Tag Archives: head lice removal

Why Parents Aren’t Successful at Getting Rid of Head Lice

Maybe it’s because of all the false advertising out there? Practically every paid ad on Google for head lice has a little bit of…..fluff. It’s expensive to advertise so you really have to make it  fluffy to make it count!

Here’s an ad from an OTC product that we KNOW doesn’t require 1 treatment, in fact, the instructions on the box say treat again in 7-10 days.

OTC head lice treatments

Be very weary of ad’s claiming one & done, only one treatment or “ONE” ANYTHING with lice is something to be weary of or the bait and switch routine of $80 & up (hint – the $80 treatment is not going to work for you & it’s probably not guaranteed and who wants to spend $80 for a treatment that’s not guaranteed?)

What parents really need to know is that getting rid of head lice is a process – period. You need the right tools and the right products to get rid of head lice and there isn’t any miracle cure. Much like weight loss, we didn’t get fat over night, we aren’t going to get skinny over night and we aren’t going to get rid of head lice in one treatment, one day or ONE anything else, let’s repeat that again – getting rid of lice is a process.

Here’s what the website mothersagainstheadlice.org had to say about this OTC in a random study they conducted. You can find the full study here http://www.mothersagainstheadlice.org/head-lice-treatment-study.html

Mothers Against Head Lice Study

Or this ad – buy once and use again and again? What does that even mean? Anyone who has ever experienced a bout of head lice certainly doesn’t want to get it again and again?

lice treatment

How do you prevent head lice? Every Mom wants to believe that there is something out there that is going to stop the creepy crawlys from getting in their child’s hair.  If you want to know more factual information about preventative head lice products, you can read more here: http://wp.me/p3Ht6o-6o

Tell us about your story and experience with head lice treatments. Were you successful with OTC products? What’s your success story?

Take our poll 

Have questions? We’ll tell you like it is & offer free advice to anyone who needs help in getting rid of head lice.(and no it doesn’t require any purchase) 

 

Publisher:  Let’s Be P.A.L.S

Contributor:  Julie B

 

Can Black People Get Lice?

Do Black People Get Head Lice?Here’s the truth about head lice and African Americans.

If you don’t know what a head louse is, it’s a parasites about the size of a sesame seed and it feeds on human blood. If you need more factual information head over to our FAQ&A’s.

The head louse, Pediculus capitis humanus, is by no means a new nuisance. The parasite has been an unwelcome companion to humans as far back as the days of Cleopatra and beyond.  Read more about  Where Do Lice Come From?

Let’s first explain the differences between black and Caucasian hair. To understand the difference between African-American, Black and Caucasian hair it’s important to understand how hair grows.

Beneth the surface of our scalp lie thousands of hair follides. They are found in what is called the dermis. The texture and the thickness of each individuals hair is dependent upon the shape and size of the hair follicle. How thick a persons hair is depends on both the size of the hair follicles and how many there are on each individuals scalp.

Primary Differences

  • Hair molecular structure and shape results in tightly wound or similarly straight
  • Follicle density or the number of follicles per inch on/in the scalp
  • Thick wide follicle structure versus thinner
  • Overall growth rate
  • Ability to keep follicles moisturized
  • Propensity for damage, breaking and tearing

The wave pattern and bonding is what makes the big difference between African-American hair and Caucasian hair.  The principal bonds are hydrogen and polypeptide. Close to 88% of the hair is made of polypeptide bonds. They are difficult to break and are what gives the hair its strength. This bond is also what is responsible for the tight curls. In order to break the bond a permanent straightening treatment has to happen.

African-American hair tends to produce plenty of sebum or protective oils, generally more than other ethnicity’s hair.

Head lice find it difficult to navigate in black hair because of the construction of the hair. It is hard for the tiny insects to “get a foothold” on all of the twists and turns of black hair, so they tend to prefer European hair because it is easier to navigate.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln reports:

“In 1985, a study showed that only 0.3% of African-American children were infested with lice compared with 10.4% of non-African-American children. This study has been repeated, with similar results. However, in these surveys, there were still a few, rare cases of head lice among African American children.”

So, the answer to the question is YES, African Americans can get head lice head-hair and racesalthough rarely in the US.

In Africa countries though native children are infested with head lice but their head lice are adapted to hang onto the oval cross section of curly hairs.

If you’re interested in further studies you can refer to Terri Meinking a head lice researcher at the University of Miami School of Medicine, discussion in Current Problems in Dermatology.

In Summary:

Head lice have to be highly adapted to their environment if they are going to thrive.

  • This means they have to be able to scoot around easily in human hair.
  • The shape of hair strands differ between different racial groups and this affects head lice.
  • Africans living in Africa get head lice that are highly adapted to living in hair with strands that are oval in cross-section. The differences are small but they are significant.
  • Caucasians have round hair strands and have head lice that are adapted to this shape.
  • In North America most head lice seem to come from the Caucasian strain and thrive in children with round hair strands, that is mainly Caucasian and Hispanic children.
  • There are some cases of head lice in African-American children but the pool of these head lice seems to be very much smaller and so the incidence of head lice is much lower.

There are plenty of reports of bi-racial children getting head lice so we have to assume that their hair is suitable for at least one, maybe both strains of head lice to prosper.

Continued Education:

7 Things White People Don’t Understand About Black Hair

Want to fall out of your seat laughing? Read the Bitchin’ Sisters account and suggestions on head lice in the Huffington Post, it’s hysterical.  If profanity bothers you – pass on the read.

Sources: UNL, Mayo Clinic Head Lice FAQ, Global Health Associates of Miami

Image Credit:  Head Hair & Race to: http://watchingtheworldwakeup.blogspot.com/2009/11/awesome-wife-i-spent-weekend-nit.html

Publisher:  Let’s Be P.A.L.S

Contributor:  Julie B

Head Lice & Back To School in Virginia

Head Lice and Back To School in Virginia7 Ways to Help Your Child & Yourself Get Ready for Back To School

The end of the Summer  brings the start of a whole new school year, with different subjects, teachers, schedules and people etc. Being well-organized and prepared makes going back to school enjoyable and successful.

Buying notebooks and scoping out sales is the easy part. There are less tangible things you can do as well.

Here are 7 ways you can help your child — and yourself — get ready to go back to school.

1. Re-Establish School Routines

It’s basic training drill time the last few weeks before school starts. Practice getting up and getting dressed as if school were in session and scheduling snacks and lunch time around the school schedule

2. Break Summer Habits

Get up & get out. Practice leaving the house in the morning. Yes, actually getting dressed out of PJ’s and going somewhere scheduled. It will help to break the summer habits like relaxing in your PJ’s until Noon!

3. Nurture Independence

Practice having your child manage basic needs without having to rely on you, such as, organizing school materials, viewing school website for valuable information, like gym clothes costs or any other item that might need to be done at school by your student. Even young children can build confidences and independence skills. Have them practice writing their name or tying their shoes

4. Set Up Homework Routines in Advance

It’s easier to follow a routine if you have it planned out. Plan what time and where your child will study. A routine helps every one stay in sync.

5. Make a Sick-Day Game Plan (or yes, a Head Lice Plan)

Before school begins line up a trusted babysitter or group of parents that can help out if the children get sick (or have head lice). Know the school policy for release forms etc.

6. Attend Orientations to Meet and Greet

Be sure to meet your children’s teachers and be an active participant in their school lives.

7. Make it a Family Affair

Get kids involved in ownership of their plans. Have them decide their routine and set expectations – they’ll be more likely to follow the plan!

Don’t forget to Download Your FREE Quick Family Lice Removal Guide

Author/Contributor:  Julie B

Let’s Be PALS on Google Plus

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Bad Mouthing the Competition – Is it a Good Idea?

bad mouthing the competitionWe recently had an interesting customer service experience to blog about. The takeaway to share with readers is this: NEVER bad-mouth your competitors!

In the professional services industry, I believe these same truths apply:

  • Your clients want to hear what you do well, not what others fail to do well
  • Your clients want to hear how you can add value, not where others stumble

If all else fails, resort to the lesson your mother taught you growing up: if you cannot say anything nice, do not say anything at all!

Directly criticizing your competition makes you look bad. It makes you look unprofessional. It makes you look weak and worried and undermines the actual words coming out of your mouth. As a customer, I stop listening. This does not help you accomplish your presumed goal of making a sale.

  • DO talk about your strengths
  • DO explain why your product is strong / solid / high-performing / a good choice
  • DO emphasize what you / your company has to offer

Here’s our pledge to you:  We invest in our development, strive to continuously improve & learn to be of as much value to you as possible.  You’ll never hear us bad-mouthing our competitors & belittling their work. We want to empower you to make the choice that is best for you & to help you get rid of lice so you & your family can get back to life

There is a fine line between “badmouthing” and “libel/slander”. Read about
When Does Bad-Mouthing the Competition Become Defamation? and what the Virginia Supreme Court had to say about it.

Take our Poll & Let us Know what you think?

Does Chlorine Kill Lice? Enjoying Virginia Beach

does chlorine kill lice? Virginia Beach Lice Treatment Experts

My Sister has Lice so she can’t go swimming right?

That was a response from a 7 year old wishful brother during a head lice treatment for his sister.

A Virginia beach Mom asked inquisitively and always in a concerned voice “can the kids still go swimming?” And the resounding answer to that is yes. She responded “oh, the chlorine kills them?” No, chlorine won’t kill head lice and it won’t drown them either – that was the other question from the 7 year old brother (but not about the lice). Oh brothers, you’ve got to love them. Thank goodness they usually grow up and actually like their sisters (as soon as their friends start liking their sister) Ok, back to lice and swimming pools.

We went searching online to find some studies to reference and we came across this Q.  “Can you catch lice in a swimming pool?” A. “Not if it’s oxidized” Oh boy!  Let’s get this out of the way first. I’m not sure what oxidizing a swimming pool means but it doesn’t have anything to do with head lice or their transmission in a swimming pool. So Mom’s please don’t go buy an oxidizer for your swimming pool if you found that answer online.

Data shows that head lice can survive under water for several hours (some studies say up to 16 hours) but are unlikely to be spread by the water in a swimming pool. Head lice have been seen to hold tightly to human hair and not let go when submerged under water. Chlorine levels found in pool water do not kill head lice.

Swimming with someone who has lice carries no greater risk of transmission than any other activity, nor will the water affect the infestation.  When lice are in water they go into a state of suspended animation but remain firmly locked onto the hair – literally hanging on for their lives.

We did find research study information that says ” In the field trial, four naturally infected individuals swam in a chlorinated pool for 30 min. No loss of lice or head to head transfer was observed. These results indicated that although head lice survive immersion, head lice transmission is unlikely to occur via the water of swimming pools” You can read the full article US National Library of Medicine.

So, with so many fun swimming options in Virginia Beach, you don’t need to worry about catching or sharing head lice in the water. If you suspect head lice be sure to call for a head lice check or learn how to do an at home lice head check.

Other Resources/References:

References: http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/gen_info/faqs.html
Answers adapted from content on the websites of the National Pediculosis Association (NPA) & Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH)
http://khs.westport.k12.ct.us/eisenberg/lice_information.htm

Publisher:  Let’s Be P.A.L.S

Contributor:  Julie B

 

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

How Do You Get Lice?

how do you get lice

Did I get it here?

Head Lice. How do I know where I got it?

It’s the question all our clients ask -where did we get it? You can get lice by coming into contact with either lice or their eggs. Lice are almost always spread through head to head contact and prominent among children ages 3-11. Head lice are a very common problem, affecting millions of people each year — especially preschool and elementary school-aged children and their close contacts. Yes, boys get them but not as frequently as girls probably due to the length of the hair and the nature of boys to have less head to head contact.

It’s important not to play the blame game, you could spend hours trying to figure out where you’re family got lice and you will just never know for sure. Spend your time taking it out on the lice – those sneaky little creepers. We can generally tell which family member had it first if more than one family member is infested (and they usually are). People are typically infested on average 4 weeks before they even discover they have lice. They’re tiny. And sometimes speedy (6-32 cm/min).

Getting head lice isn’t a sign of bad personal hygiene or an unclean living environment. This itchy infestation, also called pediculosis capitis, most commonly spreads through close personal contact and by sharing personal belongings.

Every single Mom we meet turns into obsessive compulsive super charged over the top Molly Maid on steroids.  Do they need to? No, washing your sheets and recently worn clothes in hot water and high heat for 30 minutes. Soak your brushes in hot water (we know – you’ve already thrown them out – we hear it all the time) and do some vacuuming on any cloth areas that the infested person sits frequently is enough. Do you need to bag everything? No. If it can be washed, dryed or vacuumed you don’t need to bag it. It’s important to save your energy for head checks and combing. If Moms spent as much time on a child’s head as they do frantically cleaning their homes, well we are here for you Moms we know what your going through and empathizes so let’s move on.

Yes, adult lice can survive off the human head for up to 48 hours, but if you still concentrate on the head IF they happen to crawl from a remote place to the head (it’s really unlikely) but we know you’re freaking out – so if they do and your concentrating on the head you’ll comb them out and personally kill them (like you really want to do anyway! Die DIE you lous-y bug you!)

Bottom line: We humans are uniquely prone to infestations. When it comes to recognizing, treating, and containing the spread of lice, we’re all in this together. Be sure to email, tweet or share this information with others, including school officials. But if lice happens in your community, try to avoid the blame game. After all, anyone can have a lousy day.

What do you think? Is it possible to avoid head lice without making yourself crazy? Do you have any lice stories you’d be willing to share? You can get more information on head lice and head lice treatments at http://www.virginiabeachlicetreatment.com, or jump on the Twitter bandwagon and follow @licetreatmentva. Also check out and Like Us on our Facebook page or Google Plus and add us to your circles.

Lice Treatment Costs

Nit & Lice FAQ’s

Lice Removal Rates In Virginia

Lice Removal Cost

Lice Sized Up

Lice Removal. Once you’ve found out you or your child has lice – most Moms will do anything to get rid of it. We often hear “I don’t care how much it cost”  So that brought us to how much does it really cost for head lice removal and are the rates fair and reasonable across the board for lice treatment companies serving Virginia Beach and the Hampton Roads area.

There are by the hour rates and flat rates, which one is better?  Well, if you do the math they basically come out the same (usually) WITH the exception that a a flat rate company is definitely going to be worried about the time they spend on your hair and this in effect could affect their performance?

How is this so?

Well, let’s think about it for a moment – obviously they are in business so they certainly need to make money – they aren’t working for free.  The average cost of a lice treatment in Virginia Beach is $100/hour.

There is a flat rate company in the area that charges by short and long hair (this could be a problem – because what is the definition of short and long hair? If my hair were below my ears but not quit yet to my shoulder is it short or long? If you or your family member has lice – you don’t have time to think or worry about what category the length of your hair falls in. There are other lice companies like Kidz Lidz Salon that charge by the person (or flat rate) that identify the hair length and this seems to be very helpful.

Ok, back to flat vs hourly rates.  So, let’s use an analogy.  If you brought your car to an auto mechanic and it was a $200 flat rate to get your transmission replaced (yes, this is a fictitious amount) , how good of a job and how much time do you think they would spend on replacing your transmission?

That’s right, as little time as possible and certainly aren’t going to do the best job they can – why would they? They are only getting paid $200 no matter what they do and in a flat rate situation the provider is always going to work in their own favor just getting the job done at as little effort as possible. As for the hourly rate you could argue that a person may take much longer than needed to vamp up the costs.  So flat rate or hourly? Take the poll below and let us know what you think?

Other things to consider when researching a lice removal company, are they bonded? Are they licensed to do business in your area? Just ask, they can provide you with a bond and license number.

Two of the lice companies do their marketing around the medical industry “doctors & nurses” And that’s exactly what it is – marketing.

In fact, most of the technicians that work for these companies are just sub contractors. They aren’t medically licensed at all.   It takes a unique person to take on this job.  You must be patient, compassionate, have a desire to truly help others, have the experience and the right tools.

We have to ask the question if an RN’s average salary is $67,000/year – or a Doctors who’s is much more why would they aspire to be a nit-picker? It’s tricky business advertising.

Ahhhhh, the glamour of marketing and advertisement.

We’d like to give a shout out to Wendy at Lice Doctors, she’s very knowledgeable and has 20 years experience with the Lice business – true lice professionals and they do good marketing too!

Other lice companies serving the area: Nit Nurses, Nit Fairies & Lickety Nit (they toote the super duper louse buster machine – more on that later)

Take our poll and tell us what you think? http://wp.me/p3Ht6o-2  Do you have a question about head lice or something you’d like to add?

We’d love to hear from you just fill out the contact form below or contact us

Head louse nits on human hair

Head louse nits on human hair (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Some other helpful information about Lice Removal:

About Head Lice

What are Nits?

Lice or Dandruff?