New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
FDA-cleared device can quash lice, available in Connecticut
ORANGE – Head lice are among the oldest human parasites, but a modern technique to get rid of the fast-breeding bugs is available right here in town at Lice Clinics of America, with Connecticut locations also in West Hartford and Bethel.
Treatments with a special shampoo containing chemicals – sometimes requiring several applications — used to be the only option for getting rid of lice. Depending on hair length, it could take hours to comb nits or lice eggs out of the hair, said Stephanie Knecht, director of operations for Lice Clinics of America’s Connecticut clinics and one in New York.
Knecht said they can now get rid of lice in a single sitting with “FDA- cleared medical device” called AirAlle that uses heated air to dehydrate eggs and lice, then they comb out the hair to remove debris.
“Each step is over 99 percent effective,” she said, and is guaranteed as long as the whole household is examined for lice, then cleared or treated accordingly.
Knecht said head lice are “becoming more and more resistant to most conventional lice-treatment products” and as a result, these “super lice” are becoming more difficult to kill, “increasing frustration and anxiety among parents.”
“Our technicians are kind and our clinics are clean,” Knecht said. “We offer snacks and entertainment to the children in our chairs.”
She said the device was invented by scientists at University of Utah. Lice Clinics of America is a franchise with more than 200 centers around the nation.
Knecht said there are more than 12 million cases of head lice reported in the United States every year and getting rid of them can be tricky.
“People say, ‘My daughter gets lice twice a month, but really they never got rid of it,” Knecht said. “It’s an affliction of mainly schoolaged children. They spread it around by getting close, doing selfies, on the cheer squad...”
Lice spread easier among children through contact because they have fewer boundaries than adults, Knecht said.
Knecht said those with lice typically give it to 70 percent of the household and itching only occurs in 33 percent of the cases, the result not of lice movement, but rather an allergic reaction to the saliva the lice leave behind.
“Sometimes you don’t realize you have it,” because it takes a while to see a bug, Knecht said.
All you need to develop lice is one pregnant female on the head, she said. They lay up to 10 eggs a day and one louse can lay up to 200 eggs. When laying eggs, the lice secrete a glue to attach onto hair, Knecht said.
“Untreated you can have thousands and thousands of bugs and eggs,” she said. “It gets out of control.”
The lice feed only on the blood of the scalp and don’t spread to other areas of the body, she said.
The AirAlle method costs $185 and is guaranteed for 30 days as long as other household members are checked, Knecth said. But for those who can’t afford that method, there are a range of other methods available through Lice Clinics of America, including Do-it-yourself kits starting at $40. Sometimes the dehydrating method is covered by insurance reimbursement, she said.
Brooke Logan, deputy director of New Haven Health Department, said the department has not “received feedback” about the lice treatment center’s methods.
Logan said when lice is found, school nurses provide the parent/caregiver with information about lice and treatment. Lice may be treated with over-thecounter shampoos or with prescription shampoo from a medical provider, she said.
“The use of nit combs is critical for removing nits. The person with lice as well as all household members should be treated concurrently,” Logan said. “Linens, clothing and personal items should be washed in hot water.”
Logan said school nurses also work with school staff to reinforce proper storage hats, coats, etc., as well as not allowing students to share personal belongings.
“It is not recommended that students with lice quarantine or be removed from school,” Logan said. “However, students should be treated as soon as possible to avoid lice spreading.”