The Low Down On Head Lice

Head lice, second only to the common cold, are increasing at epidemic proportions. The U.S. alone reports over 12 million children are infected with head lice on an annual basis, causing many parents to become desperate for help.

Contrary to popular belief they do not look for dirty, neglected heads. Instead lice prefer clean hair, which provides an easier environment in which to lay their eggs. Head lice are amazingly adaptive, often changing their coloring to blend with their current environment. They can shut down their nervous system for extended periods of time, allowing them to play dead, even while submersed in water or the very toxic chemicals- once intended to kill them.

Lice are more commonly found on girls than boys and on Caucasians more frequently than other ethnic groups. Don't however, allow this to give you a false sense of security- no one is totally immune from head lice when exposed under the right conditions.

Because lice have developed a resistance to many chemicals found in popular shampoos, parents are spending both time and money on products that no longer work. In many cases taking months of frustrating attempts and hundreds of dollars spent on the repeated use of worthless and dangerous shampoos. Not to mention numerous days of missed school and work. The only sure way to end the head lice problem is through an intensive, time consuming, nit removal process.

The good news is- Parents no longer need to feel ashamed. No worse than a case of Chicken Pox- head lice happens. Recognize it and deal with it. Head lice are not a poor man's problem. Having head lice doesn't mean you don't bathe or that you're a bad housekeeper. They can't jump or fly and they don't live on animals. Head lice live on heads and they need blood to survive. They will not willing leave their warm human host or plentiful food supply unless they have an equal or better environment in which to move onto. Head lice exist and children (particularly girls) with their warm bodies, delicate scalps, soft fine hair and their cuddly environment are a head lice paradise!

Like a bad cold, head lice will run it's course in your child's class, spreading from head to head. However, unlike a cold, it will not run its course on their head. Left unattended it will continue to grow to overwhelming proportions causing not only a mess in their hair but also disturbing their sleep as well as their ability to function properly on a daily bases. Additionally is the certain exposure to countless other children.

Thanks to increasing education we are learning how to deal with the pesky critters. The one thing you definitely don't want to do is conceal a case of head lice. Your child is most likely not alone in this infestation. By concealing it you are allowing other cases to continue to be transmitted. Equally important is the risk of re-infestation by sending your child back into an environment that hasn't been thoroughly screened.

It's our goal to see that help is made available and that parents no longer feel alone. We hope one day to see treatment facilities in major cities across the U.S.; the first of which is now operating in West Palm Beach, Fl. Additionally as a non-profit organization, help is available to all children, thus reducing the chance of neglected cases and re-infestation. Furthermore by working to make educational material available to all parents and in all languages we are taking the first steps to ensuring all of us the right to live in a lice free environment.

Remember -Lice happens- recognize it and deal with it!

For questions or concerns call Lice Solutions R. N., Inc @ 561-842-9969