Truth About Lice: How to Treat and Prevent the Spread of Head Lice

It’s quite evident that my daughter and I really love our long hair. I always see to it that it’s soft and shiny – in short, I always make sure that I use the best hair care products to make it as healthy as it can be, after all, it is said that our hair is our crowning glory.

On the other hand, no matter how hard we try to take good care of our hair and keep it as clean and healthy as possible, there will still be times when our crowning glory can be infested with lice. Yes, you read it right, anyone can be infested with lice, anytime, anywhere, and no one is exempted. Age is not even an issue, whether you are young or old, you can be infested! Personally, I thought that only children with poor hygiene can get lice but I came to know that even adults with good hygiene can be infested too!

Licealiz launches Kilusang Kontra Kuto for Head Lice Awareness Month

Since September is declared as the Head Lice Prevention Month, I got the chance to learn more facts about lice when Licealiz, a product of Lamoiyan Corporation, launched the Kilusang Kontra Kuto drive. It aims to disseminate information on head lice and how it can spread as wildfire, as well as, treat and get rid of them effectively. Their target is to visit various communities and public schools and spread awareness to students/pupils, their teachers, together with their parents.  The Kilusang Kontra Kuto is spearheaded by Lamoiyan Corporation’s Licealiz head lice treatment shampoo, in partnership with the Mother and Child Nurses Association of the Philippines (MCNAP) and supported by the UP Manila College of Public Health.

We visited Bagong Nayon 1 Elementary School in Antipolo last September 8, 2016 for the Licealiz Nationwide Oplan Alis Kuto campaign. We listened to the talk of the activations ambassador, Dr. Maria Michelle Vita, who travels with the Licealiz team nationwide to help spread awareness to the parents of public school students on how to prevent and treat head lice. As she reiterated, “Kuto is a public health problem that can be solved with the help of everyone from the community.”

As a mother, I was likewise interested on how lice can spread from one’s head to another, how fast it can multiply in number, its lifespan, and of course, how to prevent and get rid of them effectively. All these information are valuable so I can make sure that my daughter and I will not be infested with lice.

Here are the important facts I’ve learned about head lice:

• Head lice have a life span of about 30 days and can lay as much as 100 eggs during their entire lifespan! Just imagine how fast they can spread in a short period of time.
• With its very fast proliferation, a person infected can experience scalp infection from scratching due to sever itching. Aside from that, that person can also experience low self-esteem because of being bullied and may eventually lead to psychological effect that may gravely affect his way of social interactions.
• Head lice don’t jump, they don’t have wings. Hence, they can’t fly. They only have 6 legs  to crawl from one hair strand to another.
• Anyone can be infested with lice, regardless of hair length. They feed on blood from the scalp.
• It’s best to use a head lice treatment shampoo like Licealiz to get rid of lice. Way back, people just rely on using a fine-toothed comb or what we call “suyod”. This removes some lice but definitely not all.

During the activation, it was also discussed that lice can be easily transmitted through direct contact with an infected person or object by borrowing combs and using common beddings, among others. And to successfully address this issue, the organizers urged the communities, homes and schools to work together to solve this long-ignored problem.

An extensive discussion on the treatment and prevention of lice was made in a restaurant in Quezon City attended by Dr. Arlene Bertuso, an entomologist and professor from the UP Manila College of Public Health, Ms. Balbina Borneo, President of the MCNAP, celebrity mom, Love Añover, and the Licealiz team.

Dr. Arlene Bertuso shared that a study conducted by the DepEd in 2009, estimated that 8 million public school students aged 7 to 12 years old* were infested with head lice.

“Communities can start a regular program wherein school nurses or barangay health workers can diagnose people with head lice and advise them on proper head lice treatment and prevention. Head lice might not be deadly, but the social stigma associated with having them makes kuto infestation a public health problem worthy of concern,” Dr. Bertuso said.

“Nurses all over the Philippines, especially those assigned in schools, commonly encounter children with kuto,” shared Balbina Borneo, President of the MCNAP. “Because this problem easily affects a huge number of people, I can say that kuto really is a social concern that needs to be addressed by the whole community.”

Celebrity mom Love Añover, also shared her experiences on how she dealt with lice problems of her daughter. It came as a surprise how her daughter had it since she was young and has a good hygiene, only to find out that she got it from her nanny. She used Licealiz Head Lice Treatment Shampoo to her daughter, to herself and she even gave a bottle to their yaya. Then after few washes, her daughter’s head lice were removed.

How to Treat and Prevent the Spread of Head Lice:

The best and effective way to treat head lice is to use Licealiz, it’s an affordable head lice treatment shampoo with conditioning formula that effectively kills lice and nits, and prevents its recurrence while keeping the hair soft and smooth. It’s active ingredient is Pyrethrin, an all natural extract from Chrysanthemum flower. This product is clinically tested and proven to kill lice and nits.

It comes in two variants – Regular and Soothing Coolness

How to Use Licealiz Head Lice Treatment Shampoo:

This Head Lice Prevention Month, Licealiz invites everyone to join the Kilusang Kontra Kuto in changing the public’s perception about kuto infestation and spreading correct information regarding head lice prevention and treatment.

For more information on lice prevention, visit Licealiz’s Facebook page.