As you sit in the sun of your bathroom window, pulling out one godforsaken louse after another, dragging your fingernails through strands of your daughter’s dark blonde hair, you sigh defeatedly and think to yourself, “How bad will this get? Is there no end to this lice infestation?” If you have had the unfortunate experience of pulling out a notice from your child’s bag that informs you that they have lice, leaving you feeling grossed out and worried, you’re not alone! Nearly 6–12 million lice infestation cases are reported in the U.S. each year, and there has been an uptick in these cases during the current global pandemic. Families are sheltering together at home, which means that little Jamie has now brought all those pesky parasites home and is now lolling on the couch cushions, possibly transferring the bugs to all the furniture in sight. This is the start of what we call a neglected lice infestation. Before you start dousing your child’s hair in over-the-counter ‘lice treatments’ full of chemicals and pesticides, take a step back and realize what you’re exposing your little one to: harmful toxins that not only fail miserably, but will probably cause further damage to their scalp and hair. That’s why we swear by our pesticide free head lice treatment services. Clients who visit our lice salon in Port Washington, NY, go home with a lice-free guarantee! Our team uses chemical-free, non-toxic treatments to thoroughly remove every louse and nit with proven lice removal methods. We don’t just stop there; should you choose to expect our services, our home lice inspection team arrive at your home in unmarked cars and take care of all lice chores like vacuuming carpets, rugs, and furniture, thoroughly cleaning all bedding, and securely packing all the infested items, guaranteeing your home is completely lice-free. Parents and guardians can get even get their hands on our lice treatment kits that are packaged with our client favorites: the pesticide free lice treatment shampoo, leather cleaner, carpet and upholstery cleaner to remove all traces of those nit-picking sessions, and lice extraction comb to carefully remove all nits and lice. If you notice or think your child has lice, it’s easy to panic with all the horror stories and misconceptions circulating the internet. What you need during this time is a strategic plan to contain, treat, and prevent the forthcoming lice infestation—and for that, we’re going to lay out some facts.

How Does Lice Spread?

Adult lice are tiny parasites, roughly 2­­–3 mm long, that infest the head and neck and attach their eggs at the base of the hair shaft for warmth and moisture. These wingless, blood-sucking insects feed on the human scalp and move by crawling—and they’re surprisingly fast! The most common way for head lice to spread is by head-to-head contact with an already affected person. This is common when kids play, huddle up for scary stories at camp, or go for sleepovers to their friend’s house. While you can’t completely prevent this, you may want to be cautious of kids who constantly scratch their heads, and follow up with the child’s parents or school nurse. You can opt for our camp and school lice screening services offered for daycare centers, elementary schools and high schools. Early detection can prevent a school-wide infestation, which is why our highly skilled technicians ensure that children are completely lice-free! They also educate the children on how to spot lice, prevent them from spreading, and prevent re-infestations following a thorough treatment. Contrary to popular belief, lice infestation doesn’t mean that a child has poor hygiene or dirty hair; it just means that they were unfortunate enough to come in close contact with some who had lice. It’s time we end the stigma associated with head lice and take it as an infestation that needs proper damage control and treatment. Here are some common culprits of your child’s head lice:

• Sharing clothing like sports uniforms, hats, scarves, or coats used by an already affected person
• Sharing articles like barrettes, ribbons, brushes, combs, towels or stuffed animals
• Lying on an infested bed, pillow, couch, or carpet

Keep in mind that pets don’t play a role in spreading head lice. Another common myth is that lice only live in short hair. These sneaky parasites can attach themselves to hair as short as 0.1 inch so cutting your child’s hair is not the solution!

How Do I Know If My Child Has Lice?

Spotting signs of head lice early on can help prevent them from spreading. Your child may have head lice if they:

• Scratch their head constantly or complain of an itchy head
• Complain of a sensation of something crawling on their scalp
• Have trouble sleeping because lice are most bothersome at night

While the pesky insects themselves do no harm, scabs and scratches can lead to skin infections. Here’s a brief guide on the different stages of head lice, and what you need to look out for: Nits (eggs) – they look like tan or brown dots just before they hatch. Adult lice lay their eggs close to the scalp because it offers the perfect temperature for them to hatch. Nits are sometimes confused with dandruff, but the catch is that nits can’t be shaken off. In fact, they may be the hardest to remove because they cling on to the base of the hair shaft for dear life (literally!), typically at the nape of the neck or behind the ears. But don’t lose hope; our fine-toothed lice extraction comb does the job in comfortably removing every bit of these pesky eggs. Unless your child has a head full of lice, you’ll typically notice these nits instead of live crawling lice. These eggs hatch in 1–2 weeks and leave behind an empty shell that looks clear or white and is glued firmly to the hair shaft. As the hair grows longer, it’s easier to spot them because the shells slowly move away from the scalp. Nymphs and adult lice — after hatching, the nits turn into nymphs that are grayish-white in color and eventually turn into adult lice. Adult lice are as long as sesame seed, tan-colored, and feed on the human scalp several times a day. The scary truth is that the nymphs and lice can survive up to 2–3 days off the scalp. Scratching and red bumps — An itchy scalp is a reaction of the saliva that head lice inject into the scalp, but what’s terrifying is that itching doesn’t start right away; it may take up to four weeks for your child to show signs and symptoms of head lice! Therefore, we recommend keeping a fine-toothed lice comb on-hand so that you can carry-out regular lice-checks at home and stop lice infestation in its tracks.

What’s A Proven Head Lice Treatment That Works?

Head lice have been around for centuries. In fact, anthropologists report that these annoying intruders were even picked and preserved from Egyptian mummies. So, what did people do to treat these uninvited guests back in the day? They slathered their hair with toxic pesticides hoping to kill the lice once and for all. There are a lot of problems with this form of head lice treatment. First, the toxins damage the hair, making them brittle and dry. Second, exposure to these chemicals can be really harmful to young children. Third, reports have shown that lice have mutated over the years, indicating a possible resistance to the compounds in these pesticides. What’s worse is that people continue to use these chemical-based products to this day. Our lice specialists in Port Washington, NY, aim to not only educate people, but also empower them on ways to control the spread and treat these lice infestations. Here’s our fail-proof strategy on head lice removal and treatment:

Step 1: Control the Problem

When your child comes home with a confirmed case of head lice, or if you notice the signs of head lice, it’s important to treat it quickly and avoid spreading it to other household members. So, before your child takes off their clothes recklessly—with no respect for best lice-eradication practices—and huddle up to pass on the lice back and forth to their siblings, take quick action and sit them down for a lice treatment session. In the meantime:

• Avoid hugging or any close contact
• Wash their clothes, pillowcases, brushes, hats in hot water
• For their favorite stuffed toys that can’t be washed, put them away in airtight plastic bags for at least 5 days to kill any lingering nits or lice.

While experts believe that head lice are not typically transmitted from inanimate objects, it’s best you take care of every variable in the equation to ensure a complete triumph! After all, even one live bug can bring on a full re-infestation.

Step 2: A Pesticide Free Head Lice Treatment

We always recommend parents and guardians to visit our lice salon in Port Washington, NY, for state-of-the-art lice removal services. Not only do we have cutting-edge technology for highly effective lice screenings, but we also offer a child-friendly environment where our professional lice removal team uses an pesticide free, non-toxic, chemical-free treatment to remove all lice and nits. Our client’s safety comes first, which is why we have enhanced our sanitization and client safety protocols during the pandemic, ensuring our employees follow the CDC-recommended guidelines. We’ve even added a lot more hand sanitizer stations in the salons. For our clients who wish to tackle the life infestation in the comfort of their own home, we have in-home lice removal services in Port Washington, NY, and lice extraction products that they can order from our online store.

Detangle Hair with a Chemical Free Shampoo

We find it’s easier to remove those pesky nits once the hair is wet and detangled. Unlike chemical alternatives, our natural shampoo leaves the hair nourished and healthy, softening it for a less-brutal nit-combing session.

Nit combing and lice removal

We’re proud to bring you one of the finest nit combs in the market! Our comb is made of durable stainless steel and fits perfectly in your hand for a smooth lice extraction session. It’s always advised to part the hair in sections and then take on lice removal one section at a time. After combing a section, fasten the hair to the scalp to avoid the parasites from quickly crawling to the combed section. Any eggs that cannot be combed out can be individually picked out with fingernails. Plus, keep in mind that you don’t have to obsess too much over those white shells because they’re not alive and basically harmless. In any case, we recommend nit-combing your child’s hair for at least 2 weeks to ensure their head is lice-free.

Check all family members to avoid re-infestation

Just because mommy and daddy’s heads aren’t itchy doesn’t mean they don’t have lice. Those bedtime stories pose the perfect opportunity for the lice to crawl onto your hair when you huddle up with your child in a warm embrace. So, be sure to nit-comb all the family members, and thoroughly look for these blood-suckers in common places like behind the ears and at the nape of the neck.

Household cleaning

While you don’t have a go for deep cleaning spree, it’s still important that you get rid of lice lurking around the house. Our lice salon in Port Washington, NY, can help you with guaranteed home lice cleaning services. The best part is that they’re professional, discreet, and have enough experience to know which items must be kept and treated, and which should be thrown away! They even educate you on keeping your home lice-free in the future. Here are some other techniques that can prevent your child from catching lice:

• Teach them to avoid sharing head-touching items with other children
• Separate their personal belongings
• Minimize head-to-head contact

Lice Removal Services in Port Washington, NY, that Come with a Lice-Free Guarantee!

Breathe a sigh of relief with just one simple head lice treatment. Eradicating lice and nits are notoriously challenging, but our lice specialists in Port Washington, NY, take on these challenges with proven pesticide free methods that don’t put your child at risk by exposing them to toxins. We bring you a wide range of lice removal services. You can head over to our lice salon in Port Washington, NY, opt for our in-home lice removal services or shop lice extraction products online. From home cleaning products and lice extraction kits to lice repellents, we offer it all! Call us at (516) 213-4540 to find out more about our lice removal services in Port Washington, NY.