Head Lice Make Headlines
Here you’ll find interesting media coverage of Lice Away Today.
Tampa Parents Turn to Lice Removal Experts to Combat Pests
Tampa Bay Times
By Scott Purks, Times Correspondent
Published on: 2/18/2016
TAMPA
Four kids bunch up for a selfie. Thick hair blends together. Say, “Cheese.”
Selfie. Selfie. Selfie.
You know who else loves selfies?
Lice.
One kid in the selfie has lice? Now the other three in the photo might have lice as well.
The lice fall on the kids’ backpacks. Backpacks are piled up in the classroom. Lice fall into other backpacks. Backpacks are swung up to shoulders. Hair falls on top of the backpack.
And so on.
Lice. Lice. Lice.
Some families are literally in tears fighting the little buggers.
An official letter from the Hillsborough County Schools District has been sent home from some schools.
We have been instructed to notify parents when head lice have been identified in school. The following information and directions have been compiled concerning head lice. We are sharing this with you at this time because HEAD LICE HAVE BEEN FOUND AT THIS SCHOOL. Head lice (Pediculosis) are characterized by itchy scalp …”
The letter, which does in fact include periodic bold CAPITAL letters, says that kids who are found with lice, “will not be permitted in school until their heads are free of both lice and nits (eggs).”
The letter offers a lengthy list of treatment suggestions, including: seeing a doctor, buying over-the-counter or prescription treatments, washing and shampooing bodies and hair, dry-cleaning coats, washing sheets, vacuuming mattresses, sealing stuffed animals in large plastic bags.
And so on.
Hillsborough school district spokesperson Tanya Arja cautions that despite the frustration some families may be feeling in their battle against lice, there is no outbreak of lice throughout Hillsborough County schools. Arja said lice levels appear normal and less than 1 percent of lice is transmitted at schools.
“We simply want to bring awareness when it is needed,” Arja said. “We are not trying to alarm anyone. It’s precautionary.”
For those infested, however, it’s getting tougher and tougher to kill the bugs and debates are hot on how to kill the bugs, which scientists say have adapted and become resistant to over-the-counter shampoos and pesticides.
Desperate families have turned to lice-removal businesses, such as the LiceDoctors, who come to a client’s home, apply oils to the hair — “to suffocate” the lice — thoroughly comb through the hair and remove all bugs and nits.
LiceDoctors, a national franchise in 40 states that offers a 30-day lice-free guarantee, charges $125 for the first hour and $110 for each additional hour plus travel. LiceDoctors does not charge, “per head.”
South Tampa resident Shannon Gittleman, who lived on a street that suffered a lice outbreak in almost every house within 250 yards, said she was at her wits end to not only kill the bugs, “but to see them.”
“My daughter has light brown hair, and as much as I tried I couldn’t see (the nits and bugs),” Gittleman said. “I called (LiceDoctors) and they came to our house, applied the oil, combed through our hair, and they were done with my daughter and me within a couple of hours.”
Gittleman followed the “post-treatment” instructions, which involved sticking stuffed animals in bags and laundering and so forth, and she said, “We had no more lice after that. I was thrilled.”
One South Tampa parent, Michelle Cherry, became so frustrated with a five-month battle of “using every over-the-counter lice shampoo and prescribed treatment and service, and spending more than $2,000” that she drove her daughter to Jacksonville for a new hot-air “dehydration” treatment.
“And finally we got relief,” Cherry said. “When I was driving home from Jacksonville I said, ‘Why doesn’t anybody open one of these in Tampa? This is needed.’ This is certainly not something I wanted to be in. I used to teach elementary school (in New York). So I’m pretty good with kids. So I said, ‘Why not open my own (lice removal) business.’ ”
She did.
Cherry started her business, Lice Away Today, in Ybor City more than a year ago and moved a few months ago to a storefront at 4308 W El Prado Blvd. in South Tampa
Business is good.
January, in fact, featured a store-record 98 customers, all of whom had lice and/or nits (eggs).
Cherry says she killed and removed all the little buggers from all those heads of hair.
She does it with an FDA-cleared medical device called AirAlle’ (pronounced air-a-lay), which kills lice and eggs through dehydration. The device, which looks like a vacuum but performs more like an air dryer, uses a combination of temperature control, airflow, time (30 minutes) and technique (there is a specific hand-holding method).
After the AirAlle’ treatment, Cherry, or one of her three part-time employees, does a post-treatment comb-out and rinse, which takes about an hour. Once completed, a quick list of maintenance and preventive tips are provided.
Treatments vary from $95 to $160 depending on the package.
Cherry guarantees the treatment for 30 days.
“My hope is that I never have repeat customers,” Cherry said. “I never want to see a customer in my store after that first time. I’ll be happy to see them in the park or at a restaurant or something like that. But only one time in my store.”
LiceDoctors’ technician Kim DeAndrea said she never saw herself working such a job, but she finds it very rewarding.
“I have been to homes where mothers greet me at the door literally in tears,” DeAndrea said. “Sometimes they are ashamed and they think they are bad mothers. But the truth is, lice does not discriminate. Anybody can get lice. Anybody! And these little bugs can drive you downright crazy.
“When I come in and solve their problem they are so happy. I feel like I’m really helping somebody and that feels great.”
Tampa Bay Moms Blog
Lice Thrive in Summer Camp
The hush-hush topic of lice is something all moms think about during the school year. But I never thought that lice thrive in full force at summer camps, too. If you have ever dealt with lice for your children or yourself then you understand the agonizing process of getting rid of the infestation. Recently, I met a Tampa mom that turned her own experience with lice into a solution for Tampa families.
Michelle Cherry is the owner of Lice Away Today, a clinic in South Tampa. She shared her story of dealing with a lice infestation for 5 months. She and her daughter snuggled in bed one night and the nightmare began. First, they tried every over the counter product, then used prescription products costing more than $500 (that also didn’t work!). Desperation led to trying lice services in Tampa, but they did nothing more than use the same products that already did not work (and had Michelle do lots of follow up work). Finally, she got a call from a family member about a all-natural process available in Jacksonville. After five months and 4 hours driving each way, the lice were finally gone!
Now this treatment is available in Tampa. From her painful experience, Michelle decided to open Lice Away Today, a clinic using the same FDA approved AirAlle treatment she got in Jacksonville. “I never planned to be in the lice business,” she said. But, how could she not bring this solution to Tampa. In learning more about the treatment, we discussed so much more than I ever knew about lice. My head actually felt itchy just hearing about it. A simple explanation of the treatment: it’s controlled, heated air, that “is like putting the lice and eggs in a toaster.” Michelle backs her services for 30 days*; even if your child gets re-infested at school, she takes care of them.
Why are lice prevalent in summer camps? Lice are bugs that live in our hair and thrive on our blood. Our hair strands are highways for the bugs to travel. Summer camp environment is more flexible than school, with lots of “togetherness” activities. The more head-to-head contact, the more lice spread. Think your child is not touching another child? Selfies, hugs, backpacks, bus rides, lunch tables, and fun team activities are all opportunities for your child to touch heads or shoulders with another. I am sure my tween daughter is hugging, taking selfies and is whispering in friends ears all day at camp. Sleepover camps where kids are in each other’s rooms and talking while sitting on the beds can be a breeding ground for lice.
How to prevent lice:
1. Keep hair up
Ponytails and braids are critical in the fight again lice. Any child with long hair should keep it up in some manner. Hair bands are recommended for shorter hair.
2. Minimize sharing
It may be hard for kids, but they need to minimize sharing brushes, combs, hats, hair bows, etc. Pretty much anything that is near the head should not be shared.
3. Stay out of others beds
In sleep away camps, talk on floor in common areas, not on friends’ beds. Always sleep on your own pillow.
4. Avoid Head-to-Head or Hair-to-Hair contact
This includes hugs, selfies, sitting closely to a friend, etc. I can hardly image avoiding hugging someone. However, my daughter and I shared a lice experience a couple years ago and it definitely makes you think twice about what your hair touches.
There is no magic bullet to prevent lice, but thank goodness there is a one time, all-natural treatment if it does happens. We went through this in our family in the past. It is definitely one of the most annoying experiences for a family to deal with and it can take weeks or months of time, money and effort to get rid of. Though I am hoping my family does not need these services this summer, it is great to know Lice Away Today is here serving Tampa Bay to rid families of these troublesome bugs.
ABC Action News
Staying Lice Free During Winter Break
Read the full article here: http://www.abcactionnews.com/morning-blend/staying-lice-free-after-winter-break
Hola Cuidad!
Padres en alerta tras brote de “súper piojos”
Read the full article here: http://www.holaciudad.com/tampa/Padres-alerta-brote-super-piojos_2_894530548.html
Tampa Parents Turn to Lice Removal Experts to Combat Pests
Thursday, February 18, 2016 11:41am
Four kids bunch up for a selfie. Thick hair blends together. Say, “Cheese.”
Selfie. Selfie. Selfie.
You know who else loves selfies?
Lice.
One kid in the selfie has lice? Now the other three in the photo might have lice as well.
The lice fall on the kids’ backpacks. Backpacks are piled up in the classroom. Lice fall into other backpacks. Backpacks are swung up to shoulders. Hair falls on top of the backpack.
And so on.
Lice. Lice. Lice.
Some families are literally in tears fighting the little buggers.
An official letter from the Hillsborough County Schools District has been sent home from some schools.
We have been instructed to notify parents when head lice have been identified in school. The following information and directions have been compiled concerning head lice. We are sharing this with you at this time because HEAD LICE HAVE BEEN FOUND AT THIS SCHOOL. Head lice (Pediculosis) are characterized by itchy scalp …”
The letter, which does in fact include periodic bold CAPITAL letters, says that kids who are found with lice, “will not be permitted in school until their heads are free of both lice and nits (eggs).”
The letter offers a lengthy list of treatment suggestions, including: seeing a doctor, buying over-the-counter or prescription treatments, washing and shampooing bodies and hair, dry-cleaning coats, washing sheets, vacuuming mattresses, sealing stuffed animals in large plastic bags.
And so on.
Hillsborough school district spokesperson Tanya Arja cautions that despite the frustration some families may be feeling in their battle against lice, there is no outbreak of lice throughout Hillsborough County schools. Arja said lice levels appear normal and less than 1 percent of lice is transmitted at schools.
“We simply want to bring awareness when it is needed,” Arja said. “We are not trying to alarm anyone. It’s precautionary.”
For those infested, however, it’s getting tougher and tougher to kill the bugs and debates are hot on how to kill the bugs, which scientists say have adapted and become resistant to over-the-counter shampoos and pesticides.
Desperate families have turned to lice-removal businesses, such as the LiceDoctors, who come to a client’s home, apply oils to the hair — “to suffocate” the lice — thoroughly comb through the hair and remove all bugs and nits.
LiceDoctors, a national franchise in 40 states that offers a 30-day lice-free guarantee, charges $125 for the first hour and $110 for each additional hour plus travel. LiceDoctors does not charge, “per head.”
South Tampa resident Shannon Gittleman, who lived on a street that suffered a lice outbreak in almost every house within 250 yards, said she was at her wits end to not only kill the bugs, “but to see them.”
“My daughter has light brown hair, and as much as I tried I couldn’t see (the nits and bugs),” Gittleman said. “I called (LiceDoctors) and they came to our house, applied the oil, combed through our hair, and they were done with my daughter and me within a couple of hours.”
Gittleman followed the “post-treatment” instructions, which involved sticking stuffed animals in bags and laundering and so forth, and she said, “We had no more lice after that. I was thrilled.”
One South Tampa parent, Michelle Cherry, became so frustrated with a five-month battle of “using every over-the-counter lice shampoo and prescribed treatment and service, and spending more than $2,000” that she drove her daughter to Jacksonville for a new hot-air “dehydration” treatment.
“And finally we got relief,” Cherry said. “When I was driving home from Jacksonville I said, ‘Why doesn’t anybody open one of these in Tampa? This is needed.’ This is certainly not something I wanted to be in. I used to teach elementary school (in New York). So I’m pretty good with kids. So I said, ‘Why not open my own (lice removal) business.’ ”
She did.
Cherry started her business, Lice Away Today, in Ybor City more than a year ago and moved a few months ago to a storefront at 4308 W El Prado Blvd. in South Tampa
Business is good.
January, in fact, featured a store-record 98 customers, all of whom had lice and/or nits (eggs).
Cherry says she killed and removed all the little buggers from all those heads of hair.
She does it with an FDA-cleared medical device called AirAlle’ (pronounced air-a-lay), which kills lice and eggs through dehydration. The device, which looks like a vacuum but performs more like an air dryer, uses a combination of temperature control, airflow, time (30 minutes) and technique (there is a specific hand-holding method).
After the AirAlle’ treatment, Cherry, or one of her three part-time employees, does a post-treatment comb-out and rinse, which takes about an hour. Once completed, a quick list of maintenance and preventive tips are provided.
Treatments vary from $95 to $160 depending on the package.
Cherry guarantees the treatment for 30 days.
“My hope is that I never have repeat customers,” Cherry said. “I never want to see a customer in my store after that first time. I’ll be happy to see them in the park or at a restaurant or something like that. But only one time in my store.”
LiceDoctors’ technician Kim DeAndrea said she never saw herself working such a job, but she finds it very rewarding.
“I have been to homes where mothers greet me at the door literally in tears,” DeAndrea said. “Sometimes they are ashamed and they think they are bad mothers. But the truth is, lice does not discriminate. Anybody can get lice. Anybody! And these little bugs can drive you downright crazy.
“When I come in and solve their problem they are so happy. I feel like I’m really helping somebody and that feels great.”
