A Word from Lice Clinics of America – Modesto and Dr. Lauer
“Here at Lice Clinics of America we daily have clients that come in who have tried home remedies that just do not work,” says Amira, owner of Lice Clinics of America Modesto, which services Ripon, Salida, Riverbank, Oakdale, Modesto, Ceres, Turlock, Atwater, Hughson, Merced, Los Banos, Madera. “Over the counter products have become ineffective as lice continue to develop an immunity to the chemicals used in these over the counter products.”
“Most clients who have come in have tried a mildly dangerous product in an attempt to treat head lice on their own,” says Amira. “Most clients who have come in have tried a mildly dangerous product in an attempt to treat head lice on their own.”
From Dr. Krista Lauer:
“As Lice Clinics of America head lice professionals, we are all used to having the most effective and safe head lice treatment at our fingertips,” says Dr. Krista Lauer, National Medical Director of Lice Clinics of America. “It seems unfathomable that some people are still suggesting alternative remedies without any scientific basis. Even more concerning is the fact that many of these recommendations could be dangerous.”
A few months ago, someone posted a comment on a Lice Clinics of America Facebook post suggesting kerosene as an effective treatment for head lice. This came with a “how to” guide. “They suggested parting the hair into sections, applying kerosene to each section and sitting in the sun for a period,” says Dr. Lauer. “Needless to say, I was shocked!”
This comment came just a few months after a news story about a 16-year-old girl who was in the intensive care unit because a friend told her to put gasoline on her hair to kill lice. She’d taken gasoline from her family’s heating unit and dumped it on her head, igniting her hair. Her father, hearing his daughter’s screams, attempted to put out the flames with a towel. He was in the same hospital with severe burns to his hands.
Gasoline, like kerosene, is extremely flammable. Not only that, but both are associated with major toxicity. Kerosene and gasoline are both members of the hydrocarbon family of chemicals. According to US poison control centers, ingestion of these chemicals is responsible for one to two percent of all non-medication toxic exposures in children under the age of six. Ingestion or breathing in hydrocarbons can be fatal. It may cause respiratory failure. In fact, hydrocarbons were implicated in almost five percent of all single-substance fatalities in the pediatric population younger than six.
Lice Clinics of America – Modesto owner Amira also added, “There is a stigma associated with an infestation which may lead people to desperate measures. Despite our best efforts, there is a lot of misinformation out there. We recently found an article while looking through educational material; on an official site still suggesting the use of mayonnaise when we know this doesn’t work. Mayonnaise does not kill the nits!”
About Lice Clinics of America – Modesto
Lice Clinics of America has over 300 clinics in 35 countries, making it the world’s largest network of professional lice treatment centers. Lice Clinics of America – Modesto is located at 937 Coffee Road, suite 800, Modesto, CA 95355 and is open Monday to Saturday days a week by appointment. Call 209-353-9240 or visit www.liceclinicsmodesto.com for more information or to schedule an appointment.
