Generally children are the most common carriers of head lice. Why? Lice like clean hair and kids have clean virgin hair. Their hair hasn’t been processed with chemicals nor do they use sprays or hair products, which often make hair artificially, dirty. Children also spend a great deal of time in close proximity with other children, which heightens their ability to spread head lice to each other.
Do moms and dads get lice too?
Yes and No. The Lice Company sees many moms with head lice. Often their cases are more mild then children because their children often brought the lice home. Dads are a little more lucky when it comes to getting lice. We only see lice in fathers about 10% of the time. This can be explained for a number of reasons. Fathers usually have shorter hair, spend less time at home, with the children, and are said to have different hormones that lice find less appealing.
Can babies get lice?
The Lice Company treatment specialists do not see babies with lice cases very often. In fact the youngest cases we have seen are about 18 months. As you can imagine, these are difficult lice cases to treat. However, they are often mild cases and depend entirely on how much hair the child has and how long the lice infestation has been present.
Does the babysitter/nanny usually get lice?
Whether the babysitter or nanny will get lice often depends on how much time the she spends with the children and if she lives in the home. The more time babysitters or nannies spend with the children the more susceptible they are. The Lice Company experts see head lice in about 50% of the nannies and babysitter of the families we treat. We advise having your babysitter or nanny present when treating the family.
Do the pets get lice?
No. The pets wont get lice. Even if they have hair not fur they wont get lice, don’t worry. It’s about the blood and animals have different blood than humans. Lice only like blood from human beings and only from the head.
Do I need to worry about lice on other parts of the body other than the head?
No. Head lice are only found on the head. They do not want to go anywhere else on the body. Body lice are a different species of lice altogether. Having both species at the same time would be nearly impossible.
Why haven't we been able to get rid of lice?
Lice have built up strong immunities to the chemical products found in the pharmacy today and even the prescription strength medications often prescribed by pediatricians. Even the newer all natural products that claim to kill lice can have no effect on some strains of lice. In addition, these products often do nothing to treat the nits which remain in the hair which will turn into live lice. We often find ourselves in homes of families that have used these products multiple times with no success. Not only does this become quite costly but it also damages the hair and scalp. We often hear "I wish I had called you first." Unfortunately these companies are taking advantage. The only truly successful way to cure lice is to remove both nits and lice.
What do I need to do to the house? How long do I need to bag things?
If lice and nits are addressed properly your home should not be a major concern. Head lice enjoy the head so if you treat the head and remove lice and nits properly simple vacuuming and cleaning of the home and furniture is sufficient. Call us to remove your lice and nits today to ensure successful eradication.
When is lice season?
Warm weather months and then back to school time seem to spread lice cases most between children. Children spend more time playing with other children during warm weather months which creates more opportunity to transfer lice. With school out and more camps in session kids have more freedom to play and share lice. The Lice Company recommends frequently examining for lice especially in the summer months. Feel free to call us at 617.858.LICE (617.858.5423) for assistance should you find yourself in need of help with an infestation or unsure of what to do.
Are lice dangerous? Do they carry diseases?
No. Lice may be very itchy and can develop into extreme infestations but they do not carry diseases like some other bugs do. They are parasites so they do bite and feed on human blood but will not transfer any diseases that you need to worry about. However, they will not go away on their own. They will continue to multiply and the infestation will rapidly grow if not addressed properly. In order to get rid of lice you must successfully remove nits and lice.