In this article:
- Super Lice vs. Lice
- What Are Super Lice?
- How Are Super Lice Different From Normal Lice?
- Super Lice Treatment: How Did They Become Resistant?
- How To Get Rid Of Super Lice Fast
- How Lice Do Not Become Resistant To Our Products
Super Lice vs. Lice
You may have heard whisperings that there is a new big, bad bug in town. That's right, it's Super Lice. While Superman and Superwoman are superheroes, Super Lice are not fantastic in any way, shape, or form.
A 2016 study published in the Oxford Journal of Medical Entomology found that head lice in 48 states were treatment resistance to over-the-counter products. Apparently, Alaska and West Virginia were the only two states devoid of these vexing parasites. However, given the hyper-contagious nature of lice, Super Lice will soon be just as common as regular lice!
What Are Super Lice?
Super Lice are treatment-resistant, which means that over-the-counter options are no longer effective in eliminating lice and their eggs. The two most common chemicals used in head lice treatment formulas are permethrin and pyrethrum. Since these insecticide treatments have been around for decades, these pesky parasites have had plenty of time to develop immunity. This immunity comes from genetic mutations over time in lice, as explained in an article published in the Oxford Journal of Medical Entomology:
Overall, the TI [mutation] frequency in U.S. lice was 84.4% from 1999 to 2009, increased to 99.6% from 2007 to 2009, and was 97.1% in Canadian lice in 2008... Thus, the frequencies of TI [mutations] in North American head louse populations were found to be uniformly high, which may be due to the high selection pressure from the intensive and widespread use of the pyrethrins- or pyrethroid-based pediculicides over many years, and is likely a main cause of increased pediculosis and failure of pyrethrins- or permethrin-based products in Canada and the United States. Alternative approaches to treatment of head lice infestations are critically needed. - The Oxford Journal of Medical Entomology (2014)It’s important to note that even though adult head lice are quite small - only two to three mm in length - they can still be seen with the naked eye. Head lice survive by feeding on human blood on the scalp. They stick close to their food source and attach their eggs very close to the scalp near the base of the hair shaft. Lice eggs are called nits, and even if one nit is left behind, the cycle of lice infestation can continue.
Lice can be really small and therefore hard to spot! That's why it's recommended to always use a magnifying device when looking for lice.
Nits glue themselves onto the hair-shaft which makes removing them a challenge if you do not have a proper nit comb!
How Are Super Lice Different From Normal Lice?
The only difference between lice and Super Lice is resistance to the active ingredients in insecticide treatments, namely permethrin and pyrethrum. Super Lice do not look different or act differently than regular lice. They cause exactly the same symptoms of itchy scalp, and you’ll still find lice or nits (eggs). Moreover, Super Lice eggs are the exact same as regular lice eggs. Other typical symptoms can include a tickling sensation on the scalp as the lice move and red bumps on the scalp, neck, and shoulders.
Super Lice vs. Regular Lice
Super Lice are just as contagious as regular lice. How contagious? Extremely contagious. They spread easily from person to person, crawling from head to head or from hats, scarves, pillows, or other items that could offer lice transport from one head to another. The biggest problem with Super Lice is that they are harder to eliminate, given their resistance to chemicals.
Super Lice Treatment: How Did They Become Resistant?
Super Lice started off the same as regular lice. However, they genetically mutated to become resistant to the active ingredients in popular over-the-counter head lice treatments - specifically, the chemicals permethrin and pyrethrum.
It all comes down to Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection. In each generation, more offspring are produced that can survive. When a genetic variation occurs that ensures a higher rate of survival, this trait is transferred to offspring. Unfortunately, this mutation has indeed occurred in the last few decades, as lice have adapted to the insecticide threat to their survival. Their genetic resistance has turned lice into Super Lice.
How To Get Rid Of Super Lice Fast
Given Super Lice’s chemical resistance, infected individuals may turn towards home remedies for Super Lice. With a quick search online, you can find a long list of suggestions - from 'special' Super Lice shampoo to tea tree oil, apple cider vinegar, mayonnaise and even Listerine!
If you're wondering how to kill Super Lice, at-home remedies have never been proven successful in clinical trials, and when it comes to lice, you need to make sure that they are 100% gone. Just one nit left behind, and game over - the cycle of lice starts all over again. Lucky for you, there is a product proven to work on Super Lice.
How Lice Do Not Become Resistant To Our Products
Even the most popular head lice treatment products on the market that include permethrin and pyrethrum do not kill nits (lice eggs). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention permethrin and pyrethrum only kill lice, not their unhatched eggs. Therefore, not only are these over-the-counter chemical products ineffective against getting rid of nits, but they also have been rendered powerless against Super Lice. Additionally, new research suggests that:
Exposure to pyrethroids [which includes permethrin and pyrethrum], a common class of insecticides used to kill lice, mosquitoes, and other pests, may raise a person's risk of cardiovascular disease and early death.
- The American Medical Association Journal of Internal Medicine (2019)
At our treatment offices, we have helped thousands of people who, prior to coming to us, used popular over-the-counter head lice treatment products, yet they still had LIVE bugs on their head because the lice were resistant to the products they used. Many of these people had done multiple treatments over a period of weeks (and sometimes months!) but they were still not effective.
As for the prescription-grade head lice treatments that doctors often recommend, these treatments are no more effective than the over-the-counter products either. The main difference between the prescription product and the over-the-counter product is simply the percentage of pesticides used. The prescription lice treatments contain a higher percentage of pesticides. That’s it. There’s no other real difference. It is no secret that these pesticides are toxic, which is why these products are available by prescription only. Since Super Lice have become resistant to pesticides, using more of these pesticides is not making these products any more effective against Super Lice. Unfortunately, doctors aren’t always aware of this pervasive problem, since large pharmaceutical companies spend millions of dollars marketing themselves to doctors to encourage them to write these prescriptions. We see customers at our offices every week who tell us they have spent hundreds of dollars on prescription-grade lice treatments, yet they still can’t get rid of their lice. This is extremely frustrating for them and costly!
So, how does one effectively eliminate Super Lice? It’s impossible to tell whether you and your family are suffering from an infestation of lice or Super Lice. Don’t take the risk of using an over-the-counter product only to discover that it’s useless! Start the process of elimination right. Choose Lice Choice — the best product on the market for lice and Super Lice elimination!
Lice Choice products utilize a proven formula that is enzyme-based, all-natural, pesticide-free, and chemical-free. Lice Choice was formulated by using the lice's own digestive enzymes against them. The naturally occurring digestive enzymes cause the lice to rapidly molt and shed their exoskeleton. This creates an extreme acceleration of their life cycle so that they are eradicated within a few minutes.
A normal life cycle of a louse lasts 30 days and involves three different molting occurrences before death. Lice Choice circumvents their natural processes by treating them with a potent, highly-concentrated formula filled with their own digestive enzymes. This dramatically shortens their life cycle from 30 days to a few minutes, which effectively eliminates lice in no time!
Since Lice Choice’s digestive enzymes are naturally occurring inside lice and Super Lice, it is impossible for them to develop resistance. Therefore, Lice Choice dodges Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection and is the perfect solution to all your head lice and Super Lice problems!
Since Lice Choice’s formula is completely natural and free from chemicals and pesticides, it is safe to use as both a head lice eliminator and as head lice prevention. When you’re looking for how to get rid of Super Lice fast, Lice Choice has your back.
Best of all, Lice Choice is hypoallergenic and allergy-free! Gentle on sensitive skin and hair, Lice Choice's non-toxic formula is safe to use on babies and pregnant women. It’s effective, proven formula will eliminate Super Lice from your life! Satisfaction is 100% guaranteed, so order your lice treatment kit today. It's never too soon to have a bottle of Lice Choice on hand in case those pesky parasites make an unwanted appearance in your home!
If you’d like to read the full article yourself about the prevalence of Super Lice, please visit the Oxford Journal of Medical Entomology online by clicking here.