How To Stop Super Lice: 5 Chemical-Free Solutions
Are you concerned about “super lice” and the recent outbreak of “super lice”?
“Super lice” look just like regular lice. They are the same parasitic insects that feed on blood and can live in the eyelashes, eyebrows, and scalps of humans. The only difference is that “super lice” have evolved and mutated to become resistant to the ingredients in traditional over the counter treatments used to kill them.
In the article below, head lice expert and founder of Life Squad.com, Dawn Mucci will educate, provide peace of mind and layout the steps we can take to cure “super lice” and slow their spread with safe chemical and pesticide-free solutions.
A mother of three, entrepreneur, franchisor & published author. As spokeswoman for Lice Squad.com, Dawn is well-known for her numerous TV appearances including Breakfast Television, City Line, CBC news, City TV News, Global News, The Discovery Chanel, Slice, The Marilyn Dennis Show, The Mom Show, Real Parenting, and CTV. Dawn has contributed to and has been featured for her work with Lice Squad.com in MacLean’s Magazine, Canadian Living, Parents Canada, Today’s Parent, Franchise Canada, The Mompreneur, The Health Journal, The National Post, Toronto Star, Toronto Sun, Canadian Business, The David Suzuki Foundation.com, The Huffington Post.ca and Forbes.com.
The Top 5 Chemical-Free Ways to Cure Super Lice
by Dawn Mucci
Parents across the nation have hit a panic button with the news about Super Lice and no nit policies being eased across many school boards. It is reported that head lice are now 99.7% resistant to common over the counter remedies across many US states and Canadian provinces.
A study conducted by the Amerian Chemical Society found that in August 2015, lice in at least 25 states had shown resistance to common treatments.
Not only is head lice an annoying and stressful common human condition, but failing treatments and a lack of proactive policy have left many parents and teachers scratching their heads and wondering what to do next.
Let me share some good news with you! There is no need to panic. There is a cure for super lice and it does not rely on chemicals or pesticides. I truly believe we never needed to use these toxic solutions in the first place. It’s a good news story which means we do not need to put pesticides and chemicals on our children and into our environment for treating head lice.
I went back to nature to find solutions that work and have proven safe and successful. I have over 15 years of helping people solve the head lice issue.
Here are my top 5 solutions for curing super lice.
1. MINERALS AND PREFORMED ENZYMES
Minerals and preformed enzymes are making a name for themselves in the head lice industry. They are the go-to solution for many head lice removal companies. They are also being embraced by pharmacies, health food stores, and health care agencies.
They are non-toxic, chemical free and have no adverse side effects. They can be used on all ages of children and have a great success rate.
Preformed enzymes are proteins which digest organic matter and have a very high rinse-ability making them ideal for washing away all sorts of things including lice eggs and head lice.
There are many to choose from but you need to choose wisely as some are not strong enough or diluted making them less effective.
Newer generation treatments use minerals. Specifically, a patented mineral called HDM20. This mineral is the purest form of calcium hydroxide (hydrogen ions) with a high PH of about 12.5 which is lethal to most insects. The mineral literally sucks the moisture out of everything including head lice and eggs.
When you combine either enzyme or mineral products with systematically interrupting the life cycle via reduction combing you have the safest, fastest and most effective way to deal with head lice. It provides by far the best outcome and is safe for all people and the planet. Unlike most chemical or pesticide based options, these options are earth friendly`.
2. REDUCTION COMBING
Head lice will never be resistant to a good old fashioned lice comb. You will need a quality head lice comb with the proper tolerances between the tines in order to be able to reduction comb all of the lice eggs out of the hair.
Combs that have microgrooves tines are best. Be sure to get a quality comb, not some lousy plastic or poorly made knock off. They are a dime a dozen and you will not have success with them. A quality comb may cost more but it is worth the investment. You can expect to pay at least $20 to $30 for a high-quality head lice comb that will be durable enough to get through any hair type and will last you a lifetime.
You never know when the bugs may come back. Having a quality lice comb in your medicine cabinet is must for any parent or caregiver.
3. OIL SOAKS: SMOTHER HEAD LICE
Head lice have spiracles on the sides of their body. These are their breathing apparatuses. When you clog them with oil they suffocate. Head lice can close their breathing apparatuses for up to 4 hours making this approach more time consuming. It does work but you must leave oil on for a minimum of four hours to overnight for it to be effective.
While more time consuming and messy you will still need a quality lice comb to remove the dead lice. The eggs will still be viable and you will need to remove them all as well. Coconut and olive oil are best.
These approaches are “mechanical” approaches. Head lice cannot become resistant to these treatments.
4. ESSENTIAL OILS
There are some essential oils that repel head lice and you will find hundreds of recipes online.
I would caution people who may be asthmatic, or have other health concerns to check into any contraindications of any particular essential oil before applying. Many essential oils are not to be used on children under the age of two or pregnant and nursing mothers.
I am not aware of any essential oils that actually kill head lice but there are many that repel. Some companies make claims and use essential oils in their products but there are no facts to prove they kill head lice.
5. PREVENTION
The best way to prevent head lice is to avoid head to head or hair to item contact.
Take a peek once a week, because if you check a head, you avoid the spread.
Head Lice Contraction Risks
- Selfies
- Sharing hair brushes
- Sharing pillows and headrests
When you know lice are about, (first weeks of school, camp, sleepovers and when you get a lice letter home from school, camp or daycare) use a blend of essential oils like Lice Squad’s Super Hero Hair Relief. This will scent the hair and help deter lice without drying out the scalp.
HOW TO CURE SUPER LICE
Understand the Lifecycle of the Head Louse
A female louse can live for thirty days and will lay three to five eggs per day over her life span. Lice eggs take seven to ten days to hatch and go through three nymph stages until they are mature enough to mate starting the life cycle all over again.
Interupt the Lifecycle
Interrupting this lifecycle is easy. Simply apply one of the above methods every fourth to fifth day combined with regular reduction combing every second day for a two week period of time. Alternatively, you can use the exclusive “Super Hero One and Done” HDM20 mineral solution by Lice Squad.com and do one comb through to remove lice and eggs.
There you have it, the cure for super lice.
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