How to Keep Your Kid Lice-Free at Summer Camp

Summer camps are supposed to include plenty of wonderful memories like swimming, camping, hiking, s’mores, and friends, but there’s one experience that no child should have to deal with while they’re at camp: lice.

Unfortunately, summer camps are often a breeding ground for these little buggers that move from head to head. Close sleeping quarters, shared hats and equipment, and a lack of parental monitoring can mean that lice outbreaks are more common than anywhere else.
There are things you can do, however, to help your child steer clear of any lice infestations at summer camp. Here are three of the most effective preventive methods you can teach them to employ, even when you’re not around to protect them.

  • Teach them how lice spread. If your child is going to avoid lice, then they’ll need to know how the tiny creatures operate. Educate them on how the lice come in contact with their scalp, what the warning signs are, and how they should handle the situation if any of their other bunkmates show symptoms.
  • Encourage them to wear their hair up. Girls with long hair are especially in danger of contracting lice because their strands come in contact with other heads more often. If your child has long hair, give them plenty of hair ties so that they can keep it safely away from other heads.
  • Discourage them from sharing. As backward as this sounds, camps are not the place to share hats, towels, brushes, pillows, blankets, combs, hair products, and other items. Tell your child to keep their belongings to themselves in an effort to prevent the spread of lice.

If your child does return from camp with a head full of uninvited guests, do the smart thing and contact Lice Lifters Treatment Centers immediately. They’ll book you an emergency appointment and use their all-natural killing agent to eradicate the lice for good. One Quick Treatment. Done! Guaranteed.

To schedule an appointment or speak to a lice technician, call Lice Lifters Treatment Centers today at 972-805-1308 (Frisco).

Don’t Panic! First Steps After Discovering a Lice Outbreak

Discovering a Lice OutbreakAt one point or another, you’ve likely received a dreaded notice from your child’s school. The note, sent home with your child, indicates an outbreak of lice among the student body. This leaves most people slightly panicked and overly-concerned over every itch they experience. Through proper prevention and treatment, however, additional cases of lice are easily limited. First and foremost, do not panic. Panicking is the surest way to make a mistake and spread lice.

Check Everyone

Your first step after learning about a lice outbreak should be to check over everyone in the household. Yes, this means all children, your husband, and anyone else at risk. It is not necessary to shave the head of your child, though. Some parents go to drastic measures immediately.

All household members should be checked over; anyone with evidence of lice needs to be treated at the same time. If you do not treat everyone at the same time, you risk the infestation spreading or returning to a previously-treated individual.

Treatment

Despite what many have told you, do not use a combination shampoo/conditioner, or conditioner before administering lice medication. You should also avoid washing your hair for 1-2 days after the medicine is removed. The majority of treatment options will only kill living lice; therefore, re-treatment is required in 7-9 days.

Furthermore, if you spot any lice moving in the hair after 8-12 hours, but they’re moving slowly, do not retreat. The medication may take slightly longer to kill these pests, but it is working. Comb any dead or remaining live lice using a fine-toothed nit comb.

Contact Us

If you suspect lice in your household and require treatment, contact Lice Lifters by calling 972-805-1308. We’ll clear up the outbreak and let you live a more comfortable life. Remember, give us a call today before the lice spread!

Don’t Forget About Lice During Summer Camp Season!

When your child comes home from summer camp, the last thing you want is them to track lice back into the house. The American Camp Association reports that head lice are among the most common camp problems. However, even though your child comes home with lice, don’t assume you can never send them back to that camp.

In fact, even the cleanest summer camps have lice problems! Unfortunately, lice have been common for hundreds of years, with over 12 million cases per year. Plus, lice is extremely contagious, making it easier for kids to get them.

Lice Basic Facts

Here’s what you should know about lice:

– Lice are parasites that are nearly invisible to the naked eye. They are a clear color but turn a reddish color once they start consuming their host’s blood.

– Female lice can lay up to six eggs a day, called nits, which stick to hair and resemble dandruff.

– Although lice don’t fly or jump, they can crawl deep into hair to avoid light. Often, they are much harder to find than the eggs they lay.

– Lice can make the scalp itchy but often reside on the neck and behind the ears. Scratching can cause a scalp infection, even though lice do not actually cause the disease themselves.

– There are a variety of treatment plans for lice such as over-the-counter and prescription lotions, shampoos, and creams. Unfortunately, ordinary shampoo will not get rid of lice and fully treating lice can take up to two different treatments.

– Luckily, lice only live in hair, so there’s no need to disinfect your home. Although, it’s suggested to wash clothing and bedding that may have lice on it.

Get Informed on Camp Lice Policies

Although most camps perform checks before dropping off your child at summer camp, you should get familiar with camp policies on lice checks, such as how often they perform them. Plus, since staff members can just as easily get lice, these checks are common to de done throughout the day.

However, what happens if the camp your child goes to doesn’t know what to do during a lice infestation? Upon dropping your child off at camp, make sure that the staff knows how to deal with lice, as well as a treatment location on-site. Additionally, it’s also important that no staff member tries spraying harmful chemicals on your child as a lice treatment.

Perform Pre-Camp Head Lice Checks

So you know how to perform a pre-camp lice check? If you don’t here’s how:

– Examine your child’s hair under a bright light and be on the look for movement

– Since lice can move quickly, make sure you have a comb on hand to separate them from your child’s hair

– Lice eggs, otherwise called nits, often look like dandruff but need to be fully separated from hair

– Make sure you use a proper lice comb to separate all lice from your child’s hair

– Always be on the lookout on your child’s neck, behind their ears, crown of their head, and under their bangs for lice or nits.

Discuss Lice With Your Child

It’s important that you have a talk with your child about the importance of checking for head lice. This can be done with a simple lice identification lesson or a common reminder to not have hair on hair contact or sharing clothing. A simple motto that you can integrate is, “No shame, no blame.” After all, there’s no reason to be embarrassed if you have lice.

Perform Post-Camp Lice Checks

A great way to prevent any lice infestations at home is to perform a quick post-camp lice check once your child returns from camp. Aside from that, you should also make sure you wash all your kid’s clothes and bedding to kill any lice that may be residing on them. If you do find lice, there are measures you can take to remove them. Lice treatment consists of prescription shampoos and lotions.

Keep Lice in Perspective

Lice are not as dangerous as other parasites and do not carry any sort of disease. If anything, they’re more of an annoyance and hygiene issue. Plus, they are incredibly common and head lice removal is relatively simple. So, always keep an eye out, but don’t let your child tease anyone who has lice or make a big deal out of it. No shame, no blame!

Nits: Facts and Figures

Lice Treatment Lewisville, TXAll too often our Dallas area lice removal clients think that if they get rid of the adult head lice, that’s all that needs to be done in order for the head lice infestation to go away. That’s not true. It’s equally important to get rid of the harder to remove nits.

In this article, we’ll looks at several facts and figures regarding nits and how they can be eradicated.

What’s a Nit?

Nits are lice eggs laid by the adult louse at the base of the hair strand near the scalp. Nits are firmly attached to the hair shaft and are oval-shaped and very small and can be difficult to see. Head lice nits usually take about 8–9 days to hatch.

Nit Facts

  • Head lice nits usually take about 8–9 days to hatch.
  • Millions of Americans, approximately 10-12 million, will become infested with lice on a yearly basis.
  • A female head louse produces about four to six eggs per day.
  • If nits are not removed, another outbreak is likely.

Get the Nit!

As mentioned above, it’s important to use a treatment that addresses all life stages of the head lice in order to completely eradicate the lice infestation. That’s why we offer a wide range of products and services at Lice Lifters, so you have options. Our nit comb is specially designed to aid in lifting the nits from the hair strand and off the scalp. They are held onto the strand with a kind of “glue” that can make them difficult to fully remove without it.

Call Life Lifters Today

If you or someone in your household is dealing with head lice, give our trained lice lifticians a call today at 972-805-1308. We offer head checks at our Dallas area location and a range of preventative options in addition to our treatments.

NO ITCH, NO LICE: FACT OR FICTION?

Often, the telltale sign that a child has contracted lice is vigorous head-scratching. It’s no wonder that infected kids itch like crazy – head lice bites can be very irritating to the scalp. Should you or your child experience this kind of discomfort, it’s a sign that head lice have taken up residence and multiplied, and it’s best to seek professional treatment immediately before the problem spreads or worsens.

But what if just one of your children is itchy, while the rest of the family seems fine? Or, your school has experienced a lice outbreak, but your children are showing no signs of scratching? While your first instinct may be to heave a sigh of relief that you’ve beat the odds, you’d be wise to proceed with caution.
professional treatment

The fact is that while many people do experience pronounced itchiness and discomfort when infected with lice, others seem relatively unbothered by the presence of these parasites. Some people’s skin is simply more sensitive to lice bites, just as skin irritants like mosquito bites or certain cosmetics can cause varying reactions in individuals.

What’s more, the life cycle of lice play into symptoms and their emergence. A louse has three life stages – egg, nymph, and adult. Once a female louse lays its eggs, or nits, it can take more than a week for them to hatch. The nymph is an immature insect that takes a week to reach adulthood. Once mature, an adult louse can live up to 30 days on a human head with regular feedings of blood – yuck!

All that said – and gross out factor aside – a child can be completely symptom-free for the first week or so of infection. It can be difficult for the untrained eye to even see tiny nits attached to the hair shaft. By the time itching starts, lice are firmly established and reproducing rapidly. 

The earlier you can detect infection and start lice elimination treatment, the faster and more easily the issue can be remedied. If you’re facing risk factors such as an infected family member, friend, or classmate, don’t rely on scratching and itching for diagnosis. Carefully check the roots of your child’s hair for nits and lice, and if you’re uncertain give Lice Lifters DFW a call. A professional head check can give you the peace of mind you need, and if treatment is needed, our natural and nontoxic protocol is 100% safe for your family. At Lice Lifters DFW, we’re here to help – call 972-805-1308 or contact infodfw@licelifters.com.

FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS, OR FESTIVAL OF LICE?

The Truth About Lice During Winter and the Holidays

As temperatures drop, we generally see a drop in insects and other pests. Sadly, this does not apply to head lice populations, and you might even notice more infestations in your community. For one, all of those cozy hats, scarves, coats, and other wintertime accessories we love to wear make it that much easier to spread the nasty critters. We also tend to spend more time indoors and in closer quarters, and all that togetherness means we’re sharing more than holiday cheer – we’re sharing nits and head lice as well.

While the odds of your kids coming home with unwelcome, six-legged guests may be heightened during the holidays, there’s no need to despair. By following a few simple tips, you can reduce your family’s risk of head lice infection so you may not have to visit a lice treatment center.

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  1. Avoid coat racks: While head lice can’t fly or jump, they do crawl, and a crowded coat rack at school allows them the opportunity to migrate. Head lice can’t live long without a human host, but they might just survive long enough to hitch a ride home with your child! If possible, have your kids hang coats and other winter wear on the backs of their chairs at school.
  2. No sharing: This rule applies year-round, but winter hats, earmuffs, and scarves provide additional temptation to swap gear. Let your kids know that this is not the time to practice sharing!
  3. Check heads regularly: Especially if you’re aware of frequent outbreaks in your area, consider checking your family’s heads regularly for head lice and nits. It’s always easier to treat an infection sooner rather than later, and before the lice have spread to all family members.

Should your best efforts fail, and you find your family in the midst of a lice outbreak, early lice treatment is your best defense for eliminating the pests once and for all. There’s no need to let head lice spoil your holiday season when swift treatment is available. At Lice Lifters DFW, we offer head checks for the entire family, and fees for this service are waived when a treatment plan is pursued. We feel good about our natural, non-toxic head lice treatment, and guarantee results. For more information, get in touch with us at Lice Lifters DFW – call 972-805-1308 or contact me at infodfw@licelifters.com.

Can You Use Your Health Savings Account for Lice Treatment?

Can You Use Your Health Savings Account?

Here at Lice Lifters DFW, we get questions from time to time about whether Dallas & Fort Worth lice treatment is a Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA) approved expense. The truth? It’s a gray area – a big one. Read on to learn more about the exciting world of HSAs and FSAs (read tongue in cheek), and lice and nit removal.

First off, what are HSAs and FSAs? If your family is enrolled in a high-deductible health insurance plan, you can take advantage of the tax benefits of an HSA, while the FSA is available only for those with employer-sponsored health plans. Both are savings accounts that afford tax advantages for approved medical expenses. Approved healthcare expenses can run the gamut – from acupuncture to x-ray.

Lice Treatment Frisco, TX

So is lice removal an approved expense? Possibly. HSA and FSA holders have met with different levels of success in this realm. Many plans will reimburse head lice treatment expenses after you pay for the service and submit an itemized receipt. Some may require a physician’s note recommending lice removal. Contact your plan administrator for clarification – should your insurance company give you the go ahead, we are able to accept most HSA and FSA credit cards for treatments. Again, please check with your insurance before hand or give us a call at Lice Lifters DFW.

If your HSA or FSA does not cover lice treatment, the service may still be deductible on your family’s tax return – your tax consultant can offer details. In addition, a limited number of health insurance policies may cover head lice removal, so it never hurts to call your insurer and ask.

We love being experts in our field – lice and nit elimination may not be glamorous, but the gratitude our clients show makes it all worth it. That said, we hope you’ll defer to the experts at your health insurance company for sound advice as to whether lice removal expenses are an approved expense under your HSA or FSA plan. For pro advice about safe, natural treatment for head lice elimination, look to Lice Lifters DFW – call 972-805-1308 or contact me at infodfw@licelifters.com.

MY FAMILY HAS LICE! What Do I Do?

It’s not as bad as you think

Whether it’s a dreaded call from the school nurse or the discovery of nits after a slumber party, discovering that your child has head lice is always bad news. The good news is that by taking action quickly, you can make the process of eliminating head lice in your family relatively painless. What’s more, there are some pesky myths out there that make lice removal in the home seem a whole lot worse than it actually is. Read on for our top tips to take control of a lice outbreak in your household.

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  • Take action NOW. This is not the time to procrastinate in the face of an unpleasant task. Start the process ASAP to quickly eliminate head lice and prevent the infestation from spreading. That means letting school, child care, and friends know about the problem.
  • Get head checks for the entire family. If one person under your roof has lice, there’s a good possibility that others are infected as well. That’s why it’s best to have everyone in the family examined. Lice Lifters DFW offers professional head checks, and the examination fee is applied toward treatment if lice are found.
  • Get professional treatment. As a mom who has battled head lice, I can tell you that enlisting professionals will save you both time and serious anguish. In fact, when you follow the Lice Lifters DFW protocol, we guarantee the success of our treatment.
  • Clean wisely, not widely. While the idea of lice may disgust you, there’s no need to obsessively disinfect your entire home. Unlike fleas, lice require a human host to survive, so lice won’t lay eggs on sofas or stuffed toys. They don’t live on pets, and they don’t jump or fly. You’ll want to wash any bedding, clothing, and personal items (like brushes) that those infected have been in contact with over the past couple of days. In addition, a routine vacuuming of floors and furniture is in order. If you’re paranoid about pillows, plush bedtime buddies, or even hats and hair accessories, a spin on your dryer’s hot setting should put your fears to rest. Toxic insecticides and foggers are simply not necessary.

Hands down, the most important thing you can do to rid your household of lice is to make sure your family’s heads are lice free. At Lice Lifters DFW, we can not only eliminate lice and nits quickly, but we’ll do it using our nontoxic, natural treatment solution with no harmful pesticides. In addition to our regular business hours, we also offer after hours appointments upon request. Just call us at 972-805-1308 or email me at infodfw@licelifters.com.