Head Lice Return With a Vengeance After Spring Break

Head lice expert Ailene Farkac says school nurses and public health departments are reporting a higher than normal number of lice outbreaks following spring break. Ms. Farkac provides advice and offers free educational materials and lice control programs through www.licesolutions.com

April 27, 2004 -- "Head lice seem to come in waves, and this spring looks like a tsunami", said Ailene Farkac Director of Public Health and Education services at Quantum Health. "There's always a spike after spring break, but the volume of calls this April from public health workers, school nurses and frustrated parents has been unusually high".

Ms. Farkac, whose company provides free educational head lice services and products to public schools, county health clinics and other non-profit organizations, is often called on when lice get out of hand. Lice primarily affect younger school age children. "Elementary school nurses are especially burdened. They're the ones that parents rely on to diagnose and suggest treatment methods", Ms. Farkac explained. " But nurses are finding that lice are resistant to the drug store products and they are at wits end. They turn to me to provide information about safe, effective treatment methods and for information about how they can offer guidance to their struggling families".

"By the time a parent calls me", Ms. Farkac, explained, "they are at wits end. Theyve spent an average of $120 on ineffective products and countless hours trying to eliminate these persistent, annoyers." The first thing I tell frustrated parents is; keep it in perspective - it's not a dangerous health concern, just an annoying one."

Ms. Farkac points many callers towards the free materials available on www.licesolutions.com. There, seekers can find head lice information and control programs tailored for school nurses, PTA groups, in-class use and even an accredited course for RNs.

Theres much parents can do to make sure their child is head lice free. Foremost is the check regularly for lice and their eggs. If they are found, treatment should start immediately.

Here are the steps:
-Check regularly for head lice and nits. Early detection makes complete lice elimination faster and easier. The nits or eggs are white, sesame seed shaped and very tiny. They are usually on the hair shafts close to the scalp. The lice are small, wing-less and sometimes transparent and are sometimes extremely hard to see. Complete nit removal is crucial to eliminating head lice from a childs head. A magnifying glass is helpful. Use a lice comb to move hair around so you can see more clearly and remove the lice or nits with the comb.

Treatments - if your child has lice, then you should immediately examine other family members and treat everyone at one time, as follows:
-Use a head lice product. Follow the directions carefully.
-Remove the left over nits with a fine toothed comb.
-Launder bedding in hot water.
-Vacuum sofas and chairs.

Ms. Farkac recommends two products. The non-toxic HairClean 1-2-3 Lice Kit which includes a shampoo and manual lice comb. This shampoo has been proven to be more effective than most other brands and lice have shown no resistance to the formula. The other suggestion is to use the MagiComb which is a battery operated device which is used to both prevent and treat head lice. MagiComb is standard in many schools throughout the U.S.

Finally, if you or someone you know is stumped, Ms. Farkac invites you to call her at 1-877-LICE-877 or 1-800-448-1448 for information and free phone consultation.

Quantum, Inc. - Natural Products That Make a Difference - Quantum is a natural product company founded in 1981 that specializes in unique formulations designed to help people feel and look their best. Key categories include cold sore, and canker sore treatments, cold and flu relief, natural insect repellents, head lice treatments, skin care and immune support. Based in Eugene, OR, Quantums makes over 50 products which are distributed throughout the United States and Canada and on the Internet. For more information, call toll-free at 1-800-448-1448 or visit www.quantumhealth.com