Getting rid of head lice involves more than just combing your hair or applying the product.
There is no 100% foolproof cure for head lice, but education is your first line of defense against an infestation.
Q: What are lice?
A: Lice are blood-sucking parasites that live on human hair. They spread via direct head-to-head contact. Head lice and human beings have a long history—the parasites have been discovered on prehistoric mummy hair! Experts estimate school-aged children in the US miss anywhere from 12 million to 24 million school days every year as a result of lice.
Q: How do you detect lice?
A: The first step is to make sure you’re dealing with a lice infestation because according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, head lice infestation is commonly misdiagnosed. Diagnosis of a head lice outbreak is ideally made by finding a live nymph or adult louse on the scalp or hair. Because adult and nymph lice are extremely tiny, move fast, and avoid light, they can be difficult to find. Using a fine-toothed louse comb—available at most drug stores—can make it easier to identify live lice. Pay particular attention to the areas behind the ears and near the back of the neck.
Q: Aren’t lice spread through combs, brushes, and hats?
A: Unfortunately, many people subscribe to the commonly held beliefs that head lice are transmitted by dirty hair, sharing head coverings, or using other people’s hairbrushes and combs. It is simply not true.
- Numerous studies have shown lice die within hours of leaving the scalp.
- Lice cannot jump or fly.
- In most cases, lice infestations occur through direct head-to-head contact.
Q: So how do I get rid of head lice?
A: The fastest and most effective method of lice removal is with Lice Clinics of America’s clinically proven, FDA-cleared medical device, the AirAllé. It uses heated air to dehydrate and kill over 99% of lice and their eggs in a single treatment, in about an hour. You can find more information here on the AirAllé:
About Lice Clinics of America
With 330 clinics worldwide in 36 countries, Lice Clinics of America (www.LiceClinicsOfAmerica.com) is the largest network of professional head lice treatment centers in the world. Its patented heated-air device, AirAllé, has effectively performed more than 800,000 head lice treatments. Lice Clinics of America and AirAllé (www.airalle.com) are brands owned by Larada Sciences, Inc., which is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.