Lice Treatment News

Swine Flu Facts-V2

The characteristic itch that comes with head lice is something that many people use as a diagnosis technique, yet it is very possible that by the time the itch occurs the lice have already become an established colony.

This is because the itch itself is actually an allergenic reaction to the feeding habits of the louse: when a head louse pierces the skin to feed on blood it secretes a substance that is designed to stop the blood from clotting. Naturally, such a tiny creature only leaves behind a tiny amount and it is so that the reaction may take some time to occur thanks to our immune system.

In fact, in many people the itching itself may not occur, and in others it may take weeks – months, even – which means that head lice could well have set up camp a long time prior to the patient beginning to scratch.

This is why it is absolutely essential to use alternative methods of diagnosis in order to catch the lice early and before they have multiplied out of control.

If you suspect that lice may be present – or if your child associates with a known sufferer – then regular inspection of the head and the scalp – and other areas – is necessary in order to make sure. This is best done by using a specially made nit comb, a short but very deep comb with very closely ranked teeth. It is recommended that the combing is done carefully and thoroughly over a white sheet of paper, this enabling any lice that are snagged and fall out of the hair to be seen clearly – they will look like tiny creatures when inspected closely, and they will most likely be crawling around!

Diagnosis is sometimes difficult but the above is one of a few certain ways of getting to the root of the problem; as the lice live on the scalp and the nits are attached to the hair follicles very close to the base then a normal everyday comb will not suffice. Nit combs are simple and affordable, and are a vital tool in the fight against lice.

Other symptoms include the presence of very tiny red marks on the scalp – these are actually bite marks – and the presence on pillows and bedclothes of tiny white or brown specks, these being the hatched eggs. Hard to see thanks to their microscopic size, the comb through method is the very best way of diagnosing the presence of head lice.

Before we go on to discuss the various methods of treating head lice there is one thing to make clear: head lice are pests, parasites and a great source of embarrassment, but it is essential that on finding them you do not over-react. Not only can head lice, as we have said, be found on the cleanest of hair but they are essentially harmless – unlike many other parasites of this nature they do not carry or spread any diseases.

Contrary to popular belief, head lice cannot jump or fly. They are transferred from one host to another by direct contact, or are transferred by sharing hair brushes, hats and occasionally they can be spread by clothing or upholstery, however contact must be relatively soon after the infected person has had contact with the surface since human head lice can’t go more than an hour or two without a human host for food and warmth.

Another misconception about head lice is that it only affects those with long hair. This isn’t true, head lice can affect anyone, no matter how long their hair and while it may be easier to remove lice from short hair, short hair will not prevent a head lice infestation.

Infestations are more common in places such as day care centers, hospitals, dorms, and nursing homes due to the communal nature of these facilities. It is also more common for girls to be affected than boys, likely due to the fact that girls play with each other’s hair while playing dress up or having sleep-overs. Also those who have extremely clean hair and scalp are at a higher risk as it is easier for the lice to attach their eggs, called nits, to the hair shaft.

It is also a misconception that humans can contract head lice from their pets. This isn’t true, nor can humans pass head lice onto their pets. So Fido is perfectly safe and there is no need to shave the cat.

There is a growing debate about whether or not humans can contract diseases from head lice. Most doctors will say no, however some say that since humans can contract typhus and other diseases from body lice, that it is also possible that they can contract diseases from head lice. More research is needed to reach a conclusive answer. Whatever the answer is, head lice usually itches enough to encourage prompt treatment anyway.

A great number of lice treatment treatments you might have used don’t kill lice at all, they rely on lubrication and pulling a nit comb through the hair to physically remove the lice. A lot of others use harmful pesticides and poisonous concentrations of oils which are proven ineffective against lice and very dangerous to you and your children. As previously mentioned, a lot of treatments require dragging a nit comb through the infested person’s hair to break the strong nit glue bonds, and lift the lice and nits. This is a very painful process because the hair shafts will usually come out of the head before the nit glue bonds will break from the hair.

Many effective treatments are created to destroy the nit glue that attaches Lice eggs onto our hair. The Lice and nits fall from the hair shaft, therefore negating the need for painful nit combs and the troublesome Lice removal processes. However, this does not imply you shouldn’t use a fine-toothed comb to remove the loose debris such as dead lice and unhatched eggs out of the hair when treating and rinsing. It’s imperative to carry out a thorough inspection to ensure you did not miss any nits.

Some really exciting things are happening here at Q-Based Healthcare, especially with our Liceadex™ line of Lice treatment products. Expect to see some pretty big changes over the next few weeks, which will only be the beginning of what we have planned for the summer, and early fall, just in time for Back to School, and Head Lice Prevention month, in September. Everyone here is on pins and needles about what’s going on, and I wish I could tell you more, but all will be revealed soon.

Be sure to check this blog frequently for updates, and visit our Lice Treatment page and our Lice Treatment products in our shopping cart to see our latest developments.

Thanks for reading!

Most lice treatment courses you might have used don’t eliminate lice at all, they depend on lubrication and dragging a nit comb through the hair to lift lice. Most others use problematic pesticides and poisonous concentrations of oils which are completely ineffective against lice and very dangerous to you and your children. As mentioned, a lot of treatments require dragging a nit comb through the patient’s hair to break the strong nit glue bonds, and find the lice and nits. Many effective treatments are created to destroy the Nit glue that attaches Lice eggs onto our hair. The Lice and Nits rapidly fall off of the hair shaft, thus doing away with the need for Nit combs and the tiring Lice removal processes. This does not mean you shouldn’t use a fine-toothed comb to pull out trapped nits , eggs, and dead lice and other debris out of the hair when treating and rinsing. It’s imperative to instigate a rigorous inspection as final check to ensure you don’t leave behind any nits. But the advantage is that you don’t have to hurt family members by nit combing. A normal 3-step Head Lice Treatment program gives enough products for 2 total treatments for one individual with up to shoulder length hair of usual thickness.

This past school season, a new breed of lice have appeared in school children across the country. As if, gross, little wingless insects taking a vacation in your child’s hair weren’t bad enough, now there is a new breed of drug-resistant lice invading your home.  This species of Lice was recently coined “super lice” by the mass media and are tormenting school kids everywhere. Super lice are drug-resistant creatures that fend off nearly all pesticides. It is natural selection at its finest. The more certain strands of head lice are attacked, the more resistant they become to pesticides. It has been reported that 4 out of 5 lice are immune to dangerous pesticides. Worst of all, researchers have been warning for years that head lice in the U.S. and around the world are developing an immunity to the strong pesticides used in over-the-counter prescription shampoos such as RID (uses the toxic pesticide pyrethrin) and NIX(uses the toxic ingredient permethrin). Furthermore, school nurses across the nation have reported that parents have become increasingly frustrated with over-the-counter head lice products.  View An MSNBC report on Super Lice Here

Besides the fact that toxic chemicals such as pyrethrin and permethrin don’t work, why would a person want to endanger their child with harmful chemicals in the first place? Especially, when their is a better way. There are many crazy home remedies all over the Internet such as using rubbing alcohol and vinegar or even mayonnaise and then leaving it in your child’s hair for 3, 4 or even 5 hours. While home remedies have been proven to work to an extent, do you really want to put that stuff in anyone’s hair? Unless your daughter comes home from school one day and tells you she’d like to use vinegar, or mayonnaise as her shampoo of choice because it’s what’s in style and she personally likes the smell, then it’s probably a safe bet that the odors alone from these home remedies make these examples a bad choice for your child’s lice shampoo. Better yet, have fun making a kindergarten age child  put mayonnaise in their hair for 4 or five hours. A better way is to attack the lice naturally with non-toxic products.  Through careful inspections and by using non-toxic methods such as the Complete Liceadex System, the lice is attacked with natural, mechanical means. Thus, even super lice CANNOT grow resistant to a non-toxic, all natural lice product such as Liceadex. Also, cleaning your environment is also key. This will prevent Lice from spreading once an outbreak has been controlled.

Head Lice are transmitted from person to person contact, including sharing bedding or clothing like hats, and can move along at a rate of 12 inches per hour. Transmission occurs most often when people are subjected to crowded conditions and thus infestation is common in families, dormitories, nursing homes, hospitals, schools, and other such institutions.

It is also possible to acquire a Head Lice infestation via inanimate objects, such as, contaminated items of clothing, hats, bedding, towels, combs and brushes, coats, scarves, and upholstered furniture. Lice do not jump or fly from one person to another. They move around by attaching their claw-like legs to hair shafts and pulling themselves along.

Lice are attracted by warmth and odor. They are dependent upon a human host for survival. Head Lice will die in about 48 hours without a blood meal from a human host.

Yours Truly,

Joseph Marquardt
President, Q-Based Healthcare TM
The Makers of All StopTM Products
Info@qbased.com
Toll free 1.866.314.8917