Super Lice – Everything you need to know before your kids go back to school

For many of us, our kids are already gearing up to go back to school. The list of things you have to get done before the new school year starts is getting longer and longer. I bet super lice in school isn’t even on your radar, but it should be…

Imagine this…

You’ve picked out the new clothes. You’ve filled out all the immunization forms. The carpool arrangements have been made, and you and the kids are {hopefully} physically and emotionally ready to take on another new school year. Just as you all start getting in a groove…

BAM!

You get the letter. The dreaded head lice letter letting all parents know there has been an outbreak of head lice in your child’s classroom. It’s inevitable! Back-to-school usually means back to germs. A few weeks into each new school year, I often see a surge of children suffering from common colds, ailments, and even head lice.

Now, let’s go one step further…

Everyone knows what head lice is, but do you know what SUPER LICE is? If you’re stumped, know you’re not alone. Let’s break down what super lice is and how you can prepare yourself and your child for the new school year.

What are Super Lice?

Have you ever wondered why it is so hard to get rid of lice? Or have you been that lucky parent who treats their child’s lice only to be hit with a re-infestation just a few weeks later?

Super lice is the term given to strains of head lice exhibiting genetic resistance to the chemical pesticides traditionally used to treat infestations. This resistance is similar to bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics. These resistant head lice strains are dominant across the U.S. This information often comes as a surprise to parents looking to buy tried-and-true pesticide-based products, believing they’re the most toxic to lice.

But don’t worry, there are over-the-counter products readily available which utilize new formulas to kill head lice regardless of their resistance potential.

How do I know if my child has super lice or just lice?

Unfortunately, there’s no way to know if your child has lice or a strain of pesticide-resistant super lice. There’s nothing visually different that sets them apart. But knowing your child’s particular strain isn’t necessary given the availability of products that work either way without traditional pesticides. With the prevalence of super lice in the U.S., going in with guns blazing is key.

So, as a pediatrician, I always recommend parents use a product that’s effective on super lice AND eggs and does not rely on permethrin or pyrethrins – the active ingredients to which super lice are becoming increasingly resistant. In fact, pesticide-free formulas designed often provide greater convenience. They offer new application formats and feature ingredients you can feel good about using on your child’s scalp.

Vamousse products were developed by entomologists (bug experts!) to overcome the decreased effectiveness of traditional pesticide products. Vamousse Treatment kills lice AND eggs using the active ingredient Natrum Muriaticum, which destroys the protective exterior of the parasites to internally cause gut rupture and dehydration, resulting in death.

There was an outbreak in my child’s classroom. What do I do next?

The first and most important step is to check your child’s hair and scalp for signs of lice, paying close attention to the nape of the neck and behind the ears. If they DO NOT have head lice, you want to immediately invest in some great preventative products. There are several things you can do to prevent your child from getting an infestation of head lice.

1. Pull your child’s hair back, or braid it before school.
2. Teach your children to avoid head-to-head contact.
3. Swap out your regular shampoo for Vamousse Lice Defense – a daily lice-killing shampoo. Typically itching from an infestation does not occur until 4-6 weeks after lice are first contracted. Don’t wait for the itch! Vamousse’s Lice Defense Daily Shampoo kills recently contracted super lice before detection when used daily for 10-14 days following exposure or treatment.
4. Before school, spray your child’s hair with Vamousse’s Lice Repellant Leave-in Spray. It contains essential oils – not synthetic pesticides – which create a barrier on the hair that lice avoid, further reducing the risk of an infestation.

It’s official – my child has lice. What do I do now?

The key to controlling a head lice infestation is to catch it early. Be aware of the signs and symptoms related to lice, including excessive itching or an irritated scalp. If you notice your child or another child scratching, do a thorough check to be sure he or she doesn’t have lice.

If you have an active infestation, you’ll want to treat the problem once and be done. That means take care of both adult lice AND their eggs at once. Perhaps the most important success factor in ending an infestation is to understand how a product works and to use it exactly according to the instructions. Many new pesticide-free products claim to “eliminate” eggs.

Read the instructions carefully!

In many cases, “eliminate” means the treatment relies on parents combing lice out rather than the formula killing the lice. So for these products, diligent and proper combing is the only way to have success.

Vamousse is a great choice for parents because the convenient mousse formula goes to work within minutes to kill adult lice AND their eggs – tackling the entire infestation cycle – while they’re still in the hair.

Whereas many other lice treatments require more than one application, Vamousse takes care of the entire infestation at one time! By treating the entire infestation, parents have a better chance of curing their child’s infestation. No need to comb lice like an expert or wait until eggs hatch to complete the process!

Final Thoughts on Surviving Super Lice in School

Anyone can get lice, no matter how clean your hair or home. Head lice often causes great stress and anxiety for parents. But with the right products and information, it really doesn’t have to! Just remember to stay calm. Being proactive and prepared are the best weapons you can have to getting through an outbreak of head lice or super lice in school.

Dr. Katie

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