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Prevention Shampoos For Lice – Do They Work?

Lice Repelling Shampoos - Do They Work?

Lice Repelling Shampoos – Do They Work?

Weather you’ve ever had the displeasure of dealing with a head lice infestation or you really don’t want to experience the displeasure, people want to know “Do Lice Prevention Products really work?”

Sales for lice prevention products are certainly on the rise, but that doesn’t mean that they work.  In this article Parents’ Latest Pick: Herbal Shampoos to Keep Away Lice by Timothy W. Martin of the Wall Street Journal they share some lice product sales statistics:

‘Sales of prescription lice treatments—used once the bugs have taken hold—rose to $73.8 million last year, up 15% from 2006, according to research firm IMS Health Inc. Sales of over-the-counter lice treatments—which include preventive and removal products—grew 11% over the past five years to $78.9 million for the year ended Nov. 27, according to Chicago-based market researcher SymphonyIRI Group, whose figures don’t include Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’

The owner of Let’s Be P.A.L.S a head lice treatment service in Virginia Beach says “I’ve been treating families with head lice for 11 years and I can’t tell you the number of times clients say ‘I’ve been using lice prevention products and we STILL got lice‘ I’ve probably heard that statement in over half of the families I’ve treated.”

In the article by Timothy W. Martin this from some public-health experts:

‘Some public-health experts and school nursing groups are skeptical about the lice-prevention products, citing a lack of formal evidence. The National Association of School Nurses says in a position paper to its members that, based on several research pediatric, dermatology and nursing journal articles, the preventive products have presented “little scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness.”‘

And our favorite

‘Richard Pollack, an entomology instructor and insect expert at the Harvard School of Public Health ….Most louse diagnosis is wrong, with dandruff or food crumbs confused for nits or eggs, Mr. Pollack says. He says he is skeptical that the lice-prevention products are any more effective than regular shampoos or conditioners.’ “These companies might as well claim that their products repel alligators,” he says.

Why are lice removal companies selling products if they don’t work? Well, to make money of course! If you come across a lice treatment service that wants to sell you a bunch of expensive lice repelling shampoo and conditioner as part of their lice treatment plan think twice about your purchase! We’ve come across several head lice treatment services suggesting that if you wash every day with the shampoo and conditioner that they sell that it will help with preventing a lice infestation.

There’s a great study read titled 10 Head Lice Repellents by Deon Canyon and in Final Considerations/Conclusion it states:

‘…..There are currently no functional head lice repellents available and all products claiming that they are effective repellents do so facetiously……. The challenge is significant because a head lice repellent needs to be close to perfect to be worth using.’

So what is the best prevention for head lice? Julie the founder of Let’s Be P.A.L.S lice treatment of Virginia Beach says “We don’t sell any lice prevention products because of the lack of evidence that they work. We want to be as helpful to families experiencing a lice outbreak as possible. Combing with a professional nit comb daily if you can and wet combing for early detection once a week is the best prevention besides keeping the hair unavailable – where there is no bridge for the lice to get into your hair there will be no lice!”

If you still feel strongly about purchasing lice repelling shampoos and conditioners go straight to the manufacturer the “non” brand product and save some money.  Nit Free is the non brand name and they usually have some shipping savings as well.

To answer the question “Do lice prevention shampoos really work?” Take our poll and tell us what you think?

Contributor:  Let’s Be P.A.L.S , Julie B

References:

Parents’ Latest Pick: Herbal Shampoos to Keep Away Lice
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052970203430404577094362860652858

10 Head Lice Repellents
By Deon Canyon

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How to Clean Hairbrushes and Combs During a Head Lice Outbreak

howtocleanbrushesduringaliceoutbreak

Many are concerned about cleaning hair brushes during a lice outbreak. Hair brushes and combs easily collect debris and can transmit buildup onto your beautiful tresses so weather or not you have an active head lice case at home it’s always a good idea to keep your brushes and combs clean. Regular cleaning will help hair styling tools last a lot longer. It’s recommended that you remove all the hair from brushes at least once a week or more. During a lice outbreak be sure to dispose of the tresses in the outside garbage.

When there is a lice outbreak soak combs in hot water (not boiling – this will ruin them) (130°F) for 15 minutes. Many people like to use the dishwasher on a high heat dry for cleaning brushes! This might damage some of the handles, but we know in a case of a lice infestation combs are thrown out multiple times and most Moms prefer to throw them away and get new ones! In the event someone has a favorite brush or you’d like to try to keep them, read on. For items that cannot be soaked in hot water place them in a tightly sealed plastic bag and put them in a freezer for 10-12 hours to kill the lice and eggs and then presume with ordinary cleaning of your hair brushes.

How to Clean Hairbrushes during a Lice InfestationFor Ordinary Hairbrush Cleaning:

Gather you hair brushes and combs and wet the bristles (not the bodies) of the tolss under warm water then place a small dab of shampoo onto the bristles or comb and carefully rub the bristles together for two combs or gently for a comb brush combination. Run under water rubbing gently until all the suds are gone. Dry the brush or comb on a towel. If there is still leftover grime on hair styling tools, use a cotton swab to get any left over product from in between bristles and repeat the process above.

Using baking soda to get rid of product’s chemicals remaining in hair tools is yet another great use for Baking Soda. See our Head Lice Home Remedies board & 51 surprising uses for Baking Soda  Start with what was mentioned earlier and take all of the unwanted tresses out of hairbrush or comb and dispose of them into the garbage. Then, soak hairbrushes and combs in the bathroom sink with about one half cup of baking soda and warm water for about fifteen minutes. The final step is to let the hair-styling tools air dry on towel.

Remember not to immerse certain types of brushes or combs in the water. These types are the following:

Rubber- cushioned brush
Wooden bodied brushes or combs
Natural boar bristle brushes.

Permitting water to get through the vent hole on cushioned brushes will erode the cushioning of the brush. A wooden bodied brush or comb may cause wood to absorb water and damage the finish or make the body swell and break. Natural boar bristle brushes contain natural hair that would take in moisture as would other types of natural hair. The bristles on boar bristle brushes would twist or curl if dampened.

How To Deep Clean Combs and Hair Brushes Regularly or during a Head Lice Outbreak

You Will Need:

1/4 cup Borax

Squirt of Dawn Dish Soap (or other dish-washing liquid)

Sink of warm water

1. Begin by filling your sink about a quarter full with warm water.

2. Add the 1/4 cup of Borax and swish it around with your hands to help it dissolve.

3. Squirt some dish soap in the sink and then finish filling the sink with warm water until it’s about 3/4 full. You don’t want it so full that it will overflow
when you add your combs and brushes.

4. Particularly for the hair brushes, remove as much of the hair that may be stuck in them as possible before adding them to the water.

5. Place the combs and hair brushes in the soapy borax water and let them soak for a while. About 30 to 45 minutes should do it.

6. After that time has passed, you should find that your combs and brushes are clean again and that all the product build up is gone.

7. Rinse the combs and brushes with clean warm water and then dry them off.

Now you’re all set until the next lice outbreak – oh that’s right we are supposed to be cleaning our brushes and combs REGULARLY!

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Contributor:   Julie B, Let’s Be PALS

 

Nit Terminator Lice Comb and The Best Lice Combs

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bestlicecomb

Best Lice Combs – A $15 Comb Can Save you Some Big Lice Headaches.

Early detection of head lice is the best prevention.  Most experts agree that nit, or lice egg, removal is the single most important part of every head lice control treatment and using the proper lice comb is at the heart of the whole process. Removing nits from hairs by whatever means is called “nit-picking”.

Lice combs are made from either metal or plastic. Metal combs, with stiff tines, or teeth, and narrow slots between tines, will effectively remove or crush nits while plastic combs tend to “skip over” nits and are not as effective. Plastic combs can be used to untangle long hair before nit-combing with a metal comb. You’ll find the combs provided in the OTC boxes inefficient.

A lice comb is a great diagnostic device. Studies have found that a lice comb is the best tool for finding live lice.

wetheadchecksDo a wet head check with a professional lice comb like the Nit Terminator for early detection.

Simply get the entire head wet and comb through the hair with a professional nit comb swiping on a damp paper towel after each section of hair is combed. If your child has lice you will see nits or live lice come out onto the paper towel. Don’t know what your looking at? Send an email to look@virginiabeachlicetreatment.com and they’ll access the situation for free!

How to find a good lice-removal comb

A high-quality lice comb has long, fine, metal teeth that are very close together. Most experts will advise not to bother with plastic combs or the ones that come in the lice medicine packages (and we agree). Just because it’s a metal comb it doesn’t mean its the best and a professional lice removal comb.

This comb is purchased by many families because it’s metal, but its not the best as the teeth are not long enough.

ridvantage-comb

There are only two professional lice combs on the market The Nit Terminator and the Lice Miester

You may see or hear about electronic combs, but according to Richard Pollack, a lice expert at the Harvard School of Public Health, the electronic versions probably offer no advantage over a traditional, well-designed lice comb and we find that the electronic combs tend to identify anything in the hair, lint, dirt, or any type of particles not necessarily lice.

best lice treatment virginia beachA good professional nit comb is imperative to getting rid of lice. We feel like you really can’t do the job without the proper tools. If you have questions or need other tips and tricks if you’re going it alone, Let’s Be PALS lice treatment of Virginia Beach offers free advice or you can purchase our lice eliminating products online for half the price of other big name brand lice product companies.

757-769-8639

 

Contributor:  Let’s Be PALS

Author:  Julie B