From Dan …

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I want to put some myths about head lice to sleep once and for all. There is so much misinformation on the web and lice are common enough that most everyone knows what they are, but not common enough that everyone knows how to deal with them. Parents can save a lot of time and worry if they learn the following.

Head lice are not like bedbugs. Bedbugs can survive off of the person, but head lice cannot. Bedbugs like to hide around the house, and head lice do not. Lice are thought to be able to survive for 36 to 48 hours off of the human head, but this is pretty unusual. Most head lice are dead within 24 hours because they need to feed several times a day. So, bagging stuffed animals for two weeks is overkill, and spraying the furniture with bug repellant is also overkill. I recommend washing and drying pillow cases and sheets and vacuuming the house and car. You can put combs and brushes in the freezer overnight, and that will pretty much wrap things up.

Your main focus should be to take care of the lice and nits (lice eggs) on the head. Head lice spread very easily through head to head contact, so once you find lice on one member of the family, it’s a good idea to have the whole family checked. Just one female louse (lice is plural, louse is singular) can start a lice infestation. That is because an adult female louse has the ability to lay multiple eggs after it has once been inseminated. While it is true that lice can spread through combs, and shared hats and helmets, this is less common.

So there you have it, some quick and useful facts about head lice.

A video worth watching

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Have you seen this video yet? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpagLt0RYps
Click HERE to watch.

I love this video, because it explains just why I hope all parents can learn about the LouseBuster. With all of the treatments out there, isn’t it nice to know there is a  medical device out that has been in 2 separate peer-reviewed journals, is cleared by the FDA, and is chemical free. Not to mention, just one treatment kills the lice AND nits! I feel lucky to have a device like this available. Finally! Do you have any experience with the LouseBuster yourself you could share? Or, if you have any questions, please comment!

I think this photo is such an interesting comparison. No wonder nits get missed sometimes when doing head checks or combing.

It’s Earth Month . A BigThanks to our Service Providers who Help Eliminate Chemicals in our Childrens’ Lives

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FDA-Cleared, Chemical-Free Head Lice Treatment to Be Celebrated on Earth Day
When Alana Engleman learned about the non-chemical, FDA-Cleared LouseBuster device that kills head lice and nits in a 30-minute treatment, she knew she needed to bring it to her home in Portland, Oregon where living green is a great reason why she loves the city.
Since January 2011, Alana has been in the business of killing head lice, and knows she’s making a big difference—treating clients with a scientifically-backed device, and keeping them free from chemicals and pesticides.
Years ago, before the LouseBuster, Alana used chemical medications on herself to treat a head lice infestation while she was pregnant. She felt she had no other choice. In the end, the treatment didn’t work, and she still had lice.
“It’s the core reason I got into this business—when I learned there was finally a one-time treatment for head lice that was completely natural, I knew I could help so many people.”
The LouseBuster device is a Class 1 medical device that is FDA-cleared and used in over 30 states and 20 countries, to fight head lice infestations. Clinical studies have shown that the treatment, which uses only controlled heated air delivered by certified operators, provides a safe, fast, highly- effective way to kill all stages of head lice—including lice eggs—by rapidly dehydrating them.
Sarah Casello-Rees, owner of Rapunzel’s Lice Boutique in Ann Arbor, Michigan is very active in getting the word out to Michigan families that there is an effective alternative to chemicals that people have become accustomed to using. In 2011, Rapunzel’s technicians were responsible for treating 1,286 heads with the LouseBuster, and clientele is only growing in 2012.
There is no lack of head lice; 6-12 million children in the U.S., between the ages of 3 and 11, are treated each year for head lice. As more people learn about the safety and efficacy of the LouseBuster™, the number of treatments using the device will increase.
Throughout the world, service providers are signing up, and being trained to become certified technicians of the LouseBuster.

Mandy Davis always dreamed of helping South Africa, and when she discovered that no one was offering this needed service, she left her job as COO of an advertising agency, and brought the first LouseBuster to her hometown of Johannesburg, South Africa.

“It’s by no means a glamorous job, but it’s a rewarding one,” says Davis about killing head lice. “Our country needs this, because lice are becoming resistant to medications. When I learned about the LouseBuster device, that’s when I knew I could really help.”

Q’s and A’s about Head Lice Week: 3

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Do pets get head lice?

No. Head lice cannot live on pets. Head lice can only live on human heads.

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 head lice; however, we suggest you recheck everyone in a household where a louse infestation has been confirmed every few days for at least 10-15 days after an outbreak.

How do I treat my home for head lice?

Vacuum the carpet and furniture; wash bedding and clothing in very hot water; place pillows in a dryer at highest heat setting for 20 to 30 minutes; boil hair ties/hair brushes for 10 to 20 minutes or freeze them in a plastic bag overnight. Head lice cannot survive off of a human head for more than 24 to 48 hours. Larada Sciences recommends that you do not use pesticide sprays in your home; they will unnecessarily expose your household to harmful chemicals.

How many cases of head lice are there?

Precise data on how many people get head lice each year is not available. An estimated 6 million to 12 million infestations occur each year in the United States alone.

The best way to treat head lice is to find a certified LouseBuster operator near you. go to www.lousebuster.com with help in finding one. The FDA-cleared LouseBuster is a revolutionary new way to kill head lice and their eggs in a single, 30 minute treatment using only heated air, and NO chemicals. It rapidly dehydrates lice and nits.

Spike in Head lice

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It’s typical to see a surge of lice outbreaks at specific times throughout the year and after Spring Break is one of them.

One reason for this spike is that lice are spread through head-to-head contact.  This is the beginning of the lice cycle which spikes again just in time for the return to school in the fall. Spring is also the start of helmet season.  Baseball, softball, and bike helmets are a catalyst for head lice. This is also the time that kids are having slumber parties, getting together with cousins for holiday parties, and head-to-head contact is in abundance.

Some helpful tips for prevention and treatment:

For long hair, tie the hair back in a ponytail or braid. This limits the chances for hair-to-hair contact.

Do regular head checks. Look for live lice or nits (the lice eggs). Evidence of both are most likely at the crown of the head, on the sides of the head, and on the nape of the neck, or behind the ears. Small red bumps similar to a heat rash on the neck or behind the ears may be evidence of an infestation.

The best way to prevent the spread of lice is to detect it early and inform other that might have come in contact with the lice. They should check their children, and make sure they are lice and nit free.

If treatment is needed, the LouseBuster is a revolutionary new way to kill head lice and their eggs in a one-time dry treatment, using only heated air. The LouseBuster was featured yesterday on NPR’s All Things Considered. Click HERE to listen.

More Q’s and A’s about Head lice

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Do head lice jump?

No! Head lice do not jump, fly or swim. They are good crawlers, however, and will readily move from one person to another when the hair of the two people is in contact.

Do head lice carry or transmit any disease?

There are no reliable data to suggest that head lice carry or transmit disease organisms.

 

What can I do to get rid of head lice and the eggs?

Contact a LouseBuster™ Certified Operator for diagnosis and head lice treatment.

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 combout 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.

The LouseBuster™ treatment provides exactly that: a safe treatment that is highly effective at not only killing the live lice but also their eggs thus making it a smart choice when dealing with head lice.

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

Eggs: Eggs are laid by adult female lice and usually take about 8 to 9 days to hatch into nymphs.

Nymphs: Nymphs are immature lice that mature into adults about 9 to 12 days after hatching from the egg.

Adults: Adult lice can live about 30 days on a person’s head. If they come off the host, they die within 24 to 48 hours. Female adult lice lay about 4 eggs per day and can lay about 88 eggs during their lifetime.