In most states, cosmetology regulations make it against the law to cut or style the hair of someone with head lice. Yet stylists are reporting more and more cases of head lice in their salons, which can be due to the fact that most lice are now resistant to the most common anti-lice products. So what is the best way to handle the situation if you find bugs in your client’s hair? Here is a simple 6-step plan.

1. Confirm that what you see are lice. Identifying head lice can be tricky. A 2000 studyby the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) found that people often mistake dandruff as head lice. Lice are brownish bugs about the size of sesame seeds. See the article, “Is it Head Lice or Dandruff,” to get it right.
2. Don’t panic. Except for the itching, lice are harmless. Also, medical researchers have found no link between hygiene and head lice—your client isn’t dirty. Remember: lice can only spread by head-to-head contact, so as long as you’re not head-butting your client, you’re safe.
3. Communicate calmly. Your client might want to shoot the messenger! You can make the difference between sending your client into a panic or simply helping him or her solve a problem. Calmly state that the client didn’t do anything wrong, and that 6-12 million people get lice every year, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Let him or her know that there are now same-day treatment services available that remove lice and eggs in about an hour, guaranteed!
4. Give sound advice. It is now proven science that traditional over-the-counter lice medications are no longer effective. Lice have developed resistance. Here’s the scientific study that proves it. This means that if you send your client to the drug store, you might be sending him or her into an abyss of futility. Also, you should discourage home remedies. These range from the ridiculous (mayonnaise) to the dangerous (kerosene). Seriously. People have died from using these things to treat lice.
5. Direct the client to a medically proven solution. Lice Clinics of America offers the only FDA-cleared medical device clinically proven to kill live lice and more than 99 percent of eggs (nits) in a single treatment that takes about an hour. Success is guaranteed. The company also offers a non-toxic home Lice Remover Kit that makes home lice removal much easier and more effective.
6. Invite them back. People are often embarrassed about having head lice. You can help them feel comfortable by letting your clients know that they are welcome back when they’re lice-free. You might even offer to make room for them later the same day if they get treated at a Lice Clinics of America clinic. You don’t want to lose a client just because you were the bearer of bad news. You can also be the superhero for recommending a “one and done” solution!

Parents get anxious when their children have head lice—the bugs are creepy. For centuries, head lice have been associated with (incorrectly, we might add) poor hygiene, embarrassing parents and heightening the anxiety.

It’s been pointed out many times that head lice pose no real health threat to humans. Yes, the scalp itches, and yes, treating head lice can be frustrating, but as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says: “Head lice should not be considered as a medical or public health hazard. Head lice are not known to spread disease. Head lice can be an annoyance because their presence may cause itching and loss of sleep. Sometimes the itching can lead to excessive scratching that can sometimes increase the chance of a secondary skin infection.”

So, the most physical damage head lice can cause to a child is a secondary skin infection, and this is relatively rare.

But that’s not the end of the story. There are health risks associated with head lice, but not from what you might think.

Is the Cure Worse than the Problem?

According to pest control experts at IdentifyUS, “The greatest harm associated with head lice results from the well-intentioned but misguided use of caustic or toxic substances to eliminate the lice.”

In other words, the retail products and home remedies for head lice can cause more health problems than the lice alone might cause. A 2017 study in the Occupational and Environmental Medicine reports that “exposure to certain pyrethroids, at environmental levels, may negatively affect neurobehavioral development by 6 years of age.”

Pyrethroids are the chemicals used in over-the-counter lice products. A 2015 study in Environmental Health found that, “Pyrethroid pesticides cause abnormalities in the dopamine system and produce an ADHD phenotype in animal models, with effects accentuated in males versus females. However, data regarding behavioral effects of pyrethroid exposure in children is limited.”

Then there are home remedies—mayonnaise, petroleum jelly, even kerosene—recommended by well-meaning parents as fool-proof lice treatments. The idea is to smother the lice with some gooey substance that will suffocate them. Unfortunately, these “cures” usually involve wrapping a child’s head in plastic overnight to keep the substance in place. This practice has had tragic results.

A New Approach

It doesn’t have to be this way. A relatively new lice treatment removes lice quickly and effectively without the risks of pesticides and home treatments. It’s called the AirAllé device, and it’s a Class I medical device cleared by the FDA as a safe and effective cure for head lice.

The AirAllé device uses microprocessor-controlled warm air, applied by trained technicians to dehydrate live lice and eggs in a matter of minutes. It has been clinically proven to kill lice and more than 99 percent of eggs.

Treatment using the AirAllé medical device is available exclusively at Lice Clinics of America treatment centers. With more than 150 clinics in the U.S. and another 100 in 20 other countries, Lice Clinics of America is the largest and fastest-growing network of lice treatment centers in the world. Treatment using the AirAllé device takes about 60 to 90 minutes, and is guaranteed to be effective.

To learn more or to find a clinic, visit www.liceclinicsofamerica.com.

A new law took effect in Texas on September 1, 2017, requiring elementary schools to notify parents of every child in a class where a student has been found to have head lice.

The law, Senate Bill 1566, requires schools to notify parents of the affected child within 48 hours once a nurse or administrator determines or becomes aware that the child has head lice. The notice is required to include recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how to treat and prevent head lice.

This means that Texas schools will no longer send home children with lice or require them to stay at home until they are lice-free. Instead, parents will be advised to check and/or treat their children for lice.

The policy is based on the priority of keeping kids in class, as head lice do not spread disease and are not considered a serious health problem. The National Association of School Nurses and the National Academy of Pediatrics support the state’s policy.

The policy is not without controversy. Many parents oppose it, assuming that allowing children with lice to remain in school will inevitably lead to more cases of head lice throughout the school year.

“I could bring my kid home tomorrow with head lice, and go out and spend the money or whatever to get rid of it, and if they’re not sending kids home with it, she’s just going to come home again the next day with the problem all over again,” a parent told News Channel 10 in Amarillo.

School officials disagree. “Academics are very very important, and because it’s not a communicable disease, there’s no reason for children not to be in school,” Amarillo Independent School District’s Director of Health Programs, Brenda Adams, told the station.

“Healthy students make better learners,” Debi Mills, healthcare coordinator for the school district in Wichita Falls, told News Channel 6 in that city. “Our job as school nurses is to keep students in the classroom.”

Another concern is the possible administrative burden of notifying every parent within 48 hours of the detection of head lice. There is some concern that if lice outbreaks become more common—as many believe will happen since lice are becoming resistant to the most common recommended treatments—sending letters to every parent in every classroom where lice are present could be difficult.

Lice Clinics of America, the largest network of professional lice clinics in the world, supports the stay-in-school policy, and is an advocate of the de-stigmatization of head lice. The clinics offer a revolutionary lice treatment using an FDA-cleared medical device that is clinically proven to kill live lice and more than 99 percent of eggs (nits) in a single treatment that takes about an hour.

Pedro Gonzalez, manager of a Lice Clinics of America treatment center in El Paso, told KFOX 14  that he says he thinks the letters home to parents are a good idea. “Not many parents are going to be checking their heads if they don’t know,” Gonzalez said. “A letter could instigate parents to check their child’s head.”