HEAD LICE FACTS

CDC

According to the CDC, there are a reported 6 to 12 million children ages 3 to 11 in the US infested with head lice each year. Very often parents and children over the age of 11 contract head lice, so the real number of cases each year is unknown.

SUPER LICE

SUPER LICE are real, and they are making it ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE for you to get rid of lice yourself. Our technology and process kill 100% of lice, even super lice, every time.

Super lice evolved because of repeated exposure to the chemicals in the most popular over-the-counter (OTC) products over nearly 50 years! Repeated exposure builds resistance, not only to that particular treatment but to virtually all similar products. Therefore, OTC products no longer work very well, which means that most people are simply wasting their money on OTC treatments. On top of that, you may just be prolonging the misery because it can take a week or more to determine that an OTC treatment has failed.

COST

Doing it yourself can quickly become more expensive than a professional treatment.

Even if you have a form of lice that are NOT resistant, OTC products will require multiple treatments over several weeks (read the packaging closely) because they cannot kill eggs/nits. And those treatment costs add up quickly, about as quickly as your frustration with their ineffectiveness!

What do these DIY costs look like?

• $30……Replacement hair brushes, combs, hair accessories
• $50……Doctor visits for diagnosis and guidance
• $95……Extra cleaning supplies & laundry detergent
• $100……Increased utilities due to extra laundry
• $125……Other lice products, gadgets, prevention products
• $180……OTC Kits (Rid, Nix, etc.). 3 Treatments x 2 Kids
• $400……Missed work (avg. 3 days @ $50k salary)
• $0 – $300……Prescription costs – per person
• Total: $1,030

More Head lice facts…

Where do head lice come from?

Head lice have been around for millions of years and dried up lice and their eggs have been found on the hair and scalps of Egyptian mummies! Head lice do not come out of the air or from the ground. They are human parasites that feed on blood and travel from one head to another. Head Lice are uniquely adapted to be on a human head hair. 

How are head lice spread?

Head lice can be spread whenever there is direct head-to-head contact with an infested individual. Lice may also be transmitted by items such as hats, hair ties, scarves, pillows, etc. However, this type of transfer is probably quite rare.

Is it possible to get head lice from sharing a pillow or hat with a person who has head lice?

Lice cannot typically survive off of a human host longer than 24 hours and they are uniquely adapted for living in human head hair. They generally do not like to leave the protected environment created within head hair.

What are the symptoms of head lice?

Head lice are most commonly found on the scalp, behind the ears and near the neckline at the base of the head. Symptoms include a tickling sensation or feeling something moving through the hair. An allergic reaction to the bites causes itching. Viable eggs are usually located within 1/4 inch (6mm) of the scalp.

What do head lice and their eggs look like?

The adult louse is no bigger than a sesame seed and is grayish-white or tan. The color of lice vary based on your hair color. Nymphs (baby lice) are smaller, and can be black, clear, or even blood red. Lice eggs, often called nits, look like tiny yellow, tan, or brown dots before they hatch. After hatching, the remaining shell looks white or clear. Nits are literally glued to the hair shaft and are very difficult to remove.

What can be done to get rid of head lice and the eggs?

Our Heated Air Treatment is a safe and comfortable treatment that is highly effective at not only killing the live lice but also their eggs. Increasing numbers of consumers are finding that the most popular treatments for head lice – including chemical shampoos and home remedies – are largely ineffective. Head lice are rapidly evolving chemical resistance to many of the traditional pesticide-based control methods (which have never been able to kill eggs (nits) effectively and usually require repeated treatments).

Louse combs can be effective for removing lice and eggs, but the comb-out process can be very tedious, and many busy parents do not have the time or patience for effective combing. In desperation, some parents resort to home remedies such as bug spray, mayonnaise or kerosene, but there is little hard evidence that these remedies are effective, and some home remedies can actually be harmful. As a result, parents and school authorities are searching for a safe, fast and effective treatment that will solve the problem and help keep children in or quickly return them to school.

What is the life cycle of head lice and their eggs?

Eggs are laid by adult female lice and usually take about a week to hatch into nymphs. Nymphs are immature lice that mature into adults about a week after hatching from the egg. Once they reach adulthood adult lice can live about 30 days on a person’s head. If they come off the host, they usually die within 24 hours. Female adult lice lay 4 to 8 eggs per day and can lay 100 or more eggs during their lifetime. The eggs are glued to hair shafts and hatch in 4-10 days. It takes another 9-12 days for the female louse to mature. She mates 24 hours later and starts laying eggs.

What is the difference between an egg and a nit?

There is not a difference although a nit is usually referred to as the empty shell and the egg as a viable egg. Sometimes people refer to one or the other in relation to its viability.

How can I tell if the nits are dead or alive?

Although a microscope would be able to show you whether an egg is empty or not, there is no way to tell whether a non-empty shell is viable or not.

What are some steps I can take to help prevent and control the spread of head lice?

Avoid head to head contact during play, sleepovers, or other activities at home, school, and elsewhere. Do not share combs, brushes or towels used by an infested person. Do not share clothing such as hats, scarves, coats, hair ribbons or barrettes. Machine wash and dry clothing, bed linens, and other items that an infested person used or wore during the previous 2 days using a hot water laundry cycle and high heat drying cycle. Do not use fumigant sprays or fogs; they are not necessary to control head lice and can be toxic if inhaled or absorbed through the skin.

Do I have to treat everyone if only one person is found to have head lice?

It is very common for close family or friends of infested individuals to also have lice. It is suggested that you check everyone in the household. You do not want to treat anyone who does not have lice, however many clients who have a family member with lice will choose to have a dimethicone oil treatment. This treatment, which is completely non-toxic, is a quick and easy way to kill any small bug that may be in the hair, but is very hard to find.

How do I treat my home for head lice?

Because lice cannot survive long away from the human head, treating your home for head lice isn’t necessary. That being said, we understand the need to feel you’re in a safe, lice free environment. Wash bedding and clothing, including pajamas, worn by infested person(s) within the past 24 hours in hot water, and dry on high heat. Remove any hair from brushes, combs, etc. and place items in very hot water for 20 minutes, or in the freezer, within a plastic bag, for 10 hours. If desired, vacuum or sticky lint roll furniture and carpeting. It is recommended you do not use pesticide sprays in your home; they will unnecessarily expose you and your household to potentially harmful chemicals.

What about combs, Brushes, and Hair accessories?

You can place them on the top rack of the dishwasher or soak items in HOT (not boiling) water for 20 minutes. You can also put them in a plastic bag in the freezer for 10 hours.