One of the most profitable and untapped businesses in 2023: 5 Reasons Why You Need to Start a Lice Removal Business Today.

Are you looking for a profitable business idea that can make a real difference in your community? Consider starting a lice removal business. While it may not sound glamorous, lice infestations are a common problem that affects millions of people every year. Here are some compelling reasons why you should start a lice removal business:

1) There is a high demand for lice removal services.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 6 to 12 million children between the ages of 3 and 11 get lice each year in the United States. This means that there is a huge demand for lice removal services, especially during peak seasons such as back-to-school and summer camps.

2) Lice removal can be a lucrative business.

Lice removal services can be highly profitable, with some companies charging upwards of $250 per hour for their services. With low overhead and high demand, a lice removal business can be a great investment opportunity.

3) Lice removal is a non-toxic and eco-friendly service.

Unlike many other pest control services, head lice removal is a non-toxic and eco-friendly service that is safe for both people and the environment. This means that you can feel good about offering a service that is not only profitable but also safe for your community.

4) You can make a real difference in people's lives.

Lice infestations can be a real nightmare for families, causing stress, embarrassment, and even social isolation. By starting a lice removal business, you can help families get rid of these pesky parasites and restore their peace of mind.

5) You can work flexible hours and be your own boss.

Starting a lice removal business gives you the freedom to work flexible hours and be your own boss. This means that you can create a schedule that works for you and your family while still earning a high income.

In conclusion, starting a lice removal business is a smart business decision that can make a real difference in your community. With high demand, lucrative earnings, and the ability to positively impact people's lives, it's a business idea worth considering. So, what are you waiting for? Take the leap, sign up for my signature Larger Than Lice Academy Training and Certification Program, and start your lice removal business today!

Lice Expert Advise: Avoid using OTC lice treatment products to get rid of lice.

Suppose you've confirmed that you, your child, or someone else has head lice. What do you do now? How do you get rid of the lice? What products should you buy? There are a lot of questions that come up at this point, and this chapter is dedicated to answering them and setting you on the right treatment path!

Doing It Yourself using over-the-counter lice treatment products

The biggest debate in treatment is: do you do it yourself, or do you hire a professional? While hiring a Certified Head Lice Expert can be expensive, there are hidden risks and costs to treating lice yourself and waiting too long to get professional treatment can end up costing you more than twice what you'd pay a professional. When contacting a doctor or scouring the internet for advice, you are likely to receive recommendations for medications that will kill some lice but not nits or for over-the-counter (OTC) pesticide treatments. Pesticides such as Permethrin were once effective in treating head lice, but studies show that over the years, the lice adapted and developed a resistance to these toxins, rendering them useless. Today, these pesticide treatments only work around 20-30% of the time. In addition to being relatively ineffective, Permethrin, Lindane (anti-parasite neurotoxins), and Malathion have been proven to be toxic and hazardous.

Permethrin is a synthetic chemical used to kill insects and parasites. It is widely used, and in cases of head lice, it is typically applied as a cream or a lotion. However, you may be familiar with it for its use in treating mosquitos and other pests. Permethrin is carcinogenic and may cause the following side effects: 

• Runny or stuffy nose, 

• Difficulty breathing, 

• Irritation and Burning of the skin and scalp, 

• Coughing and Allergic reactions.

Lindane is a harmful chemical that attacks the nervous system and is also carcinogenic. When used to treat head lice, Lindane is absorbed through the scalp, which is quite alarming given the harmfulness of the chemical. In the US, the use of Lindane on animals has been banned, and some other countries maintain an absolute ban on the substance. In addition, the World Health Organization classifies Lindane as a substance "known to cause human cancer." Lindane is also known to cause the following side effects: 

• Rashes, 

• Burning skin, 

• Drowsiness/dizziness 

• Vomiting, Seizures/shaking of the body, 

• Allergic reactions, 

• Brain damage

Malathion is a highly flammable nerve agent found mostly in insect control products. It is believed to be safer than Lindane, but it is still harmful. When Malathion is used on crop fields, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires a waiting period before workers are allowed back in the fields. Yet despite increasing evidence that Malathion can cause cancer, the chemical is still used in head lice treatment. In addition to this link to cancer, Malathion is known to cause the following:

• Asthma, 

• Disruption in regular hormonal activity, 

• Nausea and dizziness.

To reiterate, these OTC products are ineffective because of the increased resistance of head lice, and on top of that, they can be harmful to humans! However, the risks of OTC pesticides are not the only reason I do not recommend self-treatment. Head lice treatment requires skill that comes from experience. Let me explain. Suppose you find a product that is effective at killing head lice. You will still need to remove the nits, and the most effective way to do this is by using the "Nit Free Terminator" lice comb to comb the hair meticulously in separate sections, from the roots to the tips, until all lice and nits are removed. Depending on the hair type and length, this may take a lot o time. And what happens if you miss a nit? Seven to ten days after being laid, it will hatch, meaning that, in a few short days or weeks, you'll have head lice all over again.

And this doesn't even touch on the hidden costs that come with fighting head lice for an extended period of time. The hours, days, and sometimes months you spend fighting lice, and the emotional toll of fighting them, can be a source of significant stress. Your kids may cry every time you comb their hair out, and you may spend large amounts of money on lice treatment products as well as on washing, drying, and home cleaning (bedding, towels, coats, hairbrushes, combs, and other hair items).

Given all of this, do-it-yourself treatment clearly isn't worth the cost. On the other hand, by hiring a Larger Than Lice Certified Lice Expert, you can say goodbye to lice and nits with our six-week guarantee. 

7 Effective Ways to Prevent Head Lice by Eliana E. Ortega.

Head lice are tiny parasites that live on the human scalp and feed on blood. They can be very contagious and easily spread from person to person, especially among children. Left untreated, head lice can cause itching, irritation, and even infection. It is essential to take measures to prevent head lice from infesting your scalp or the scalp of your loved ones. In this blog, we will discuss some practical ways to prevent head lice.

• Avoid sharing personal items: Head lice can spread through personal items such as combs, brushes, hair accessories, hats, and clothing. Avoid sharing these items with others, especially if someone you know has head lice.

• Regularly check for head lice: Checking your scalp and your children's scalp regularly for head lice can help you identify the problem early and prevent its spread. Look for small brownish-colored eggs (nits) attached to the hair shafts, as well as tiny parasites crawling on the scalp or hair.

• Keep long hair tied up: Long hair can make it easier for head lice to move from one person to another. Keeping long hair tied up can make it difficult for head lice to crawl from one person to another.

• Use lice prevention products: There are many natural and professional products available that can help prevent head lice. These products contain ingredients such as tea tree oil, neem oil, peppermint, and eucalyptus oil, which have insecticidal properties and can repel head lice.

• Teach children about head lice: Children are more likely to contract head lice than adults. Therefore, it is essential to teach them about head lice and ways to prevent them. Teach them not to share personal items and to avoid head-to-head contact with other children.

• Clean bedding and clothing: Head lice can survive on clothing and bedding for up to 5 days. Therefore, drying all bedding and clothing on high heat is essential. It is also recommended to vacuum carpets and furniture.

• Treat head lice immediately: If you or someone in your family has head lice, it is essential to get professional help to treat it immediately before the infestation gets severe. 

In conclusion, preventing head lice requires checking your kids for lice often, and the proper and daily use of natural lice repellents. By following these simple tips, you can reduce the risk of head lice infestation and keep yourself and your loved ones lice-free and happy.

How to Calculate How Long You Have Had Head Lice

The news has broken, and your kid has lice. We know the drill. Panic immediately sets in while a million questions run through your head at the same time. You’re thinking how long could you’ve had lice? How did this happen? We’re tackling the first question among many—how to calculate how long you have head lice.

Lice Life Cycle

To be able to calculate how long you’ve had lice, we’ll need to understand the lice life cycle.

• Once the lice have spread to the person’s head, the female louse will start to lay their nits or eggs; an infestation has begun.

• The first nymphs, or baby lice, will appear 7-10 days later.

• Nymphs will continue to eat and grow over the next 7-10 days.

• Before becoming adults, nymphs will molt their exoskeleton three times in order to mate. You can think of this as the louse teenager stage, based on the various molting phases the louse might be.

• During the third and final molt, the gender is determined based on what is needed for a growing colony and are now officially adults.

• Once genders are determined, the females will mate, and the life cycle begins again.

It is important to note, after the first successful lice generation, the females mate only one time and lay nits for the remainder of her lifespan. The louse lifespan is usually between 30-33 days, and females can lay up to 10 nits (eggs) a day.

Calculating How Long You Have Had Lice

Now that we’ve learned all the fun details on the life of lice let’s get down to the bottom of how long you’ve had lice. Lice infestation is typically noticed in 30 days after the nymphs have become adults and begin to mate. Female lice are larger than male lice, which means they can be easier to spot in someone’s hair. When you examine the scalp of a person with lice, you will be able to see lice at the various stages in their life: nits, casings (shell after hatching), nymphs, teens, and the adults. By understanding the life cycle of lice, if there are more nits than adults on the head, we can assume you’ve had lice for longer than 30 days. This means there has been longer than one louse life cycle on the head because the adult lice were able to lay and hatch their nits.

For a more technical calculation of how long you’ve had lice, we can measure how far from the scalp the eggs (nits) are. Female lice lay their eggs as close to the scalp as possible, and hair grows about 1 cm per month. For example, if you find nits in your hair and they are measured 2 cm from the scalp, we can calculate you’ve had lice for two months.

How to Avoid Lice at Sleepovers

Sleepovers are one of the most fun ways that your child can socialize with friends. Whether it’s to stay up past bedtime with the neighborhood kids or to celebrate a birthday, staying over at a friend’s house away from home is an exciting rite of passage for kids in their adolescence.

But given the close contact that kids have at sleepovers, slumber parties are also an opportune time for lice to spread. Here are a few ways to help prevent your child from getting lice at a sleepover:

 Talk to the parents about lice

While parents always connect before allowing their children to sleepover at someone else’s house, they should also have a transparent discussion about lice to avoid an outbreak at a sleepover. Make sure that there is no history of recent lice infestation at their friends’ homes before letting your child sleepover. If one of their children has recently had lice, confirm that the home and all members of the household have been treated and cleared of lice.

 Avoid sharing grooming items

One of the most fun activities for girls at sleepovers is to do each other’s hair, but sharing hairbrushes and accessories is also one of the most common ways that lice spread among children. Before sending your kids to sleepovers, make sure that they have their own hairbrushes, ties, barrettes and combs. Also, have a discussion with them about the importance of using their own hair tools and not sharing them at a sleepover to avoid getting lice. If possible, also send them with their own pillow.

 Do laundry after the sleepover

After your child returns from a sleepover, doing laundry can help avoid spreading lice if a child in attendance was infested. Be sure to wash any clothes, sleeping bags, blankets, sheets, and pillowcases that accompanied your child to the sleepover to reduce the chances that lice came home with your child.

 Schedule a screening or treatment session with Larger Than Lice

If you find that your child does have lice or suspect that they do after attending a sleepover, schedule an appointment to be screened or treated professionally for lice right away. We offer in-home appointments 24/7, 7 days a week.

The secret costs of head lice

We have shared many posts about the dangers of home remedies for head lice, including safety, chemical exposure, and risk of cross pollination among family members. In this post, we want to address perhaps the most important factor – cost!

Professional lice removal can be expensive, especially when multiple family members in the home are affected. However, procrastination in the form of attempting to rid yourself or your family of lice via home remedies is the single highest cost many families experience.

By the time families come to see us, they have often already spent hundreds of dollars and have nothing to show for it.

There are many hidden costs to home lice treatment that many families simply don’t think about, and waiting too long to get professional lice treatment can mean spending more than double the typical cost of professional lice removal.

The Potential Costs of Home Lice Treatment

Dry Cleaning: $$

Lice co-pollinate up to 90% of the time in any given household; however, they are unable to live for more than 24 hours in the environment outside of a scalp. In other words, they cannot easily spread from the scalp to clothes, furniture, or other household accessories.

Not knowing this, we often see families rack up huge bills for dry cleaning in an attempt to eradicate what they thought was a house-wide infestation!

As we say, “don’t burn your house down” just because you find lice; simply doing the laundry with an all-natural detergent will do the trick.

Over-the-Counter or Home Treatments: $$

Put simply, these do not work!

New strains of “super lice” have built a resistance to traditional over-the-counter treatments. Applying Nix or any similar product to the scalp and hoping for the best is not going to solve the problem; in fact, it may make things worse by providing a short-lived, false sense of security that ultimately results in reoccurrence and the spreading of lice to others.

Nannies & Sitters: $$$

Want to know what is really great about head lice?

It always happens on a day when your schedule is completely free, with no obligations or responsibilities!

Ha!

Actually, head lice are one of the top three reasons kids miss school each year.

When receiving a call from school or daycare demanding to “pick up your child immediately,” many parents are caught completely off guard and wind up having to hire a nanny or babysitter to pick up and watch their child for the remainder of the day.

Even if lucky enough to find someone in the spur of the moment, costs accrue quickly. Hundreds of dollars, even! Couple that with failed home remedies and what was originally a one-day ordeal quickly turns into two, three or more.

Missed Work: $$$$

Can’t find a sitter? Family and friends not particularly thrilled about the prospect of looking over your lice-infested child while you head off to work?

Sounds like a missed day at the office!

Those of us with school-aged children know how hard it is to balance teacher planning days, holidays, sick days, and inconsistent school schedules with busy work schedules. It requires a lot of understanding by the boss and your fellow coworkers. For that reason, unplanned days off due to a lice outbreak can be especially stressful for working parents. Not to mention the lost pay or vacation days spent staying home.

The Alternative

Professional Lice Removal

Why spend unnecessary money when there is such a fast, easy, affordable and safe option available—with Larger Than Lice, you can rest assured that every single live louse and viable nit will be removed – in just one visit. After one lice treatment, and minimal laundering, you can rest at ease and be confident that you and your home will be lice-free. 

Parents warned kids at risk of ‘super head lice’

PARENTS are being warned their kids could bring home more than just homework when the start of the new school year begins

Experts say youngsters are at risk of "super head lice" which have evolved to become resistant to popular over-the-counter treatments.

The pesky bugs are a common problem, particularly preying on the scalps of primary school kids aged between six and nine.

Head lice expert Ian Burgess, of Insect Research & Development Limited, said when Lyclear Creme Rinse hit the market it "swept the board".

But, he warned, it leaves insecticide in a sufferer's hair.

While that may sound an appealing prevention measure, he said the bugs have slowly learned biologically to cope with it.

Research by Journal of Medical Entomology (JME) revealed that 98 per cent of head lice are now resistant to common treatments.

The 2016 study of 48 US states found that head lice were able to grow gene mutations, which helped them resist insecticides, also known as pyrethrins, pyrethroids, and permathrins.

Professor Craig Williams, of the University of South Australia, has been researching ways to outwit nits.

Speaking to 7NEWS, he said: "Super lice would be the name we would give to lice that have become resistant to some of the treatments to kill them."

He likened the spread of the super-strength lice to antibiotic resistance - the more we use insecticides, the bigger the problem becomes.

Be prepared

But dermatologists say that being better prepared for head lice season can help stop the critters in their tracks - and reduce the risk of them spreading to other family members.

The British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) has come up with some simple steps to prevent an outbreak:

1. Make sure that you have the essentials at home already, include a large bottle of conditioner and a nit comb

2. Check for nits pre-emptively at home using a nit comb to identify infestation early, prompt treatment helps prevent further spread

3. If you do find evidence of nits, get to work with the nit comb.

Lubricating the hair with a generous amount of conditioner to wet hair will make the procedure easier, particularly for curly hair.

You should then comb through all the hair from the roots to the ends.

Depending on the hair type and length, the wet combing process can take up to 45 minutes

4. The comb must be immediately cleaned after each pass to remove lice and eggs.

This is best done by wiping on clean white paper or cloth

5. Check family members for head lice – they may have spread

6. To ensure all head lice are removed, you should repeat this wet combing process two or three times within the first two weeks following infestation

7. Continue to check for head lice every week for a month to ensure that they have not returned.

Holly Barber of the British Association of Dermatologists said: “Although it’s important for parents to be prepared for the increased risk of head lice infestation in their children ahead of the new school year, chemical treatments shouldn’t be used as a preventative measure.

"This can encourage the resistant head lice to develop, making them even harder to get rid of.

“Instead, the British Association of Dermatologists recommends regular examinations with a nit comb in order to detect an infestation early, as starting treatment sooner rather than later will help prevent further spread.

“Parents should also keep in mind that head lice can spread to anybody, no matter how clean their hair or home is.

"It is unnecessary to keep children home from school if they have head lice, however, treatment should be started immediately.”

While there are also some over-the-counter treatments that don't contain pesticides, so lice can't build up a resistance to the product.

Dr Burgess said: “It is important to deal with head lice promptly to prevent the infestation from spreading further.

Avoid Catching Lice During the Spring Sports Season

Spring is in the air, sports are getting started, and kids are getting ready to put on their helmets. Helmets and hats are easy ways for lice to spread quickly, but it doesn’t stop there. Once one child on a team has lice, they quickly spread to the rest of the members of the team. So it is essential to do everything possible to help our children to avoid catching lice in the first place. By paying attention to a few details, we can put an end to lice outbreaks.

Use Your Own Helmets and Hats

During the spring, baseball, softball, and tee-ball are all in full swing. It doesn’t matter if your child is playing in the outfield or pitching up a storm; they will be wearing a hat or a helmet. Lice are surprisingly resilient and can survive for around two days on different surfaces. If there is a child on the team with head lice, sharing their equipment could easily cause others to catch lice. The best way to avoid this is by simply not using helmets and hats used by teammates.

Don’t Share Brushes

When your child is getting ready for a game, it is common to get ready with the other kids. That means getting into uniform, looking over plays, and for female athletes, putting their hair up. Sharing brushes is one of the most common ways that head lice can be spread. Avoid catching lice this spring by making sure that you bring your combs, brushes, and barrettes.

Pay Attention in Huddles

At the beginning of a game, after a break in the action, or during a substitution, huddles are everywhere in sports. Your children could be rubbing their heads against each other unknowingly catching lice. As soon as their heads touch, lice spread from player to player. It isn’t practical to avoid huddles all together in sports, but you can warn your kids to avoid catching lice by not making head-to-head contact.

Bring a Fully-Stocked Duffle Bag on Team Trips

Away games are always exciting for children taking a trip with their friends. These experiences are amazing, and we want to make sure that they are enjoying their trip and their game. However, it will be hard for your child to enjoy anything if they have itchy head lice. The best way to avoid catching lice is to ensure that your child is using their own clothes, towels, hats, and pillows while on a team trip.

Keep Everything Clean

Being safe is better than being sorry. Even if there has not been a lice outbreak on your child’s team, it is important to keep their items clean. Take extra care to make sure that their sheets, pillowcases, combs, and everything else are clean. There may be no need to worry, but it doesn’t hurt to make sure.