tiny eggs (called nits), which are glued to the hair shaft. The nits can survive treatments that kill the adults and vice versa (These bugs have evolved over a millennium to live in hair, so they’re tricky).”

What’s a parent to do? “It’s best to steel yourself for weeks or months of vigilance since lice can reappear due to repeated exposure or a missed nit.”

Fortunately, scientists at the University of Utah have come to the rescue with a revolutionary medical device called the AirAllé that kills lice by applying carefully controlled heated air to the hair and scalp, dehydrating live lice and eggs in a single treatment that takes a 60-90 minutes.

AirAllé Lice Treatment

The AirAllé® has been through the lengthy FDA-clearance process where in clinical trials it was found to kill live lice and 99.2 percent of eggs.

The FDA-cleared medical device, the AirAllé is operated in clinics by certified technicians who deliver treatments that last 60-90 minutes in most cases, and results are guaranteed when all family members are checked for lice and treated in the case of an active infestation.

Because the AirAllé device only uses heated air to kill lice and eggs, there are no harmful pesticides involved and no lengthy nitpicking process is required. This sounds a lot more pleasant than pesticides or sleeping with a head full of mayonnaise.

“It’s amazing to see the relief on a happy mom who is able to leave our clinic lice free after having tried everything to get rid of lice” says Watt.

Let’s leave pesticides in farms (maybe not) but keep them out of our hair. Let’s leave mayonnaise on sandwiches, which can be quite delicious. Let’s use science and medicine to treat head lice.

Lice Clinics of America has over 330 treatment centers in 35 countries, making it the world’s largest network of professional lice treatment centers. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, visit https://texasliceremovalclinic.com, email info@texasliceremovalclinic.com, or call College Station (855) 464-8688, Tomball (832) 648-1619, or The Woodlands (832) 957-0373.

Lice Clinics of America® – College Station, Tomball, and The Woodlands Shares Summer Camp Lice Prevention Tips

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Ah, summer camp. Campfires, s’mores, swimming, and…head lice?

“Head lice don’t take the summer off,” said Sonia Watt, owner of Lice Clinics of America® – College Station, Tomball, and The Woodlands. “In fact, summer camps are ‘custom made’ to spread head lice, with kids in close quarters, sleeping and playing together for extended periods of time.”

“No parent wants to get the call that their camper has head lice,” Watt said. Here are a few things you can do to decrease the odds that your child gets lice at camp:

  1. First and foremost, get a professional head check before camp. Make sure your child doesn’t already have head lice before camp starts. Many children have lice without knowing it. It can take up to two weeks before symptoms such as itching to start. Check again when your child gets home. A professional check is best because lice can be difficult to accurately diagnose. Our clinic offers head checks for $25 which is waived if lice are found and the child is treated. It’s a small price to pay for peace of mind.
  2. Know your facts. Lice spread primarily through head-to-head contact. They don’t fly or jump. Head lice can’t live anywhere but on a human scalp (hence the name ‘head’ lice), so encourage your children to avoid head-to-head and hair-to-hair contact, including hugs and selfies.
  3. Use a lice prevention product such as Lice Clinics of America’s preventive sprays and shampoos. They are non-toxic, easy to apply and serve as a kind of lice repellent for your child. They can be used daily for an extra layer of protection.
  4. Make sure your children use their own combs, brushes, clips, and anything else they use on their hair. While it is rare that lice spread through shared personal items, it can happen.
  5. Lice don’t die in water. They can hold their breath for up to eight hours, so children should only use their own towels to dry themselves after swimming or showering.

Finally, if your child does come home with head lice, don’t panic or punish yourself. “You and your child didn’t do anything wrong,” Watt said. “Twelve million children under the age of 14 get head lice each year in the United States alone. It’s no different than catching a cold—your child just got lice from someone else.”

Watt also wants you to know that getting rid of head lice is easier than ever, thanks to Lice Clinics of America’s FDA-cleared, AirAllé® medical device. AirAllé uses heated air to dehydrate lice and eggs and has been clinically proven to kill live lice and more than 99 percent of eggs (nits) in a single treatment. The service takes about an hour and is guaranteed to be effective.

“If you come in for a head check, and we find head lice or nits on your child, we can treat him or her on the spot, and you’ll leave our clinic lice-free in an hour or so, guaranteed,” Watt said.

To learn more or to schedule an appointment, visit https://texasliceremovalclinic.com, email info@texasliceremovalclinic.com, or call College Station (855) 464-8688, Tomball (832) 648-1619, or The Woodlands (832) 957-0373.

Lice Clinics of America® – College Station, Tomball, and The Woodlands Shares Safe Selfie Tips for National Selfie Day

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National Selfie Day is June 21, and Lice Clinics of America – College Station, Tomball, and The Woodlands wants families to know that while selfies can be fun, they have also been linked to an increase in cases of head lice.

“A pediatrician recently coined the term ‘social media lice’ because she was seeing so many teenagers with head lice, and she linked the cases to taking selfies,” said Watt owner of Lice Clinics of America – College Station, Tomball, and The Woodlands.

The College Station, Tomball, and The Woodlands clinic is seeing more cases of head lice among teenagers, a significant change in clients. Historically, lice outbreaks typically slow as children get older, as teens don’t do as much sharing of clothing or sleep close together as younger children do. The selfie phenomenon is changing this.

“The problem comes when kids taking photos of themselves crowd their heads together in order to fit in the picture,” Watt said. “Head-to-head contact is the primary way head lice spread, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).”

When heads touch it’s a lot easier for lice to crawl from one head to another.

“Lice don’t fly or jump, so the only way that they can spread is by physical contact with another human’s hair or head,” Watt said. “Kids also get head lice from sitting close together in a car, hugging, or when they share hair utensils and accessories.”

“When taking selfies, be careful not to let heads and hair touch,” Watt said. “We know kids want to be spontaneous, but no one wants to get head lice.”

In addition to avoiding head-to-head contact, wash and sterilize combs and brushes that may have been shared. Any clothing that is suspected of carrying lice should be placed in a dryer on high heat for at least 20 minutes.

Lice Clinics of America – College Station, Tomball, and The Woodlands is the area’s exclusive provider of lice treatment using the AirAllé® medical device. AirAllé is FDA-cleared and clinically proven to kill live lice and 99.2 percent of eggs through dehydration. Treatment takes about an hour and is guaranteed to be effective.

The College Station, Tomball, and The Woodlands clinic also offer a line of preventive products in the form of sprays and shampoos that service as a kind of lice repellent. The products are non-toxic and approved for daily use.

“We don’t want anyone to get head lice from selfies or anything else,” Watt said. “But if you do, come to our clinic and you will be lice-free in an hour, and we can help you stay that way, too.”

Lice Clinics of America – College Station, Tomball, and The Woodlands is one of 330 clinics in the Lice Clinics of America network in 33 countries. AirAllé has treated more than 950,000 cases of head lice worldwide with a success rate better than 99 percent.

To learn more or to schedule an appointment, visit https://texasliceremovalclinic.com, email info@texasliceremovalclinic.com, or call College Station (855) 464-8688, Tomball (832) 648-1619, or The Woodlands (832) 957-0373.