Fashionably Effective: The Lice Comb
Few things are quite as cringeworthy as a head full of itchy, scratchy, infuriatingly tiny lice. For many parents, even spotting a single louse is an immediate reason to pull a child from school. In fact, a recent study in the UK found a third of parents admit to keeping their children at home in order to treat a lice infestation—leading to an annualized total of 2.74 million missed school days and 2.78 million days taken off of work for parents.
Between fighting off lice from head and home, treatment doesn’t just wreak havoc on families—those missed days are also quite costly. In the same study, lice accounted for costing the nation roughly $315 million in lost productivity and another $30 million in treatment products.
Time to stay home? Not so fast.
The notion that children should be pulled from school once diagnosed with lice is losing popularity. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommends that students do not need to be sent home early from school. They can start treatment after school and return the next day. Quick and successful treatment will help kill any crawling lice and prevent nits (eggs) from hatching.
Unfortunately, many products today are not as effective at eradicating head lice as you might think. Studies suggest that up to 75% of all existing lice strains have developed resistance to common pesticides. Not only are traditional products dangerous, but they don't even work well anymore. Some over-the-counter medicines kill lice, but not eggs, and some require retreatment in order to kill any eggs that may hatch a week later. Families can take extra steps such as washing and drying bedsheets, clothing and towels in hot water, but the hunt to completely eradicate lice is exhausting and miserable.
What’s a louse-ridden family to do?
Beyond dousing children with messy, smelly, toxic chemicals, parents can use a fine-toothed lice comb to search for any remaining nits. The problem is that nits are very hard to see and can be easily confused with dandruff, scabs or even hair products. What’s even more frustrating is that even nits that are a fraction of an inch away from the scalp might already be hatched and leave behind an empty casing.
Grab a comb and nitpick.
If you’re careful and consistent, a good, high-quality lice comb can be very effective at removing nits. Look for fine metal teeth that are very close together. This will help pull nits out of hair (or at the very least, crush them). Depending on how long the affected hair is, you can use a lice comb with either short or long tines. As for plastic combs, don’t even bother. Most don’t have the grit necessary to pull nits directly from the hair shaft and can easily skip over them.
Lice hatch about eight days after their eggs are laid, so it’s a good idea to comb every day until you’ve gone at least eight days without seeing any nits or live lice.
The quick & easy solution
Medicated treatment and a good comb are the best defense for fighting off lice. But as many busy parents know, there’s rarely enough time in the day to work, take care of the home, and then spend hours picking nits from your child’s scalp. Fortunately, there’s a safer, simpler option that’s already used by parents and school nurses for over 20 years—the RobiComb® Lice Zapping Comb.
The RobiComb® uses MicroCharge technology to zap lice on contact with an electric pulse that kills lice but is safe and doesn’t hurt kids. Simply run the RobiComb® through clean, dry hair. If you listen closely, you’ll actually be able to hear lice being ZAPPED and eliminated on contact. Best of all, it’s clinically proven to work and is completely safe. A single RobiComb® can treat the entire family!
Life after lice
There’s no silver bullet for dealing with a lice infestation. Traditional lice products use pesticides like Permethrin & Pyrethrum that are known to be harmful. There are thousands of reports of neurological damage associated with these chemicals, and the FDA has investigated a number of deaths allegedly caused by the overuse of these agents.
Obviously, non-toxic remedies are a preferred choice over pesticides whenever possible. Just be diligent about which products you choose—many ‘natural’ products and remedies aren’t tested for efficacy or human safety. Instead, try a safe and effective alternative to traditional pesticide shampoos such as LiceGuard®'s Lice & Egg Shampoo (included in its Lice & Egg Elimination Kit). Its non-toxic solution breaks down the bonds between lice eggs and hair, making it easy to comb out all the lice, eggs, and nits. Paired with the RobiComb®, you’ll pack a hefty one-two punch against lice!
- LiceGuard Webmaster
