Parents dread that most unwelcome of notes from their child’s school or camp: head lice! Yet, with the exception of the common cold, head lice affect more school-aged children than all other communicable diseases combined. In fact, head lice affects approximately 6 to 12 million individuals in the United States each year, most commonly during the back-to-school months. The condition cuts across demographic and social strata, and is commonly associated with the classroom or summer camp. Many options exist for treatment of head lice, from home remedies to traditional treatments; however, it’s important for parents and caregivers to understand exactly what is being put on their child’s scalp.
When confronting this condition, especially for the first time, consumers often believe they have limited options and are hesitant to even talk about their child’s lice due to the perceived social stigma. As retailers, you can help put parents at ease by providing them the information they need on safe and effective ways to treat head lice, and making sure they know the risks associated with some products.
For many years, the state of the science dictated that most common lice treatments on the market contained synthetic pesticides; few other options existed for consumers. Today, in addition to treatments that contain pesticides, an additional class has replaced pesticides with non-toxic chemicals as their active ingredients. However, advances in natural chemistry have yielded an entirely new class of solutions that are free of pesticides, and use a natural active ingredient.