The Real Health Risks of Head Lice | Fresh Heads Lice Removal

It’s natural for parents to be concerned when their child has head lice. They are itchy, bothersome and can be difficult to get rid of. However, the bugs themselves don’t pose too much of a health risk. Chemicals found in common head lice removal treatments are the real risk of lice, sold at your local drug store. Here’s what you need to know about toxic over-the-counter treatments before you treat your child for head lice.

OTC Head Lice Treatments Pose Real Health Risk

Research has been clear—pesticide style head lice treatments of yesterday are hazardous to your child’s health. They typically contain dangerous synthetic chemicals called pyrethroids. One recent study in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine found that exposure to certain pyrethroids at environmental levels may negatively affect neurobehavioral development by the age of six.

The chemicals most commonly found in OTC lice treatment products are permethrin and lindane. Both chemicals have been proven to be toxic. Here’s more information about these two disturbing ingredients and some of their alarming side effects.

Permethrin is a neurotoxin that is found in many insecticides, including Raid. It’s also the key ingredient in numerous head lice removal treatments. It’s known to be carcinogenic and can cause serious side effects such as:

Wheezing or coughing
Shortness of breath/difficulty breathing
Runny or stuffy nose
Skin irritation burning
Scalp irritation or burning
May affect the reproductive system
Nervous system symptoms such as excitability and convulsions
Allergic reaction

Lindane is a dangerous chemical that attacks the nervous system. Known to cause cancer. And it’s found in OTC head lice removal products. The FDA has recommended using extreme caution when using lindane on anyone under 110 pounds—which would include most school-aged children.

When used to treat lice, it’s easily absorbed through the scalp, which makes it even more troubling. The World Health Organization has even reclassified lindane from being a “possible carcinogenic” to “known to cause human cancer.” Lindane can cause serious side effects such as:

Stinging, burning and itching of the skin
Rashes
Dizziness
Drowsiness
Vomiting
Seizures
Uncontrollable bodily shaking
Allergic reaction

Don’t Risk It. Choose Fresh Heads Lice Treatment Centers.

When the risk of head lice removal is worse than the head lice itself, what’s a parent to do? Simple. Choose a nontoxic treatment option like those offered at Fresh Heads. Not only are our treatments safe, they’re also far more effective since head lice have built up a resistance to old-school pesticide-based treatments.

Our signature treatment—AirAllé—was specifically designed to dehydrate lice and their eggs with warm, heated air. It’s FDA-cleared and has been proven to be safe and effective at killing lice and their eggs—it’s rate of efficacy is 99.2%! That’s a much higher rate than OTC head lice removal products. With AirAllé, we can safely and comfortably treat your child for head lice in about an hour. It’s fast, easy and so effective. It’s backed by our 45-day retreatment policy.

If your child comes home with head lice, call Fresh Heads for no-risk treatment you can trust.