Head Lice Resources

headlice June 26th, 2008

The following is a response Licenders offered to an inquiry on the Topix Website. The questioner felt that her child got head lice while working at her garage sale. Since none of the other children presented with a lice infestation, the mom was wondering a child could catch lice from old clothing.

This is our response:

I assume you mean head lice, as opposed to body lice. The following only applies to head lice, which live only in human hair:

It is very easy, to catch lice. It is common among all children, regardless of race, class, or hygiene. The child may have caught lice a day or even a week before you became aware of it. The important thing is to treat the head lice right away, with a proper method, in order to get control right away:

1. You need a good, NON-Chemical Lice Shampoo. We can recommend Licenders Professional Shampoo (www.licenders.com). Over-the-counter products contain dangerous chemicals, and the bugs have become resistant to them.

2. You need a proper metal comb with very narrow teeth to remove every single nit. Without removing nits through combing, the infestation is still present, and will continue. This takes time, but is absolutely necessary. Licenders Lice Removal Comb works well, and is used daily by profession lice removal services (www.licenders.com)

Plastic combs do not catch every nit (lice egg). Short teeth will not get through enough of the hair to do a reasonable job. The comb should be made specifically for this purpose, with an ergonomic shape intended to support repetitious combing movements.

Proper Lice treatment involves maintenance for about 2 weeks after the initial treatment, to insure that the infestation is gone, and will not resurface. There are a few other worthwhile products that can support the combing and maintenance process.

In answer to your original inquiry:

The only way to get head lice from clothing, is if there is a live louse on the clothing which crawls onto a human head. Head Lice are parasites, and can only survive off of a human head for 1 - 2 days MAXIMUM. Likewise, stray hairs with mature nits on them can theoretically hatch off the head for 1 or 2 days, but the lice that hatch will die within a few hours unless they can feed on a human head.

Both of these scenarios is unlikely in a bag of old clothing, unless the clothing was worn by someone with an active lice infestation in the last 2 days.

I hope this information is helpful,
Good Luck!

Adie H

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headlice June 25th, 2008

Licenders Professional Shampoo is an Enzyme Lice Shampoo.

Enzyme control of [head lice] is preferable to traditional pesticide-based approaches to pest control for several reasons, not least of which is the elimination of chemical exposure risk.

Enzyme control is non-toxic and safe for people and the environment, pesticides are not. Enzyme is a desirable alternative to pesticide control because it relies on physical biology rather than on toxic substances to achieve success. Enzyme control is universal in range - all insects are affected by enzyme - enzyme works for any pest problem encountered.

Unlike pesticides, enzyme can be adjusted in strength, allowing specific insect species to be targeted or spared according to intent. For example, one can treat an organic garden with a weak concentration in order to eliminate aphids but protect beneficial honey bees.

Unlike pesticides, enzyme [lice] control will never become obsolete. Because the biology of insects depends on the creation of enzymes in order for survival, it is impossible for [lice] to develop a resistance to enzyme as a method of pest control. Insects have an ability to rapidly evolve an immunity or resistance to commercial pesticides within a short time, even within a single crop cycle! This leads to a costly rotation of chemical warfare. Sadly, human beings do not have the biological tolerance to the persistent pollution of pesticides that insects do, and are often the ultimate victims of pesticide. Fortunately a consistently reliable and safe solution to pest control has been discovered - enzyme.

Enzyme control achieves safer, faster and more effective results than pesticide poisons. Replace the health risk of outdated chemical pesticides with a sure-fire and completely non-toxic alternative method for exterminating pests – an enzyme based product such as Licenders Professional Lice Treatment Shampoo.

Pest Control has long sought the perfect pesticide, an ideal Holy Grail that is totally safe for humans, yet certain death to insects, and would never become obsolete. Why this had not been found was due to a lack of exploring outside the realm of traditional pesticides - which rely solely on the application of hazardous chemical poisons to kill insects. Enzyme based biological pesticides offer just such a perfect resource for non-toxic pest control.

Licenders has invested in scientific research to kill head lice effectively and safely!

• Head Lice , Head Lice Products , safe lice products , natural lice products , chemical lice shampoo
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headlice June 24th, 2008

continued from Licenders' Lice Shampoo Works!

Licenders has researched the anatomy of hair lice and nits, to develop lice removal products that work.

The solution to cracking the cuticle of a [human head louse] exoskeleton was discovered through the observation of insect entomology - insects employ enzymes to escape their exoskeletons. By utilizing cultured enzymes that mimic those found in nature, a natural form of biological pesticide can be produced that has the ability to dismantle the armor of [head lice] instantly.

Enzyme [product] digests insect's waxy cuticle on contact and dismantles their exoskeleton - effectively forcing [headlice] into immediate molting in which the protective shell is stripped.

Using enzyme-based formulas as a form of biological [lice] control is an ingenious play of engaging the forces of nature to our advantage. Enzymes exist throughout the insect, plant and animal kingdoms to aid in the digestion of organic matter. Arachnids such as spiders and scorpions inject their prey with enzyme; insect larvae (maggots) also rely on enzymes to predigest their food for them. Insectivore plants also use enzymes to digest insect prey. Even cellular organisms such as bacteria, mold, mildew and yeasts all depend on enzymes to aid in the external digestion of food sources. Enzymes play a fundamental role to all life because they are a necessary catalyst to speed up the chemical reaction of metabolism. Enzymes are used by living beings to break down complex structures in food digestion.

Enzymes are used throughout the food industry to pre-digest proteins and starches: baby food manufacturers add enzymes to soften the food, bakers add protease enzyme to flour to lower protein level, and brewers add enzymes to beer during fermentation to help filter and clarify the beer. Cheese makers as well use enzymes in the ripening phase of cheese.

Enzyme lice shampoo is a safe alternative to chemicals, with a much higher success rate of getting rid of lice.

• Head Lice , Head Lice Products , safe lice products , natural lice products , chemical lice shampoo
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headlice June 23rd, 2008

The problem of treating lice in the 21st century, often boils down to chemical resistance. To understand this challenge to head lice treatment, you need to understand the physical characteristics of human head lice.

Insects, [including human hair lice], make formidable opponents because they are protected by strong exoskeletons - hardened shells that cover them like a suit of armor and have the locomotion of a tank. It is the exoskeleton that has most challenged pest control - until now. Enzyme is the key.

Because a [head lice] exoskeleton is a hard shell made of non-living material, it does not grow in size with the insect's development. Therefore it is necessary for all insects to shed their exoskeletons several times during the course of their life. They accomplish this by using enzymes they create naturally to split open their exoskeleton and thus grow larger. It is during this molting phase that an insect is at its most vulnerable - susceptible to drying out or drowning since the hard shell that normally would protect [the louse] has been cast off.

The surface of every insect's exoskeleton is covered with a waxy, water-repellant patina known as the cuticle. This outer coating protects the human head lice from harm, and has long been an obstacle for pesticide's effectiveness - the chemicals must penetrate the cuticle in order to affect the insect, so pesticides employ a variety of volatile solvents, toxic dusts or light oils in order to cut through the cuticle and thus deliver the poison into the insect interior.

Enzymes provide a safer, and more reliable method of killing head lice.

to be continued

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headlice June 19th, 2008

continued from Parents, Children, and Head Lice

When a clinician on a job encounters a problem, LICENDERS support staff is always there to help resolve it. Sarah, a LICENDERS representative was contacted by Angela, as explained in our previous post. Her client, Sharon, was resistant to being treated for the active lice infestation on her head. This was after she had spent time and money to treat her son, David*. 
 
Sarah patiently explained to Sharon why it was so important that she herself be treated for the lice. She pointed out that the reason that Sharon brought in David in the first place, was to ensure that his head lice problem was resolved professionally. Sharon* recognized that Angela did a thorough job methodically combing nits from David's head. The truth is that if Sharon's lice and nits are not properly removed, the lice problem is still active in her home! If Mom has an active case of lice, there is a 99.9% chance that the David* will be reinfested. After all, surely Mom loves him, and is going to hug him, and spend time with him! What exactly is the point of removing head lice from a child, and knowingly giving it back to him a few hours later?? Lice treatment kills lice, and removes lice and nits. But no lice treatment can honestly claim to make a child "safe" from catching it again. The only way to properly treat head lice and nits is to make sure that everyone in that child's immediate environment is thoroughly clean as well. As a caring mother, Sharon* understood that the right thing to do for David* was to be properly treated for the head lice herself.
 
*names changed to protect privacy

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headlice June 16th, 2008

Last week, LICENDERS provided a head lice screening at a private school in lower Manhattan. David S.* in one of the primary grades was found to have a heavy case of head lice. When LICENDERS describes a case as heavy, it means that there are live lice bugs. In addition, usually in a "heavy" case, the hair is infested with too many nits [louse eggs] to count, in various stages of maturity. These symptoms indicate that the lice infestation is not new. Multiple adult lice have had the opportunity to mature, lay lice eggs, and those nits are already hatching. This is minimally a 2-3 week cycle.  The likelihood that other family members are infested with lice during that time is obviously very high.

Sharon S.*, David's mother, was referred to LICENDERS by the school. She made an appointment to bring David in to the LICENDERS Lice Treatment Salon, in Manhattan. We got a call from Angela, the clinician treating the S. family. The problem was, that Angela saw live lice bugs on Sharon's head, but Sharon* herself did not want to be treated! During a lice infestation, parents are often too upset to think rationally. LICENDERS' clinicians understand this, and a professional approach to the situation was implemented. We work together as a team to get the lice removal job done right. Our dedicated staff representative, Zoe, called Sharon* personally.
 
to be continued

• Head Lice , Head Lice Treatment , nitpickers , lice infestation
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headlice June 12th, 2008

We recently reprinted Dr. John Hong's article about head lice, and other types of lice. It should be noted, however, that LICENDERS does not completely agree with Dr. Hong's suggestion about how to treat head lice. Dr. Hong only mentions treatment using chemical lice shampoo. In addition, he states that because lice have developed resistance, sometimes an oral medication is needed.

As LICENDERS has been treating children with head lice for 15 years, LICENDERS is uniquely qualified to present authoritative information on this matter. Dr. Hong is correct that head lice have developed resistance to chemicals. The solution to this frustrating fact about the resistant lice should not be to add MORE chemicals! Chemicals used to kill head lice are dangerous, and some have even been linked to leukemia.

The LICENDERS solution is to use safe, natural products on your children, completely avoiding the dangers of chemicals. LICENDERS uses enzyme based lice shampoos, combined with essential oils that naturally repel lice. Enzymes are essentially harmless for humans, but successfully kill every louse during a head lice infestation.

LICENDERS has a complete line of lice removal products that methodically work to eradicate the lice problem. Our own track record is proof positive that these lice treatment products work. There is no excuse, even during a lice infestation, to use chemicals on your child's head!

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headlice June 11th, 2008

Dr. John Hong, a pediatrician from Charlottesville, Virginia, wrote an article about head lice and other pests. This is the conclusion of the article, posted with permission from the author:

continued from
Lice Information From a Pediatrician [part 1]
and Lice Information From a Pediatrician (Continued) [part 2] 

But like the nasty bed bugs haunting hotels, lice have become more resistant to topical medicines. So oral medications are sometimes needed, like ivermectin (Stromectol) or adding Bactrim to permethrin.

In South Pacific, Nellie says, "I'm gonna wash that man right out of my hair…" and that applies to [head lice] too. Sheets, carpet, couches, towels, clothes, hats– all need to be cleaned to prevent recontamination and contaminating other household members.

Body lice occur more in folks who are homeless or have poor hygiene. The lice live in clothing (in particular, seams) and then feed on the body-– in particular, the armpits and waist where the seams of the clothes are.

Pediculosis pubis is usually sexually transmitted– the creatures look like tiny translucent crabs, without the Old Bay seasoning. An adult female is 2-3mm long, lives about a month, and lays three eggs a day. The nits and lice hang out in the pubic region, but can go to the armpits and even eyelashes. Lice poop looks like brown dots on the skin, and little bruises can form from louse bites.

Lice are pretty horrible. I wonder if Andrew Zimmern, of Bizarre Foods, would ever eat them. Just make sure, if you eat dinner with him, that if he serves you fried rice, it isn't flied lice.

© Dr. John Hong, Inc

"Dr. Hook cracks a joke or two, but he's a renowned physician with a local practice." - THE HOOK, website on which Dr. Hong's article was originally published.

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headlice June 5th, 2008

"Dr. Hook" a.k.a Dr. John Hong of Charlottesville, Virginia is a reknowned pediatrician who writes medical articles for THE HOOK, a local newspaper. Here is the continuation of his article about head lice, published on 5/15/08, and posted with permission from the author.

Continued from yesterday's LICENDERS post, Lice Information from a Pediatrician

Adult [female lice] are about 3-4mm in length, live about a month, and lay 10 eggs (nits) a day that stick to the bases of hair shafts. The eggs hatch in eight days, and the nymphs mature in eight days. (The crazy ones are called nymphomaniacs– or not.)

These creepy crawlers suck blood from the scalp, eyebrows, and other hairy places on the head and neck. The bites can cause an allergic reaction, like a mosquito bite, leading to itchy bumps. Scratching the bumps can lead to bacterial infections.

The white nits are easier to spot than the mobile lice. If you catch a louse, you might put it in a ziplock bag for the doctor to view under a microscope.

Nits are truly nit-wits because they stick to the hair even after hatching or treatment for lice. So a fine-toothed nit comb is used to wipe them away. Topical medicines like permethrin (Nix), pyrethrin (Rid, A-200, Pronto, Clear), and malathion can be used. A second treatment might be needed a week or two later.

to be continued

© Dr. John Hong, Inc

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headlice June 4th, 2008

This article appeared on THE HOOK, the web site of a Charlottesville, Virginia Newspaper by the same name. It is posted here with permission from the author, Dr. John Hong, a reknowned physician with a local pediatric practice in Charlottesville.

DR. HOOK- Nit picking: Pediculosis can louse up a day
 

by JOHN HONG, MD
published 5/15/2008 12:00:00 AM

"I'm hairy noon and night. Hair that's a fright. I'm hairy high and low. Don't ask me why. Don't know" (Hair, the musical).

At my school, Denison University, when we produced Hair, they actually had a nude scene, though the lights were spinning all over the place, and I could tell a bum bum from a tum tum. But there was a lot of hair! What if some of it had lice?

Don't laugh! When I saw a different musical, Naked Men Singing, one guy had a fungal infection, tinea versicolor, and another was recovering from shingles. I almost jumped up on the stage to apply creams. Yikes!

Pediculosis is the medical term for lice, and there are three types: pediculosis humanus capitus (head lice), pediculosis corporis (body lice), and phthirus pubis (pubic lice, aka "crabs"– or in royal circles King Crabs– hmm). 

Head lice are most common in kiddies, and in fact lice is the #2 communicable disease in North American elementary school students! In 1997, one in four had head lice at some point. The louse doesn't jump or fly, so it's contracted by direct contact between folks– through sharing clothes, hats, combs, headphones, beds, towels, etc.
 
Even hanging jackets besides each other in the classroom can spread lice, because the louse can survive away from a human body for 55 hours.

To Be Continued

© Dr. John Hong, Inc

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