BACK TO SCHOOL…NOT BACK TO LICE!

It’s the start of a new school year! Time for freshly sharpened pencils, a crispness in the air, learning and growing, and creepy crawly infestations. Yes, you read that last bit correctly. Fall is when we see a spike in head lice incidence. Students are ideal prey for head lice – youngsters cluster in close quarters and tend to have fine hair that makes it easier for lice to attach.

It’s also a fact that chemical lice treatments are becoming ineffective. According to a new study, head lice in 25 or more states have developed resistance to over-the-counter remedies – even those widely recommended by physicians and schools. The good news is that there are measures families can take to reduce the likelihood of bringing home these despicable creatures. Take a look at our top 6 simple tips for avoiding nits and lice this school year.

Professional Lice Treatment Dallas/Fort Worth, TX

  1. Style with a purpose. A styling product like The Nit Nanny Mint Detangler Spray gives a one-two punch – it makes combing out hair a breeze as it deters lice. Plus, it’s non-toxic and safe for the whole family. Made with all natural ingredients, it can be used on wet or dry hair as a preventative measure to help repel lice. As a added bonus, its fresh scent is highly offensive to lice but heavenly to humans.
  1. Rock a fresh hairstyle. With boys, this is as simple as keeping hair short. For girls with longer hair, explore the many fashionable possibilities for wearing hair up – from a simple ponytail to elaborate buns and braids, a contained hairstyle is more difficult for lice to penetrate than a loose mane.
  1. Y.O.H. (Bring Your Own Headphones). If your child regularly visits a technology lab at school where public headphones are worn, it’s wise to send along earbuds for personal use.
  1. Avoid Performance Anxiety. We’re talking about shared use of wigs, hats, costumes, and brushes during school plays and other events. If your child is involved in these kinds of activities, encourage implementation of some basic anti-lice policies. A regular head check of kids involved in the production is a start. Using professional grade disinfectants on shared hair implements or having each child use their own styling supplies can help, too.
  1. Safety First…Equipment, That Is. Shared helmets, especially those that see frequent use in P.E. classes, can spread lice in rapid order. If your child is involved in a sport, you can purchase your own, high-quality safety gear if you’re concerned. At the same time, make sure your kids know that a case of head lice pales in comparison to the lifelong consequences of a serious head injury. It should always be top priority to protect your noggin, regardless of lice infection.
  1. Starry Nights. Whether it’s a night at home with the besties, a cheer squad sleepover, or an overnight band trip, individual sleeping bags are a better bet than shared bedding and pillows. Encouraging kids to sleep in a star pattern with feet touching and heads radiating out can also make a difference in preventing spread of lice – tell them it’s so no one has to sleep on the end and feel left out. 
  1. It’s All About Accessorizing. Hats, hair bands, and scarves…the list of possibly contaminated items goes on. Ask your kids to keep their stylish extras to themselves. In addition, hanging a jacket on the back of a chair rather than in a crowded coat rack area is smart thinking.

If preventative measures fail and you find your family in the midst of a head lice outbreak, never fear. At Lice Lifters DFW, we’ll not only help you eliminate head lice, but we’ll do it using a non-toxic and all-natural treatment protocol. After school and evening appointments are available. Questions? Contact us anytime at 972-805-1308 or at infodfw@licelifters.com.

CREEPY CRAWLY READS BOOKS TO HELP KIDS DEAL WITH LICE

When kids get lice, treating them is a twofold proposition. Most obviously, you want to get rid of the little buggers ASAP – not only to eliminate your child’s itchiness and discomfort, but also to prevent spreading the infestation. The other aspect of a lice outbreak that parents must address is emotional in nature – the shame and embarrassment a child often feels as a result of having head lice.

Books can be a great way to start a conversation about head lice and take a lighthearted look at the situation. Whether read at home together or given to a teacher whose class has experienced an outbreak, here are a few titles to get you started:

Bugs in My Hair!
By David Shannon

Book of the year, third through fourth grade: "Bugs in My Hair!" by David Shannon
amazon.com

Known for modern children’s classics like No, David!, Caldecott Honor recipient David Shannon offers a fun and informative read about head lice. Kids will take comfort in Shannon’s familiar illustrative style, giggle at his humorous tale, and pick up helpful facts along the way. Good news: As with all of our client stories here at #LiceLiftersDFW, this one has a happy ending.

Head Lice
By Elise Gravel

amazon.com
amazon.com

Part of a series of nonfiction books about disgusting creatures, Elise Gravel’s fact-filled book about head lice features cartoon style illustrations with text bubbles and plenty of silliness to balance the basic facts. Even grownups will get a chuckle from passages such as, “I might be small, but to your parents, I’m scarier than a lion.”

Yikes – Lice!
By Donna Caffey

amazon.com
amazon.com

This book shares one girl’s experience with lice using fun illustrations and a catchy rhyming format. Facts about lice are included on each spread, and text is at a level that even young children can understand.

Reading together about this creepy, crawly subject can help kids see that they aren’t alone when it comes to head lice. After all, the CDC estimates that between 6 and 12 million children between the ages of 3 and 11 contract head lice each year. If you’re struggling with stubborn lice in your household, please contact Lice Lifters DFW today. We can help you eliminate the lice problem once and for all using our non-toxic, natural treatment solution – call us at 972-805-1308 or email 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.

SUMMER CAMP SHOULDN’T BE LOUSY

50% Off Lice Check For Campers

Summertime is just around the corner! For some kids, that means an unforgettable getaway at summer camp – but no one wants to take home memories of head lice. The reality is that any time you put a bunch of kids in close quarters, a head lice outbreak is a possibility.

Floral Ornaments

Many camps perform head checks upon arrival at camp, and if your child is found to be infested, he or she will have to be treated and declared lice-free before admittance. This does help to cut down on lice outbreaks at camp, but it certainly presents an inconvenience and a delay to your family’s summer plans.

Some summer camps require a professional head lice check prior to arrival. Even if your child’s camp does not require this step, having a pre-camp lice check drastically reduces the chance that your camper will be turned away, making life much easier for mom and dad. That’s why this summer, Lice Lifters is offering pre-camp head checks for 50% off regular cost.

Don’t be taken by surprise – schedule an appointment today and let us perform an examination for head lice before your child heads off to summer camp. Our central Metroplex location in Frisco makes it easy to check this off your to-do list. Happy camping from all of us at Lice Lifters DFW!