Lice is a pesky problem and an itchy one and it is causing problems for many families in the Tampa Bay area, but it’s a problem no one really wants to bring up.
Many times, over-the-counter products will not do the trick, but many families do not know that. In this 8 On Your Side report, we clear up the misconceptions about lice.
“Anyone can get lice. If you have hair in your head and blood on your scalp, you can get lice. Doesn’t matter if you have dirty hair or clean hair. It looks like a little teardrop and if you look at it, that is off the hair under a loop, it looks like the same teardrop but it really looks like a grain of brown rice with a tail,” said Michelle Cherry, owner of Lice Away Today.
Michelle Cherry is the owner of Lice Away Today. Before opening up shop, her family struggled with lice for months.
“We used every over-the-counter, every prescription, every service over 100 miles. We thought we were doing everything we could of done, but it never went away. That was with us actively treating it, actively working on it,” said Cherry.
Sometimes, over-the-counter products will not work. Bugs can become immune to the pesticides, so you have to treat them more aggressively.
At Lice Away Today, a systematic approach is used to make sure bugs are killed in one visit.
First, you need a headcheck to verify there is in fact lice or eggs in your hair. If so, in a 30-minute treatment, a dehydrator can be used and it will kill the lice and eggs.
After that, the hair gets combed out and then an oil is placed on the hair to kill any remaining lice. If you find yourself or family to be infested, you shouldn’t be embarrassed about it. Anyone, no matter the hair type, skin color or hygiene level can get lice.
“We have to get lice out of the closet because lice spreads so quickly and easily so if you don’t let the people around you know that you or your child are dealing with lice, that is the best way to get lice back,” said Cherry.
Keep in mind that the bugs do not have wings so they don’t fly. Kids and teens are getting lice so frequently today because they’re taking so many selfies and putting their heads together. It is recommended for girls to always wear their hair back and to be on the safe side, shake hands with your friends and do not hug them if you want to avoid the pesky critters.