Hair Gel May Help Prevent Head Lice, Farmington Hills Expert Says

As children head back to school, the habit of sharing hats, combs, helmets and other items raises the ugly possibility of spreading head lice. 

But while treating a head lice infestation can be time consuming, Sarah Casello-Rees of Rapunzel's Lice Boutique in Farmington Hills says lice are more a nuisance than a channel for disease. Casello-Rees says the best defense is to contain your child's hair, use essential oils and, because lice like clean hair, put in some gel or other products to “muck” it up.

“People with long hair should wear their hair up in a bun or in braids and those with short hair, including many boys, should consider using gel or another styling product," she said. 

The Center for Disease Control estimates 6-12 million American children will get head lice this year. Head lice are second only to the common cold as a cause for missed days of school. And Casello-Rees said her shops in Farmington Hills, Ann Arbor and Sterling Heights treated hundreds of cases in July alone. 

“We have seen a dramatic increase in head lice cases over this past summer," she said. "In addition to the number we treated, there were quite a few cases where the family chose our self-treatment option, thus the number of active cases we encountered that month was close to 500."

Most families treat head lice with over the counter products, Casello-Rees added, and “over the past 20 years, head lice have become increasingly resistant to the pyrethroids in these products. We see clients everyday who have used these products and still have live, happy, robust adult lice crawling around.”

Rapunzel's uses the AirAllé, an FDA cleared medical device which uses heated air to desiccate the lice and nits. Killing the eggs is the "Holy Grail" of head lice treatment because with self-treatments, if you miss a few eggs, they will likely hatch and the infestation will continue, Casello-Rees said. 
 
She added that parents should avoid over-treating with over-the-counter products and steer clear of alternative treatments, like using flammable liquids such as kerosene or gasoline, that can cause serious injuries. 

There have also been reported cases where parents have used DNA altering flea medication on their children.  

“It is truly frightening what some poor parents resort to when treating lice," Casello-Rees said. "These 'cures' are much worse than actually having lice.” 

To learn more, visit rapunzelslice.com or call the "Head Lice Hotline", 734-929-9080. The Farmington Hills location is at 27620 Farmington Rd., Suite 109.