Lice Prevention Tips as Spring Brings Influx of Head Lice to Atlanta

Atlanta, GA, April 23, 2014 --(PR.com)-- Each year as the weather warms up in Atlanta, LiceDoctors Head Lice Treatment and Nit Removal Service reports the incidence of head lice climbs. This year is no different. According to owner, Karen Sokoloff, "Warm weather means that children convene outside in informal play dates as well as organized sports. The type of play, which is active and physical, provides a vehicle for head lice transferal. Head lice are generally transmitted from head to head contact and children playing together facilitates transmission. This year, we are getting twice the number of calls from infested families in the Atlanta area as we did last year at this time." In addition to head to head contact, head lice can be picked up through hats and helmets and LiceDoctors warns parents that if their children are playing baseball or softball, it is best to use your own individual helmet. If that is not possible, be sure to wipe the helmet thoroughly before sharing it.

LiceDoctors offers additional tips to families to help prevent the spread of head lice. It is very important for girls and boys with long hair to wear their hair up in a braid or bun. The less accessible that the hair is, the more difficult it is for the lice to crawl into it. In addition, parents should add gel, mousse or spray or a lice repellent in their child’s hair. The products put a protective layer on the hair, which makes it harder for the bug to attach to the hair. Children should not share combs or other hair accessories.

When it comes to sleep-over dates, which can be a problem when it comes to head lice, LiceDoctors recommends that parents send their child with her own pillow. Then parents should check their child in front of a bright window or under a bright light as soon as she gets home from a sleep-over. They are looking for bugs that scoot very quickly when you move the hair around.

According to Sokoloff, one of the primary contributing factors to head lice increases is that lice have developed greater resistance to the chemical treatments. These lice are called "super lice" and have parents may use a chemical shampoo and mistakenly think that the product has been effective. "Not everyone itches or shows symptoms of head lice.", reports Sokoloff. "If you see signs of lice or nits, you must kill all the bugs and remove all eggs from the hair. This can be a challenge for untrained people as the nits blend into the hair and can be tiny. If you miss nits, they will remain in the head and hatch within two weeks."

Sokoloff says that the lenient school lice policies in the Atlanta area may be contributing to the increase in incidence. Fulton, DeKalb, and Cobb counties all eliminated "no nit" policies and students with eggs may remain in school.

Sokoloff says that calls are coming in at record rates from all over Atlanta and suburbs including Brookwood Hills, Buckhead, Candler Park, Decatur, Druid Dunwoody, Emory, Marietta, Oak Grove, Reynoldstown, and many others.

Sokoloff explains that the benefits of a professional lice treatment service are "We come to you and we know how to identify lice and nits. We will get rid of the problem. In addition, LiceDoctors educates families about how to identify lice, how to prevent lice infestations, how lice are transmitted, how to comb nits from the hair, and generally how to kill lice and nits. This way, they will be armed should they ever face head lice in the future."

LiceDoctors can be reached in Atlanta at 404-618-0472. The company has treated over 110,000 people and has an "A" rating from the Better Business Bureau. LiceDoctors' treatment protocol was created 18 years ago by its board certified medical director. Their lice treatment service is available in the convenience of the client's home seven days a week, day or night.