Archive for March, 2008

Do Head Lice Jump?

headlice March 27th, 2008

In order to "catch lice", a live bug must transfer from one head to another. Human head lice crawl incredibly quickly, and that is the only way they transfer from head to head. Lice do not have legs biologically capable of jumping. If someone shows you a louse "jumping", it is either not a human head louse, or it is actually trying to crawl, and somehow is falling, perhaps because it is dying, or because the louse is trying to crawl up the inside of a jar! Lice may twitch for a few seconds while they are dying, and this can be mistaken for  jumping lice. HAIR LICE don't JUMP!

Considering that head lice don't jump, how to they spread so fast?? Amazingly lice crawl very quickly, from one head to another. It really only takes one or two head lice to infest another person. Children spread lice more quickly, because in the course of their play, they give the lice more opportunities to crawl from one head to another. This can happen when sharing a secret, wrestling, and hugging. Any head to head contact gives the louse a chance to transfer. Until you look under a magnifying glass, it's hard to believe how quickly head lice crawl.

To Be Continued

Lice Combing Advice

headlice March 25th, 2008

There are many kinds of lice combs that are made of metal. As long as the nit comb has properly spaced teeth, a metal comb should work. Unfortunately, sometimes even a metal toothed lice comb will not NIX THE LICE problem. There may be a number of reasons for this.

One problem that is very common, is that the teeth of the metal lice comb are very short. While this may be fine for a very short haircut, most children have a few inches of hair, at least. Short toothed lice nit combs, are surprisingly common. Using shorter metal lice comb teeth can only work if you are combing a section of the scalp as wide as those teeth. For example, if the nit comb tines are 1/2 inch long, you can only comb through 1/2 inch of the scalp at a time! Combing out lice is time-consuming and tedious. Adding time to the process by struggling with a comb with short teeth, is a waste of time and energy. In addition, when trying to NIX a LICE PROBLEM in a child with thick or wavy hair, there is a lot more hair per inch on that child's head. A comb with long enough teeth is necessary to get through even a small section of such hair.

The correct way to ensure that you are using a lice comb properly, is to comb the hair with an effective nit combing method. In order for the nit comb to be get RID of NITS, the comb must move through a section of the hair from the scalp outward in one motion. Live lice crawl incredibly quickly. If the nit comb only gets partially through a layer of hair, the lice may crawl deeper into the layer that is not being combed. If all the hair is not combed through, hair nits will remain, and you will not RID LICE from the hair sufficiently.

Read our previous post where we have explained why a plastic lice nit comb should not be an option; even a "professional" lice removal kit comb is ineffective if it's not metal.

Head Lice Outbreak in the Neighborhood

headlice March 18th, 2008

According to an article that appeared last week on Thisweek Online, there has been a major outbreak of headlice in three schools in the southern Twin Cities area in Minnesota. Over 150 cases of head lice were found in those 3 schools.

The schools include Pinewood Elementary School, Dakota Middle School, and Eagan High School. According to the news article, reported by Andrew Miller, each school has been taking appropriate measures to eradicate the lice problem.

The article qoutes a nurse, Sally Cole, who makes a very good point regarding the reason that this head lice nit outbreak would affect three separate schools in one neighborhood:

" 'Pinewood feeds into Dakota Hills Middle School and Eagan High School, and it’s likely that Pinewood students passed the lice to their siblings attending the middle school and high school', Cole said.

[A school district communications specialist] underscored that the school facilities themselves aren’t the source of the lice. In fact, pinning down the origin of the virtual deluge of head-lice cases in [the affected school district] may not be possible. 'It’s very difficult to tell because you can pick lice up anyplace,” Cole said.' "

Accurate information about lice is very important when it comes to dealing with a lice outbreak in a school. Head lice information and facts help the parents understand the situation better. Without lice nit information, parents tend to believe all sorts of rumors about Lice and Nits. Blame for the lice and nits gets thrown around, which is not useful for removing the lice problem. When head lice information is presented in a matter-of-fact way, parents are less likely to deny the problem, and more likely to responsibly treat their infested children, removing lice and nits.

That is the key to treating a school head lice infestation.

Nitpickers? Professional Lice Removal

headlice March 11th, 2008

Previously, we referred to a New York Daily News article about head lice. The article included a quote that could potentially promote the misconception that human head lice are connected in some way to race, color, culture, or in this case even religion. When it comes to hair lice information, nothing could be further than the truth!

There are additional statements in the above mentioned article that warrant comment:

The article repeatedly uses the term, nitpickers, to describe the featured women who are in the business of removal and treatment of lice. By definition, the term nitpicker has a negative connotation. It arouses an image of someone who is annoying.  A nitpicker sounds like someone who you don't want to be around; someone likely to subject you to harassment.  There is so much negativity already associated with human head lice. Mothers who find themselves in the middle of a lice infestation are already feeling overwhelmed. Infested children are often ostracized for no good reason. Parents feel embarrassed, based on the erroneous belief that the lice nit infestation is a reflection on their standards of cleanliness and personal hygiene. Children and parents alike may be worn out from repeated use of chemical lice shampoos, and ineffective lice nit combs. 
 
When clients call Licenders lice removal service, they are often in crisis mode. They need compassion, support and reassurance - along with professionalism.  It is important to avoid the use of negative or stereotypical terminology. By using an objective, deliberate approach, Licenders reduces the level of distress during a lice infestation. Licenders' caring staff provide methodical combing of lice and nits, using effective lice treatment products, including special lighting and magnifying equipment. Combined with our experience and expertise, Licenders maintains a professional attitude toward the treatment of head lice. Licenders unparalleled professionalism helps parents regain a sense of control and normalcy.

Nitpickers and Lice Removal Services

headlice March 10th, 2008

Recently, a human interest news item was devoted to lice removal services. The article, appeared in the New York Daily News on January 29th 2008. In her article, titled They're In the Lice-Removal Business, Rachel Monahan, discusses a supposed cultural trend in head lice treatment services. Her focus is on some women who have become lice removal experts in Brooklyn, New York. The tone of the article about lice removal warrants some comment.

One of these women describes herself as an "Orthodox Jewish nitpicker", and even goes so far, as to make a connection to the area of a nitpicking housewife. "They say Jewish men make good husbands; Jewish women are known to be nitpickers." Even in jest, such a statement is demeaning - and less than professional. Even a self-directed insult can result in uninformed, negative stereotyping. The fact is, human head lice are an international problem. The lice problem is prevalent in every culture, race and nationality. Religion is certainly not a factor. Any person who invests time and researches solutions, can become quite knowledgeable about lice nits and the best method of removing a lice infestation.

Furthermore, we take issue with the term "nitpickers" altogether!

to be continued