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Most families have had the experience of helping either their family or someone else’s get rid of lice. Historically, over-the-counter lice treatments were the standard remedy option that most people found effective. However, these pesticide lice shampoos have lost their effectiveness over time, and families are looking for answers and other solutions like lice treatment products from LiceDoctors, but people still use OTC treatments.
#1. LICE DEVELOPED A NATURAL RESISTANCE
#2 SOME OTC PRODUCTS CAN BE HARMFUL
The same ingredients that are found in over-the-counter pesticide lice removal products are those that are being applied directly to the head to kill the lice. Consider, if this pesticide is killing the lice, what is the possibility that you or a loved one may not experience some ill effects from the treatment? For example, permethrin, a common ingredient in OTC treatments, is a neurotoxin - meaning it kills by affecting the louse’s nervous system. When considering these OTC options, be sure to read the warnings, including the potential side effects, and make an informed decision before bringing them into your home and applying them to your child’s head.
#3 OTC PRODUCTS DON’T KILL NITS
Does lice shampoo work? The answer is usually no; your lice shampoo is not working. When considering an OTC shampoo for lice, read the instructions carefully. You will see that you must remove all of the nits from the hair. This is because these treatments do not penetrate the shell of the lice egg or nit. In fact, no lice products penetrate the shell of the lice egg. If the eggs are not removed from the hair, they will start an infestation all over again. This would occur if just 2 nits are left remaining in the hair.
DO HOME REMEDIES WORK?
As is the case with OTC products, only occasionally do home remedies work. However, for a treatment option to work, it has to be done correctly - including the removal of all of the eggs and bugs from the hair. That said, in your research of lice solutions, all home remedies you will find include instructions to remove all of the eggs from the hair. This is often the most time-consuming and painstaking step of any treatment that cannot be skipped. Keep in mind that not only do these homemade solutions often fail, but they may also be cumbersome to use (mayonnaise) or, worse, they may have side effects (alcohol), or even worse, they are dangerous (kerosine).
WHAT IS THE BEST SOLUTION FOR HEAD LICE?
When considering the best over-the-counter lice treatment, it is important to know when your lice treatment is not working. At LiceDoctors, we do not recommend over-the-counter treatments or gimmicky products that claim to get rid of lice with little to no effort. Really, the best solution for head lice is manual removal of everything from the hair, followed up with a plan to address any nits that may not have been visible at the time the treatment is performed. Many families do not have time for this step, especially considering that a moderate case of head lice can include 100 or more camouflaged eggs that have to be found and removed. That is when it’s time to bring in head lice specialists. The professional lice treatment provided by technicians with LiceDoctors includes no shortcuts. Call us or schedule an appointment online to learn how we can help you get rid of lice for good!
