Everyone knows them; everyone fears them. Lice are one of the most annoying creatures out there, second only to maybe bed bugs and fleas when it comes to household pests. While not technically dangerous to humans, lice are irritating, causing itchiness and pain. They can even lead to infection if you scratch too much.

Even worse, a new variety of lice has emerged in the last few years, which experts have dubbed “Super Lice.” These creatures are basically the same as lice, just stronger and more stubborn — because they’ve evolved to be resistant to traditional treatments.

It’s thought that 98.3% of lice are now Super Lice, and that number could reach 100% as lice continue to get more resistant to traditional treatment methods.

The Facts

Lice carry a false stigma, namely that anyone with lice has lousy hygiene. But anyone can get lice! That’s why they’re so common. In fact, they prefer clean hair.

The best way to keep lice out of your children’s hair, then, is by making sure they understand what the insects are and the dangers of sharing hats or combs.

However, even the most prepared children aren’t immune to Super Lice. If this seems scary, don’t worry. We’re here to help. In this article, we’ll talk about various treatments that don’t work (some of which are even dangerous) as well as the best possible way to treat your lice.

Ineffective Home Remedies

Anyone can get Super Lice, but the most common victims are children, especially those in childcare, elementary schools and camps.

Why?

Once one child has them, it’s difficult to stop them from spreading. Every year, between 6 and 12 million infestations occur among children ages 3 to 11.

Because lice have been a problem in children for, well, centuries, there has been plenty of time for rumors to develop about household remedies. Most of these remedies are ineffective, however. And some are downright ridiculous!

For example, some believe that mayonnaise, olive oil or other dense fats rubbed on the scalp can kill the pesky bugs by drowning/suffocating them. These treatments require the lotion or fat to be on your head for at least 8-12 hours. (Think you can get your child to sit still with mayo on their head for a whole day?)

And, the worst part? They don’t actually get rid of the eggs, just the lice themselves.

Toxic Techniques

Over-the-counter treatments are even worse than some of the sillier at-home methods. Many of these treatments are harmful and dangerous for adults and children alike. These over-the-counter treatments include the ingredients permethrin and pyrethrin, both of which are toxic. They’ve been shown to cause redness, swelling, even more itching and respiratory distress.

Many other shampoos and lotions, even if they don’t contain these chemicals, can cause side effects that no one wants, and some of them are even flammable. (If there’s one thing you don’t want on your head even more than lice, it’s fire…)

You don’t need to panic; just be smart when deciding how to get rid of the pesky bugs. Lice are annoying, but remember, people deal with them every day. Being patient and smart about your treatment will go a long way.

Effective Treatments

Even before Super Lice, these toxic treatments were a bad idea. But they worked, so no one really considered the side effects.

While Super Lice’s immunity towards many common treatments is frustrating, it has had one benefit: we’re reconsidering which treatments we should be using.

There are plenty of treatments your doctor might prescribe to your children, but the unfortunate truth is that, even though many of these are effective against Super Lice, they still have some irritating and even painful side effects.

And the longer we use these treatments, the more immune Super Lice get.

The Best Way

If at-home remedies only solve part of the problem, over-the-counter treatments are toxic and prescription solutions are sometimes flammable and itchy, what are we supposed to do? Give up and let the lice take over our kids’ heads? Absolutely not.

The best way to defeat lice once and for all is by using an electric lice comb, such as the RobiComb. The RobiComb uses MicroCharge technology to electrocute and eliminate the lice with such a small charge that you and your children can barely feel it. It’s painless, you won’t have to worry about any toxic shampoos or itchy lotions and it simultaneously kills the lice and removes the nits that stick to hair follicles.

As a bonus, there’s no odor or mess to clean up once you’re done; simply rinse your hair to make sure you get all the remains out, and you’re home free. The RobiComb even includes a guard so that your scalp remains unblemished. Use RobiComb for a safe, effective treatment so your scalp can be lice-free in a matter of hours.

 

 

 

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Inbal Gabrieli has 20 years of management experience in project management and operations. She’s passionate about business execution, innovations and making things happen. Inbal holds an MBA with honors and a bachelor’s degree in statistics and human resources. Inbal is currently running Operations for LiceGuard LLC. When not working, Inbal enjoys cooking international food and spending time with her family.

 

 

 

 

Many of us have fond memories of owning a pet as a child. Pet ownership is an excellent way of teaching children about responsibility and can also be an enriching experience for you, but it is important that you choose the type of pet you buy carefully. Below are some tips for choosing the right pet for you and your child.

Make Sure You Are Both Ready for Pet Ownership

Owning a pet is a major responsibility and is not something that you should enter into lightly. Before you start picking out a pet for your child, you need to be certain that both you and they are prepared for what lies ahead. If you are considering handing the full responsibility of the pet over to your child, then you need to realise that this is not realistic. Not only will your child inevitably need some guidance on how to properly look after another living thing, but you will assume ultimate responsibility if they should fail in any regard. That means that you need to be prepared to step in at any minute.

You will also need to take charge when it comes to your pet’s health. If they end up needing a vet visit or an annual check-up, then you are going to have to organise and pay for this.

It is worth considering taking out a pet insurance policy to pre-empt any potential medical issues. There are a number of pet insurance providers out there to choose from. For example, Everypaw offers pet insurance for both cats and dogs. They offer different types of insurance and they even offer a multi-pet discount if you are insuring more than one pet at a time. This insurance can give you some financial protection if your pet does have a medical episode.

Consider Your Child’s Age

One of the most important factors in determining which kinds of pets are suitable for your child will be their age. For children who are younger, a pet with a self-contained environment is usually best. Pets like fish and hamsters are common options for a first pet as they are easy to look after and don’t need to be regularly walked! If your child is young, then you will need to supervise them regardless of the type of pet that they choose.

Older children can usually be trusted to look after a caged pet on their own without any direct supervision. However, you should check up on their pet now and then. If you go with a larger pet like a dog, then it is at this age that kids can start to learn how to walk with the dog.

Teenagers and older can usually be trusted to look after a pet mostly or entirely on their own. This includes things like walking, grooming, and ensuring that the pet is fed every day.

Start with Something Small

If neither you nor your kids have ever owned a pet before, then it is a good idea to start with something small and simple to look after. The goldfish is a popular choice as a first pet because they involve the minimum amount of work, but it still teaches kids the importance of things like establishing a regular feeding schedule and ensuring that they are meeting the demands of their pets every day. Tortoises are also a popular first pet, as they are easy to care for, and can live for a very long time, meaning children won’t have to deal with the loss of their pet any time soon. That being said, they aren’t as common pets-wise as things like dogs and cats, so it may be worth taking a look at resources like this https://www.petsadvice.org/2022/04/can-a-tortoise-eat-tomatoes/ post on Pets Advice to learn about what you should be feeding a tortoise to make sure it is happy and healthy.

Small rodents and other similar pets require a little bit more effort but are still simple enough to look after for most children.Many parents who do not have experience of pet ownership will also find it helpful to start with something that is small and simple to look after. This will take a lot of the pressure off and will enable you to address any of your own concerns and anxieties before you and your child take on responsibility for a more advanced pet.

Try Out Fostering

If you aren’t sure what kind of pet you want, or whether you and your child are up to the task of looking after it, fostering is an excellent way of finding out. Fostering enables you to experience what life with a pet is like, and also enables you and your child to help out animals in need.

You can approach a local animal rescue center to ask about fostering opportunities. Not all foster animals are animals that have been abandoned or mistreated, although you can help these animals by fostering. But many foster animals are just animals who need somewhere to stay while their owners are temporarily away.

Taking on responsibility for a new pet is a significant undertaking. This is not something that you should enter into lightly, and it is important that you carefully consider the type of pet that you buy. However, as long as you make your choice carefully and are prepared to support your child with the responsibilities of pet ownership, it should be an enjoyable and enriching experience.