Getting Rid Of Head Lice: Let’s Test Your Lice Knowledge
An itchy scalp isn’t a known COVID-19 symptom, but more and more people are complaining of it during the global pandemic—all thanks to unexpected visitors:head lice.
It doesn’t come as a surprise that there has been a significant increase in lice infestations amid the novel coronavirus outbreak. The reason is plain and simple: families are shelteringat home together because of the stay-at-home mandate. So, the children who had head lice have now carried the parasites and their eggs home, and are most certainly passing them back and forth between siblings. Plus, living in close proximity has led to sharing clothing, combs, brushes, barrettes, and headbands more often.
What’s worse is that traditional over-the-counter remedies aren’t working for people—as they never have—especially because the lice, or ‘super lice,’ have developed resistance to the chemicals and pesticides used in these products. Not to mention, these products dry out the scalp, and lead to dandruff and flaky skin.
Therefore, we recommend professional lice removal services in Port Washington, NY. Our lice removal team uses pesticide free, non-toxic, chemical-free treatment to completely remove lice and nits. We also offer home lice inspection and cleaning to guarantee your home is completely lice-free.
You can even get your hands on our lice treatment kits—with free delivery!—to eradicate all traces of these parasitic insects. The kit comes with an pesticide free lice treatment shampoo, leather cleaner, carpet and upholstery cleaner, and lice extraction comb.
Like every situation in life, if you want to get rid of head lice, the first step is to understand what you’re up against.
So, to understand the enemy, we’re quickly going to go over the lifecycle of head lice:
Understand The Lifecycle Of Head Lice
Head lice are 2mm to 4mm (adult louse), blood-sucking, wingless (they can’t hop or fly), six-legged insects that live and feed on the human scalp. They’re tan-colored and appear to cling on for dear life (literally) onto hair strands, but they usually prefer to stay close to the scalp for food, moisture, and warmth. Those infested may carry up to 10 mature head lice, each of which will go on to live for 3to 4weeks. A head louse sucks on blood every 3 to 6 hours while simultaneously injecting saliva. The female louse then mates to produce 5 to 6 eggs every day, each in a shell, called a nit, that’s ‘glued’ to the hair shaft. The eggs hatch in 10 days, producing a grayish white color nymph that goes through 3 stages before turning into adult head lice. The nits left behind on the hair shaft don’t become the source of infestation, but the head lice and nymphs can survive up to 3 days after falling off the human host. While its eggs, too, can survive away from the host, they need temperature similar to that found near the scalp to hatch. Let’s debunk all the exaggerated, untrue versions of the reality to help you understand the enemy better.
What You Probably Didn’t Know About Lice
With so many misconceptions and horror stories about lice, it easy to end up panicking if you think (or know) your little one has head lice. We know that just the thought of pulling glistening nits from your child’s hair, or dousing their hair with poisonous spray—that doesn’t, in fact, instantly kill the lice as advertised—leaves you feeling frantic. But, before you lose your marbles, you should know that much of the information circulating the internet are myths and have no scientific backing. So, how much do you really know about head lice? We’ve put together a guide that will test your knowledge and help ease your fears.Myth: Lice Prefer Dirty Hair
Contrary to popular belief, head lice have nothing do with the cleanliness of the environment or personal hygiene. The terrifying laws of contagion state that you could do everything right—wash and shampoo your hair every day and change your sheets every week—but the bugs will still grow, multiple and skitter from head to head; it only takes one live egg on a warm little noggin to bring on a full infestation.
Myth: Lice Are a Health Hazard
The tiny parasites may make you squeamish, itchy and give you the heebie-jeebies, but they don’t spread illnesses. Yes, your kid’s head may be covered with scabs and bites, and their pillows flecked with blood due to excessive scratching, but in reality, these bugs do no real harm. Intense scratching, however, can lead to the skin becoming infected. Plus, your child may feel irritable and have trouble sleeping. Because a lice infestation is emotionally upsetting—and not to mention draining—for the child and their family, we recommend you get in touch with our lice specialists in Port Washington, NY, right away to get all the lice and nits successfully removed.Myth: Your Furry Friends Can Give You Lice
The good news is that neither nits nor head lice can transmit from animals to people. Head lice feed on a warm scalp and human blood, so you can exclude your furry mates when trying to figure out how the louse-y lice transmitted to your child in the first place.
Myth: You Don’t Have Lice If Your Scalp Isn’t Itchy
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 6–12 million lice infestation cases are reported in the U.S. each year, and not every one of those cases start with a scratchy scalp. The scary truth is that you may not experience any signs or symptoms of a lice infestation for up to four to six weeks. Shudder!Myth: Short Hair Is The Answer To Avoid Getting Lice
Before you pull out the scissors to chop off your child’s hair, you should know that these sneaky parasites can live and attach themselves to hair as short as 0.1 inch! So, if you have hair, you can contract lice despite the length of your locks. The only catch is that people with shorter hair have to have their heads much closer together than those with longer hair to spread lice.Myth: You Must Use Pesticides To Kill Lice
Before the late 90s, when life was simpler, parents doused their kids’ heads, bowed over a white towel, in pesticide, waiting for the lice carcasses to drop in front of them. But those days are long gone and mankind has found better, safer, more natural solutions for head lice removal. Yet, a lot of people still use harmful and toxic pesticides as a quick solution for head lice treatment. These pesticide-based treatments are available over-the-counter and are used by many people to eliminate head lice and their eggs. What people don’t realize is that the neurotoxic properties in these treatments make them too harmful to be applied to a child’s head. Plus, you’re exposing your child to problematic chemicals in the process. Moreover, a 2016 study on this subject found that 98% of the lice evaluated had a gene mutation, possibly indicating resistance to pesticide. Therefore, at Lice Troopers, we always advocate gentle, pesticide free, chemical-free lice removal services. In fact, we offer a lice-free guarantee with just one simple treatment! Our lice removal team is expertly trained to spot and remove lice using especially-designed lice extraction combs that don’t leave even one nit behind to launch another infestation. Head over to our lice salon in Port Washington, NY, for a complete lice treatment or find out more about our in-home lice removal services. We haven’t forgotten about our customers during the pandemic. We now bring lice treatment home kits that are packaged with our favorite pesticide free, non-toxic products that not only make it easier to remove lice and nits, but also leave your hair lustrous and nourished.
Myth: A DIY Lice Treatment Is Always Safer And Better For You
While you may be tempted to opt for an pesticide free, DIY cure for your itchy scalp, it might not always be in your best interest. Scan any parenting forum and you’ll find a host of desperate head lice treatments. Some folks slather their kids’ infested heads with mayonnaise, while other douse them in vinegar, coconut oil, or olive oil. Others use heated straighteners to sizzle any survivors. Needless to say, these ‘treatments’ are time-consuming, messy, and not supported by any evidence. Plus, most of the time, they fail to suffocate the lice. What’s worse is that some methods that use certain essential oils can actually be dangerous when used on children. If you have any more questions, feel free to reach out to our lice specialistsin Port Washington, NY; they’re always ready to debunk urban legends and guide you to the path of a lice-free life!Getting Rid Of Hair Lice For Good—Lice Removal Services That Work!
Head lice have been around for as long as we have. They’ve been picked and preserved from mummies, and even pried from Roman soldiers’ combs. However, despite our long acquaintance with these parasites, we haven’t come up with a unified solution to deal with these uninvited guests. You combed your kid’s hair obsessively and even slather it in coconut oil, yet you still found only a few unhatched eggs and two mature lice. How do you know if you’ve caught them all? How do you remove them all? Here’s our recommendation:Start With An Pesticide Free Shampoo
Removing nits and lice is a lot easier when your hair is wet and detangled. Since we don’t condone using toxins and over-the-counter chemical treatments to remove lice, our first product of choice is an pesticide free lice treatment shampoo. Unlike its chemical alternatives that leave the scalp flaky and the hair dry, our lice treatment shampoo is safe for young children and actually leaves the hair hydrated and nourished. Plus, it softens the hair to make it easier for you to remove pesky nits.
Use A Fine-Toothed Lice Extraction Comb
Fine combs are the gold standard for head lice removal. Nit combing is a traditional method that’s effective, makes lice more visible, and allows you to distinguish them from dandruff. First, put a towel around your child’s shoulders to prevent the lice from attaching on clothes. Then, comb sections of their hair and focus on removing lice and eggs one section at a time. Use our state-of-the-art lice extraction comb from top to bottom, making sure to get as close to the scalp as possible. While nit combing is a time-consuming process and requires some patience, it is one of the best natural head lice treatments out there. Plus, since our combs are strong, durable, reusable, and designed to fit perfectly in your hand, it’s the perfect product to have on-hand for regular lice-checks at home—especially during social distancing!Make Sure You’re Thorough
Using a nit comb is quicker, neater, and cleaner, but you need to be sure you’ve removed all the adult lice. Keep an eye on head scratching, check the hair regularly, and comb with our lice extraction comb every 2 to 3 days to remove nits and reduce chances of self-infestation. You can also use a magnifying glass to better examine hair strands after removing the lice. It’s safe to assume you’re in the clear if you don’t see any live crawling insects three weeks after the head lice treatment.Clean Around The House
There is another lice chore that you need to tend to other than combing: a cleaning spree around your house. Remember, you can’t guarantee a lice-free head until you have a lice-free home! While lice or eggs don’t live far from the scalp and won’t usually hatch at room temperature, it’s still crucial that you clean and wash anything that has been in close contact with the lice-infected person. This includes stripping the mattresses, vacuuming carpets and rugs, cleaning and changing the bedding, pillowcases, combs, brushes, and hats. Plus, it’s always a good idea to put beloved non-washable items in an air-tight plastic bag and leaving them for at least two weeks to kill all the lice and nits.
