Does Chlorine Kill Lice?
Does Chlorine Kill Lice?
With another school year over, parents and children are excited to join in the summer fun! Parents, however, often begin to wonder more about how their child’s many summer activities can affect their risk for head lice. In fact, with the arrival of summer, we often come across many parents who begin to wonder if swimming can lessen or increase their child’s risk for head lice, specifically, “can chlorine kill lice?” or “can you get lice from a pool?” In today’s article, we will answer these questions and more so that you can allow your child to splash with peace of mind.
Does Chlorinated Pool Water Kill Lice?
Many parents hope that their child’s quick dip in the pool will not only remedy summer boredom, but also rid them of lice. In fact, one of the most common “home remedy attempts” we encounter during the summer months is the attempted use of pool water to kill lice. Unfortunately, research has shown that chlorinated water will not kill lice. In a 2007 study, lice were found to become temporarily immobilized after submersion in chlorinated water for 20 minutes, however the lice recovered after being taken out of the water. This means that while the dip in the pool may feel refreshing—it doesn’t actually kill lice.
Can You Get Lice from a Pool?
The second most common misconception about lice and swimming pools comes from concerned parents wondering if lice can spread from child to child in a pool. Lice do not swim in water, and so they cannot swim from one person’s head to another. They can, however, still crawl. This means that accessories such as hats, goggles, swim caps, brushes, or towels for drying wet hair should not be shared. For this reason, if your child has lice, it may be best to avoid group trips to the pool with other children until they have had a full course of treatment. If, however, they are not swimming with other children or are in a private pool, there is no risk of lice lingering in the pool water and later attaching themselves to someone else.
Fast and Chemical-Free Lice Removal
At Lice Clinics of America, our professional technicians take a safe, effective, and affordable approach to lice treatment that won’t interfere with your child’s summer fun! We stop lice in their tracks using our AirAllé® heat machine, a completely safe FDA-cleared medical device. AirAllé® kills lice and lice eggs through dehydration, and a single one-hour treatment kills head lice and 99.2% of lice eggs. Because the AirAllé® device is so effective at killing lice eggs (which are difficult for traditional lice products to kill), the likelihood of your child needing a follow-up treatment is less than 1%. And best of all, AirAllé® does not interfere with your child’s ability to swim or enjoy other summer activities after treatment! To learn more about our list of services and featured products, contact us at or Chandler, AZ location today at (602) 362-7499 !
What Are Super Lice?
If you’ve dealt with lice lately or are dealing with a head lice problem then I’m sure you’ve heard the term super lice. There seems to be a lot of confusion around these tiny creatures though and exactly what makes them super. Are they bigger than regular lice? Are super lice a totally different type of lice than normal lice? What exactly sets them apart from their normal lice counterparts seems to be a question on every concerned individuals mind, but no worries Lice Clinics of America is here to break things down and help you tackle super lice.
So what just does make super lice so super? Over the years as head lice was treated with over the counter prescriptions and pesticides certain lice offspring began building a resistance to common lice pesticides and are no longer affected by them, much like antibiotic resistant bacteria. The overexposure over time of pesticidal head lice treatments led to a strain of lice that could resist the effects of the treatments. Super lice are the exact same size as regular lice and are indistinguishable from their counterparts other than the fact they will be the ones left alive after a chemical treatment.
Super lice carry the same symptoms and spread the same way as normal head lice. To prevent an infestation you should be sure to avoid the following: head to head contact, sharing clothing or hats, sharing hairbrushes or pillows, and furniture an infected person has rested their head on. Symptoms can include a tickling or moving sensation on your head and neck, itching your head, neck, or ears, red bumps on your head, neck or shoulders, and seeing the actual lice on your head or clothing.
Despite the chemical resistance of super lice there are still plenty safe and effective ways to treat them and be lice free again. There are still a few chemical treatments that most super lice are not immune to that can be used upon proper research and doctors prescription. You can also have your hair nit picked and lice combed. Lice Clinics of America’s preferred option is our Airalle device, a FDA-approved treatment that removes lice by heating your hair and dehydrating them for a chemical free lice removal. This offers you a fast, chemical free option to rid both normal and super lice. We also back with a guarantee to ensure your satisfaction and return to a lice free life! Super lice can be tough to get rid of but we’ve found a safe and effective way to beat them and have you back to your daily routine.
If you have any questions or need a head lice removal treatment, don’t hesitate to contact us. At Lice Clinics of America – Chandler, Arizona, which proudly serves Gilbert, Mesa, Guadalupe, and surrounding areas in Arizona, we are here to help! Our heated removal process is the only guaranteed way to remove head lice in 1 quick, easy, and safe treatment, so your kids and family members can get back to the things they enjoy. Call us today to schedule an appointment at (602) 362-7499!
Summer Lice is Not Nice
Lice, unfortunately, do not take the summer off, in fact, there is a huge increase in infestations after children have spent long periods of time in the community. Summer camp is a huge contributor to the summer lice blues! Many of the summer camps provide head screenings to check for lice upon the children’s arrival however it’s always best to have the professionals take a look for accuracy. Moms & Dads, feel free to spread the word to the head nurse at your child’s summer camp that we offer head lice screening options!
Lice Do Not Discriminate
Did you know that head lice are equal-opportunity parasites? This means that just because you have an infestation, doesn’t mean that you or your home is dirty. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 6-12 million infestations occur each year to children between the ages of 3-11 years old.
Knowledge is Power
Our technicians are diligently trained with knowledge just to assure we can correctly educate families when they come to see us. Whether it’s just a head screening to check for lice or a full treatment, we take our time to answer any questions you have and educate you with very useful information.
Lice Clinics of America Is Hassle Free
If you have any questions or need a head lice removal treatment, don’t hesitate to contact us. At Lice Clinics of America – Chandler, Arizona, which proudly serves Gilbert, Mesa, Guadalupe, and surrounding areas in Arizona, we are here to help! Our heated removal process is the only guaranteed way to remove head lice in 1 quick, easy, and safe treatment, so your kids and family members can get back to the things they enjoy. Call us today to schedule an appointment at (602) 362-7499!
