According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 6-12 million children contract head lice in the United States each year. That figure has remained the same for years, and itās a wide range as cases of head lice are difficult to count because they are not evenly recorded throughout the country.
Cases of head lice are on the rise in many parts of the United States and Canada in part because the most popular lice removal products are increasingly ineffective. So called āsuper liceā have developed resistance to pyrethroids, the class of insecticides used in the most common over-the-counter lice products. The most recent study, published in 2016 in the Journal of Medical Entomology found that 98 percent of lice in 48 states in the U.S. carry a genetic resistance to pyrethroids.
The use of pyrethroids is a growing concern among health professionals as the chemicals are used in a host of consumer and commercial insecticide products. Pyrethroids are neurotoxins that work by disrupting the central nervous systems of bugs, causing paralysis and eventual death.
The FDA has said that the levels of the neurotoxins in over-the-counter lice products do not pose a risk to human health. However, recent studies have found a link from pyrethroid exposure to early puberty in boys. A separate study found a connection between pyrethroids and ADHD-like behavior in test animals.
Most parents wouldnāt knowingly douse their childrenās heads with neurotoxins.
Fortunately, there is a new line of non-toxic lice products that contain no neurotoxins and no insecticides at all. Lice Clinics of America has brought new research and science to the treatment of head lice, with results that children and parents alike love.
First, the company commercialized the AirAllƩ medical device. The device was developed by researchers at the University of Utah and works by using carefully controlled warm air to dehydrate lice and eggs. Ten years in the making, AirAllƩ is cleared by the FDA and is clinically proven to kill live lice and more than 99 percent of eggs.
Best of all, treatment takes about an hour and results are guaranteed.
Treatment using AirAllƩ is available in more than 300 Lice Clinics of America clinics in 34 countries. So far, more than 800,000 cases of head lice have been tackled using the device, and the success rate is better than 99 percent. Lice Clinics of America has quickly become the largest network of professional lice treatment centers in the world.
The same company has also released new home products to remove and prevent head lice. The Lice Remover Kit uses a non-toxic gel that is super-easy to apply and doesnāt involve the mess of a shampoo-based product. Just apply the gel, comb it in, and rinse out with a regular shampoo. The companyās Lice Preventer Kit uses a similar gel that, applied once a week, is guaranteed to prevent head lice. Both products are available at most large drugstores and department stores that sell healthcare products.
For more information about Lice Clinics of Americaās clinics and products, or to find a clinic, visit www.liceclinicsofamerica.com.