In the News

head lice make headlines

This section includes news articles that have been published about the Lice Clinics of America network of our specific clinic location.

Lice Clinics of America Warns Parents of Unapproved Lice Devices on the Market

Some Lice-Treatment Clinics are Treating Children with Devices not Approved by the FDA

Aug 02, 2022, 7:10 AM ET

Twelve years ago Larada Sciences revolutionized the professional lice-treatment industry with its FDA-cleared AirAllé device, which uses heated air to kill head lice and 99.2 percent of nits (lice eggs). Since then, Lice Clinics of America franchisees have exclusively used the device to safely and successfully treat more than 825,000 lice infestations. Recently, a small number of competing lice businesses have attempted to capitalize on that success by treating children with air-generating devices that have not been reviewed or cleared by the FDA for use in lice treatments.

Some professional lice businesses are treating their clients using bonnet-style hair dryers usually found in salons. Others are using products meant for pets, such as pet-drying devices used in dog salons or animal warming devices used in veterinary clinics. And some are using a cold-air device meant for cooling the skin during tattoo laser removal. Although the treatment methods may differ, all of those lice businesses are claiming that the products they use kill lice.

Because the FDA classifies these types of lice-treatment products as medical devices, device manufacturers are supposed to submit safety and efficacy claims to the FDA prior to getting clearance to market or use their devices. Currently, the only product on the market that has been cleared by the FDA to use air in treating head lice is the AirAllé device.

“As a parent and a physician, I am concerned about families getting treated with unvalidated or re-purposed devices without the proper oversight,” says Dr. Krista Lauer, national medical director at Lice Clinics of America. “I would never use a medical device in my own practice if I knew it did not have FDA clearance for its intended use.”

Rainya Strack, a school nurse in St. Cloud, Minnesota, says she too is troubled by the proliferation of these devices that were not originally designed for treating lice. For many years she operated a lice clinic using the AirAllé device where she learned firsthand how important it is to provide families with not only safe, effective treatments, but also accurate information.

“Parents already freak out when their kids get lice, so I can only imagine how they would react if they knew the device used on their kid was intended for dogs or tattoo removal,” says Strack. “Parents deserve to know whether the treatments they are paying for have been approved by the FDA.”

The two devices she finds most troubling are the Lice-Tech device and the Zyma cold-air device. The Lice-Tech device is actually a Chinese product that blows warm air into an inflatable mattress for animals to lie on and stay warm during veterinary procedures. The device has been retrofitted with an applicator tip instead of the mattress at the end of its hose.

The Zyma device is actually a product called Cryo 6, which has been cleared by the FDA as a Class II medical device to “minimize pain and thermal injury during laser and dermatological treatments.”

Another heated-air product, FloSonix, blows air at a cooler temperature than has been found to significantly kill lice eggs. Because the manufacturer suggests having customers treat themselves with a topical lice-killing oil before and after a FloSonix treatment, and the FDA has not reviewed the manufacturer’s claims, it is unclear whether the device works.

Claire Roberts, CEO of Lice Clinics of America, said she wants parents to know they can trust getting treated at any one of their 150 U.S. clinics. “Our certified technicians will use an FDA-cleared medical device to get your children’s head lice eradicated safely in less than an hour, guaranteed. No pesticides, no gimmicks, no false advertising, no bait-and-switch. It is the same honest, safe and effective treatment we’ve been providing for the past 12 years. With over 20,000 5-star reviews, parents can rest assured they are in good hands at Lice Clinics of America,” said Roberts. About Lice Clinics of America Lice Clinics of America (www.liceclinicsofamerica.com) provides lice-treatment services through its network of franchised clinics. It has successfully treated more than 825,000 cases of head lice using its patented heated-air device, AirAllé. Lice Clinics of America and AirAllé (www.airalle.com) are brands owned by Larada Sciences, Inc., which is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Lice Clinics of America Reports Lice Activity Increased 20 Percent in San Francisco Bay Area This Winter Over Last

Though not life-threatening, lice are highly contagious and have built a resistance to over-the-counter remedies

SAN FRANCISCO, March 26, 2019 – Lice Clinics of America reported that their 330 clinics across the network saw an average increase of 30 percent in lice activity nationwide this winter. This data was gathered and compared from the organization’s bookings and treatments in January 2018 and January 2019 in its clinics in the U.S. and abroad. Geographic areas such as the San Francisco Bay area, saw an increase of 20 percent this January. The CDC estimates six million to 12 million infestations occur each year in the U.S. among children three to 11 years of age.

“Lice Clinics of America has a unique opportunity to gather its data to help identify trends. We believe we can attribute the increase in lice infestation bookings and treatments in our clinics to three things,” said Lice Clinics of America CEO Claire Roberts. “First, it’s a fact that many over-the-counter products are no longer effective in treating the “super lice” of today, so people are seeking professional help. Second, there is a true lack of understanding by the public on the life cycle of lice and how they spread. And third, people are becoming increasingly aware of the more effective, technologically-advanced treatment methods offered by Lice Clinics of America.”

Lice are highly contagious. According to the CDC, “Head-to-head contact with an already infected person is the most common way to get head lice. Head-to-head contact is common during play at school, at home and elsewhere, such as sports activities, the playground, slumber parties, and camps.”

Dr. Krista Lauer, medical director of Lice Clinics of America, reports, “If you have school-age children in a region where lice infestations have been reported, it’s important to take some immediate steps to either prevent your children from being infested or properly treat and kill the lice before they spread to others in your family and social group.”

Dr. Lauer says, “First, don’t panic, and second, don’t be embarrassed. Those pesky lice have nothing to do with personal hygiene.” She recommends the following to make sure lice aren’t living in your child’s hair:

Inspect your child’s head at home, especially if your child has an itchy scalp. Look for eggs, nymphs and adult lice. One adult louse can lay about 100 eggs during her life span. That’s a lot of new lice.
Call the parents of your child’s friends and have them check for head lice, remembering that earlier intervention can help to reduce the infestation level.
If you see lice—or if you are unsure whether you have lice—visit a professional lice treatment center, such as Lice Clinics of America.
Remember, traditional over-the-counter treatments contain pesticides that are no longer effective. Lice have evolved into “super lice” and have developed resistance to those pesticides. Find a treatment that is safe and effective. Lice Clinics of America has many from which to choose.
Be safe this season by starting your child on a lice prevention regimen using trusted lice prevention products such as shampoos, conditioners, sprays and hair bands that will help to keep lice away from your child’s scalp.

With more than 330 clinics in 35 countries, Lice Clinics of America is the world’s number-one service brand for treating head lice. The company’s revolutionary heated-air treatment is guaranteed to kill lice, lice eggs and super lice in a single, one-hour treatment. Lice Clinics of America also offers professional lice screenings and a full line of top-rated lice prevention products.

For those who prefer to do treatments on their own, the same precision-controlled heated air technology is available in a hand-held device for consumer use. Lice Clinics of America’s OneCure™ Treatment Kit is available at Lice Clinics of America clinics and on Amazon.

For more information visit www.liceclinicsofamerica.com.

CBS
The cure for lice as seen on: The Doctors