Head lice are everywhere. Some 6-12 million children get head lice each year in the United States alone. If you’re traveling within the U.S. or abroad, you can take precautions to make sure that you and/or your children don’t bring home any unwelcome guests in the form of head lice.
Keep in mind that many people have head lice and don’t know it. It can take up to six weeks for people to develop symptoms of a head lice infestation—namely an itchy scalp. The people you are visiting or meeting while traveling may have head lice and be unaware of it. This makes it all the more important to take precautionary measures when traveling.
Avoid Head-to-Head Contact
Lice spread by head-to-head contact. They don’t jump or fly. Children get head lice more frequently than adults because they are often in close physical contact. So, when you’re traveling, hug your family and friends without a head-to-head touch. Also, if you’re staying at someone’s home, don’t use someone else’s hairbrush, comb, hat, scarf, or other clothing that may have been in contact with someone’s hair.
Also, don’t take group “selfies” or other photos with heads pressed together. Doctors in the United States have found that these types of photos are a growing cause of lice infestations.
It is also a good idea for ladies to keep their hair pulled back, and for men and boys with long hair to do the same. Guys with shaved heads or extreme buzz-cuts are essentially lice-proof! If your kids are sharing a room with other children, advise them to avoid pillow talk!
Don’t Panic
If you do contract head lice while traveling, don’t panic. It is so much easier to treat head lice now. Lice Clinics of America has developed an FDA-cleared Class I medical device called AirAllé that is clinically proven to kill live lice and more than 99 percent of eggs in a single, hour-long treatment—guaranteed. The AirAllé device uses carefully controlled heated air to dehydrate lice and eggs. Certified technicians apply the heated air at just the right temperature and location to kill lice and eggs.
There are more than 150 Lice Clinics of America treatment centers in the United States alone, and some 100 more in 20 other countries. So, if you’re traveling and are faced with head lice, help may be available nearby.
One and Done
The AirAllé medical device is a “one and done” lice treatment. Traditional lice treatments must be applied several times, and the hair must be checked daily for at least 10 days to ensure no-nit was missed and no new lice have hatched. Lice Clinics of America has done more than 800,000 treatments throughout the world with a success rate of better than 99 percent.
Be Cautious at Home
Of course, the same precautions that will work for you while traveling will also work at home. Avoiding head-to-head contact, not sharing hair products or clothing that has contact with hair, taking only solo selfies, and wearing hair pulled back or short are all ways to help prevent lice from making a home on your head.
To learn more about Lice Clinics of America or to find a clinic near you or near your travel destinations, visit www.liceclinicsofamerica.com.
