Super Lice: Head Lice on Steroids
It seems everyone has a story of sitting in a classroom and watching the lice jump around in the hair of a classmate sitting in front of you. Whether you really saw those lice or whether that story is an urban school legend that has been burned into your memory, it is likely that your children may come home with super lice that will turn your memory into a nightmare.
What are Super Lice?
Super lice are common head lice. What is uncommon about them is that they are becoming increasingly resistant to the treatments that parents have been using to combat them on the heads of their children. Researchers point out that super lice have been becoming immune to the insecticides that can be purchased in over-the-counter and prescription products. According to Shirley C. Gordon, an assistant professor at Florida Atlantic University, super lice are now able to adapt to these new products in as little as three to five years.
The Problems with Super Lice
All lice, including these so-called super lice are itchy and uncomfortable. Children can also cause sores to their head if they scratch too hard and too much. Surprisingly, while super lice are uncomfortable and unsightly, they aren't that dangerous and they don't carry disease. They are mainly disgusting and incredibly difficult to get rid of once your child has them.
An additional problem with the super lice is the shame attached to contracting them. Most people consider the lice unclean and therefore, children who have them must have come from an unclean environment. In the past, children have been kept away from school until all the lice are gone from their heads. As any parent knows who has had to deal with this problem, this removal of lice can take a while as the eggs must hatch and those lice also be killed. With the new super lice, killing the new "hatchlings" is even more difficult because they are now super lice and resistant to being killed by current products.
Anyone can have lice (or super lice) - including adults. And contrary to popular belief, they occur in every socio-economic group of society. Pets do not transfer them to children. Super lice must live on a human to survive for any length of time. When it comes to whether or not it is important to get them out of other areas of your home, experts diverge in their thinking. Some say it isn't necessary to try to get them out of carpets or furniture by heavily shampooing. Others say you must do this. Regardless, you should take extra care with pillows if your children share them as well as combs and brushes. Mainly, super lice are passed from child to child by head to head contact.
The Center for Disease Control estimates that between 6 million and 12 million children are infested with super lice each year.
Treating Super Lice
If your child has super lice you should do the following:
Follow the instructions for any medication that the doctor or pharmacist gives you. Don't be tempted to leave the product on longer or use it more often if it doesn't appear to be working. The medicine used to treat super lice is a strong insecticide. You could injure yourself of your child if you don't apply it as your doctor instructs you to do. If your treatment for super lice doesn't appear to be working, contact the doctor or pharmacist for additional instructions.
A Natural Cure for Super Lice
Many people have had more success using natural cures for super lice. Most of these cures involve using an oil that actually suffocates the super lice and kills them. Tea tree oil is one of the natural oils many people say will kill super lice. You can add a few drop of it to your hair brush of mix it with water in a spray bottle and spray it on your child's hair. For more on super lice and a shampoo remedy you can mix at home, click here.
Other natural cures for super lice include shampooing hair with coconut-oil soap and adding a couple of drops of tea tree oil or neem oil to the lather in the hair. For more information on naturally removing super lice, click here.
Sources:
JoNel Aleccia, 'Super Lice' Leave Parents Scratching Their Heads, MSNBC.com
Annie B. Bond, Safely Eliminating Head Lice, Care2.com
Dr. Greene, Treating Head Lice, DrGreene.com
Published by K. Bellamy
When not handling freelance writing assignments, K.Bellamy likes traveling to nearby Savannah, Georgia and Jacksonville, Florida. Purchasing a fixer-upper means tackling home improvement projects and gardeni... View profile
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- Heading Off Head Lice
- Preventing Head Lice
- What You Need to Know About Head Lice
- Head Lice: Symptoms, Treatment, Prevention
- Head Lice: Tips for Your Home
- Take Precautionary Actions to Prevent Head Lice
- Itching and Scratching? It Could Be Head Lice
- Super lice are difficult to kill.
- Super lice do not respond well to current insecticides.
- Any one can contract super lice.