Why does lice have such a social stigma?

/in , ,
We have all heard about head lice and we all crunch our faces when we hear about it.Bot how is the social stigma proliferating in such a common infestation and how can we stop it?
Dr. Sheryl Gordon, PhD has been studying the impact of head lice in children and the social stigma that it creates. The logic behind it according to Dr. Gordon is that we come up with a treatment plan, whether it’s doing it ourselves or getting help from an outsider, but if the solution doesn’t work we blame the process and not long after that, the victim. That has tangible reaction such as children not wanting their peers or even their families to know, families hiding from other family members and in extreme cases, child abuse.
In a real case a mother explained, “I have tried everything and no matter what I do lice keep coming back.Sophie was not invited to a party because she always has lice.” Dr. Gordon differentiates between primary stigma,you get it when you have an undesirable characteristic (if people know about it), courtesy stigma,when someone close to you has such undesirable characteristic. 
As parents, it is understandable that the first reaction against lice is disgust but how we transmit this to our children is entirely up to us. Understanding how lice transmit and how completely remove them in an efficient manner are the only solutions to the stigma. Once you know your “enemy” it’s easier to treat it and deal with it.
At LCA San Diego we ask you what you have been dealing with lice so we can get a better understanding on your child’s case and tailor the best treatment. We also make sure we understand the contact tracing: who do you typically see? It’s a possible source of re infestation. We encourage regular head screenings and we help parents and our community be educated on Head Lice so that we all minimize the stigma that it creates.

Get the Facts, Share the truth about Head Lice.

/in , , ,

When talking about lice there’s a lot of misconceptions, myths and stigma. In an attempt to help parents, teachers and families understand better how head lice works, LCA San Diego has launched a viral video that enlightens and educates on head lice:

 

Head Lice – when can we expect to see them most?

/in , ,

Fall season is here and with that we want to think that the lice nightmare is over. Unfortunately, cooler weather temperatures do not necessarily mean less lice. Head Lice like to live close to the human scalp at a temperature around 95-98F (most human bodies run at that temperature).

Our biggest advice is to be educated on how to prevent lice so that as moms we will know what to do. Here’s a few tips on lice prevention:

1. Put your child’s hair up on a pony tale or braid to avoid easy hair to hair contact.

2. Inform your child to not share brushes, hats or jackets with his/her friends.

3. Be aware of the most common lice symptoms: itchiness, restless sleep, etc.

4. Check your child’s hair regularly.

5. Be prepared! If you suspect they have lice or you see alive bugs, seek professional help. Avoid spending countless hours combing out or spending money on Over the Counter products that not always work…

At LCA San Diego we provide professional Lice Removal Services. Our FDA Cleared꙳ medical device will kill lice & eggs in one quick (1 hour) and easy treatment, with no need for follow ups!

Teenagers & Head Lice

/in , ,
So… you thought the period where you had to worry about lice in your child was over… afterall, they’re 13. But… lately we have been getting more and more teenagers with head lice. What’s going on?
It’s difficult to answer the questions with a single and easy idea. In reality, many factors are contributing to teenagers having head lice. A few years ago, a teenager would only get lice when a younger sibling or a child they looked after had it. But now, out of the sudden, your teenager has lice and you have no idea where it came from. Here’s a few factors that will help you understand better the situation:
1. Selfies. Recent studies have shown that selfies are now linked to the spread of head lice. Head to head contact is the number one way lice spread.
2. Super Lice.  Most lice have become resilient to the pesticides in over the counter treatment, thus making those treatments ineffective. Realizing that the treatment has not been as effective as one thought may take days, causing the infestation of other people along the process.
3. Unawareness. Because most teens don’t think about lice, they don’t link the symptoms to them and therefore it takes longer for them, or the parents, to realize they are infested.
What to do? First, have an open communication with your teen. Most likely she or he will be embarassed and will even hide it from everyone. Normalizing head lice and knowing how to treat them is the best precaution you can take.
 How do I treat a lice infestation? Since over the counter treatments may not work, your best bet is to seek professional help. At LCA San Diego we offer 1 hour treatments with a policy* for 30-days. Our FDA cleared꙳ medical device will kill both lice & nits through heated air in a safe and highly effective way. Find out more.

What causes head lice to spread?

/in , ,
One of the most common questions at our clinic is: what causes head lice to spread?
The answer is complex but can be summarized as the consequence of the existing Ignorance about lice due to the stigma it has nowadays. Not knowing how lice spread, what they are and how they affect you or your child are the main cause of lice spreading. Here are some highlights that will help you understand lice better:
* Lice don’t jump, hop or fly, they crawl. Head-to-head contact is the easiest way to get lice and especially  for those who have long hair, it’s important to be aware of it.
* 2 of your child friends will have lice during this school year. Knowing that will probably make you feel on your toes most of the time,but prevention and precaution is the best way to prevent lice.
* Knowing how to treat head lice infestations will give you a quick response rate if that happens to your family. Check this chart regarding different treatment options.
The best way to keep lice from spreading is by sharing the truth and ending the ignorance. Help us spread the word and stop lice by sharing this video:

If you suspect you have lice, treat the infestation in San Diego by making an appointment at LCA San Diego.

LCA San Diego kills Super Lice

/in , , ,

Super Lice have become a trendy topic in the past weeks. A recent paper presented at the American Chemical’s Society in Boston noted that lice have become resilient to most over the counter agents and thus becoming harder to kill and, most times,  a nightmare for moms. Many media around San Diego have been talking about Super Lice and how to treat them. The Union Tribune San Diego highlights LCA San Diego as the solution for Super Lice.

At LCA San Diego we can handle Super Lice. We use our FDA cleared꙳ medical Device, ,that dehydrates lice & nits (eggs) in just one treatment. Our best seller treatment, uses the device to dehydrate all the lice and eggs. then our professionally trained technicians will comb-out any dead debris and finally apply a rinse. Our full treatment comes with a policy* for 30-days and takes just about an hour!

 

LCA San Diego mata a los SuperPiojos

/in , ,

En un estudio reciente se descubrió que los piojos han mutado y se han convertido en lo que llamamos SuperPiojos, siendo resistentes a la mayoría de los pesticidas que se encuentran en los productos que podemos comprar en la farmacia.

Univision nos entrevistó para saber que se puede hacer con los SuperPiojos y les explicamos que solo el aire caliente consigue matarlos y que en LCA San Diego ofrecemos la solución.

LCA San Diego mata a los SuperPiojos

We can handle SuperLice

/in , ,

Recent studies have alerted us that SuperLice have made their way to California. 

What are SuperLice?

SuperLice are a mutation of head lice that have become stronger and resilient to most pesticides used in over the counter treatments. Dr. Kyong Yoon, who has researched pesticide resistance in head lice since the 1990s released an update showing that head lice in 83 percent of the states he sampled—including California —now have gene mutations making them resistant to pesticides in the most popular lice shampoos.

 

How do I kill SuperLice? 

The device kills  SuperLice in just one treatment. This FDA-cleared꙳ medical device, dehydrates head lice & nits (eggs) through heated air. Our head lice removal treatment takes just an hour, is completely safe- we use all natural products, no pesticides or harsh chemicals- and comes with a policy* of 30-days. LCA San Diego helps you kill lice and SuperLice!

How to talk to your children about Head Lice

/in , ,

As parents, when we find out that our children have lice our first reaction is not always the best. The facts is that lice are annoying, sometimes disgusting and can be completely overwhelming to deal with. But knowing the right way to talk about lice to our children will make our life easier when that time comes and will also make them not feel awful or guilty about it.

Here’s some quick tips to talk to your children about lice:

Explain lice symptoms to your children – so they can alert you before the infestation has gone too far. You can always have a lice comb in the shower and make it a routine for them to comb their hair every day or to have you do it, if there’s lice, you’ll be able to see it when they just got infested and it will be much easier to deal with it.

Educate them on lice prevention – advise them to wear their hair up or braided, not share jackets, helmets and hats and even have them wear protective lice repellant products on their hair.
Don’t Panic – know your options to treat lice so you can react as soon as possible and don’t panic so that you don’t create that same reaction on them.
At LCA San Diego, we treat lice professionally with our medial device that dehydrates lice & nits through heated air.

Does Heat Kill Lice?

/in , ,
Yes, it does. But not any amount of heat. It has been proven that most of the lice body composition is water. The right amount of heat, the right amount of time will eliminate lice & nits (eggs).
Most over the counter treatments (OTC) focus on killing the adult lice by using aggressive ingredients. Because the eggs have not been killed with the application of the shampoo or gel, a re-do of the process is needed after a week when the eggs hatch. The HEAT kills the nits by dehydration and therefore only one treatment is needed.
Additionally, recent studies have proven that lice are becoming resilient to the OTC products and even some prescription lice removal medicine. Head lice are very unlikely to evolve a resistance to heat, which makes the heated treatments so appealing.
But not any amount of heat would work. A blow dryer has directional heat that would burn the scalp if used at the right temperature, the right amount of time. The is a medical, FDA cleared ꙳ and patented device that provides the right amount of heat, the right amount of time and removes lice & nits. 
At LCA San Diego we use the Airalle device to dehydrate all lice & nits. We kill lice in a fast, safe and highly effective way.