Even talking about them makes your head itch, but lice is a common problem among kids and big frustration for moms. the experts at Pediatric Hair Solutions gave us the low down on lice in Charlotte and what you can do to prevent and treat your children when the bugs come crawling!
And be sure to tell us your own lice story by clicking here - you could win a lice treatment kit to keep those bugs away!
1 - How common is head lice overall? What about in Charlotte?
According to the Centers for Disease control, there are approximately 6,000 cases of Head Lice reported each month in Charlotte and 12 million cases a year nationwide!!!
On average, at Pediatric Hair Solutions, we see approximately 200 to 300 families a month and treat 130 to 150 cases each month in our Charlotte office.
Surprised? Sounds like an epidemic, doesn’t it?
The reality is that head lice has always been around but its just that nobody wants to talk about it!!!
Did you know that Lice is the second most common communicable disease in elementary-age children, behind the common cold?
2 - What ages do lice affect most?
Head Lice can affect anyone but we have found most cases in the following categories:
· Elementary age children (boys and girls) and their mothers (85% of moms have lice too)
· There has been a significant increase in cases for Middle and High School girls which we believe is attributable to texting, photo taking, babysitting and the long, long, long hair free-flowing everywhere.
3 - Is there a lice season?
There is no season for lice.
At the beginning of the school year and after the holidays there is always more awareness.
Lice is spread predominately through head-to-head contact. There are other occasions where lice can be spread through sharing of hairbrushes, hats, and clothes.
4 - What's the most common treatment for lice?
There are many treatments for Head Lice and usually the family is so panicked and appalled that they have head lice and they immediately run to the pharmacy for treatment!
Unfortunately, these products are becoming increasingly less effective. Over-the-counter treatments and prescription treatments are only 20 to 85% effective, and that is for the live bugs only. There are limited results from these treatments and their effect on the eggs/nits.
And the most important thing to know about head lice is that it is a two-step process whereby the treatment selected:
1st- must treat the live bugs to prevent them from laying any more eggs (a single bug lays 8 to 10 nits/eggs per day)
2nd- must effectively treat the nits/eggs.
5 - Other than not sharing hats, brushes, combs, etc., what are the best preventative strategies parents can take?
The best strategy of course is to keep hair in a bun or braid.
We realize that this is not always practical and we tell our clients to use a preventive spray every morning on their children before they go to school, have a play date or sleepover. This is the best deterrent in helping to prevent the spread or ability to contract head lice.
Be sure to purchase a Preventive Lice Spray that has one of the following known scents to deter Head Lice – Mint, Rosemary, eucalyptus, or tea tree.
We do not recommend lice shampoos because most elementary children usually shower or bath the night before and therefore the scent from any shampoo has dissipated by the following day.
6 - What's the best advice for someone whose child has been diagnosed with lice?
1st - Get your head checked by a professional as soon as possible. There are numerous cases where the client is misdiagnosed.
2nd – Have the entire immediate family checked and any other caregivers-babysitters, nannies, etc. This helps to ensure that lice is eradicated the first time you are treated.
Many of the families we have seen have been battling lice for several months because they are not aware of the re-infestation within their own home and have not used effective treatment methods to begin with.
7 – Tell us about Pediatric Hair Solutions.
Sheila Fassler, RN is the owner and John Fassler, MD is the medical director of Pediatric Hair Solutions.(PHS)
They became aware of new research being done at the University of Utah on a new medical device designed to eliminate head lice in one treatment without any harmful toxins or chemical.
As a volunteer school nurse for eight years, Sheila found this technology to be extremely fascinating and needed by many. The Fassler’s began following the studies and when the device was cleared by the FDA, they began their business.
PHS has treated over 4,000 families with 100% effectiveness on both the live bugs and their nits/eggs.
PHS offers two treatment options:
There is a quick and convenient method that involves a simple two-step process.
1- Treat the hair with our pretreatment for 15 minutes. (non-toxic and chemical free)
2- Visit a Pediatric Hair Solutions center for a simple 30-minute treatment with the new FDA cleared medical device called the AirAlle'. This one-time medical device treatment is $185. The required pre-treatment is $25 and can treat up to 3 family members depending on the volume of hair. See more information about the AirAlle' here.
We offer discounts offered for multiple family members.
We have clinical studies demonstrating a 99.2% effectiveness rate for the medical device. This technology combined with our treatment protocol has allowed our company to have a 100% effectiveness rate since inception.
- The second and more cost-effective treatment provides detailed instructions on how to use our products in a timely and thorough manner. PHS is a constant resource throughout the entire process and provides a complimentary head check at the end of the process to ensure the client is lice free. This family treatment package starts at $85 depending on the number of positive cases and volume of hair. Additional bottles of pre-treatment solution may need to be purchased at incremental costs of $20.
· Our locations have had a 100% success rate for either treatment option
· Our treatments are chemical-free and non-toxic
· We offer flexible scheduling and weekend appointments
· Prices per head, not per hour!
· The cost of the treatments are reimbursed by most Flexible Health Care Spending Accounts.
for more information about Pediatric Hair Solutions, visit them online at www.pediatrihairsolutions.com/charlotte-nc or call them at (704) 909-9414