How does it work?

Head lice and eggs have high water content and hair provides not only protection from visibility but a humid environment. Rapid exposure to large amounts of carefully controlled dry, heated air causes them to dry out and die.

Does it really work?

The FDA and The American Academy of  Pediatrics tested and cleared the device as safe and effective.  The California Department of Health has listed the heat treatment as one of the few recommended treatments deemed worthy of placing the information in their public handouts. With over 700,000 successful treatments and FDA cleared, I would say so.

Why is the heat treatment only about an hour when other lice treatments can take so long?

The most time consuming part of performing conventional treatments is the manual comb out. This requires patience and a detail-oriented method that takes anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on severity and type of hair.  The idea is to remove all the eggs and lice. Then perform another 1-2 treatments again a few days apart.

If the device kills 99% eggs, what about the other 1%?

The 99% is before we comb out. So when we comb out, the actual success rate is much higher. We also use Dimethicone oil for anything that might slip through as a safety net

Are there any risks with the heat treatment?

The studies show that no adverse effects have been found during the FDA testing. And no one has complained to this date.  The only complaint we may hear sometimes is that it is hot, and they don’t jump out of the chair, which is good! We always have our hand on the heat applicator during the treatment and we have protocol changes we make in its use when someone is sensitive.

Is the device a non-toxic lice treatment?

Absolutely. It uses just controlled heated air to kill the head lice and eggs. It is like a blow dryer, but not as hot.

Is using heat creating more resistance to kill lice?

Although there is much documentation showing head lice are rapidly evolving resistance to many traditional pesticide-based products (super lice), it is highly unlikely they would be able to evolve from desiccation. Traditional treatments use pesticides or suffocation that work on the exterior or neurological systems resulting in a slow death or just damage. Our device is more like a knife to the heart.

Does the length of hair impact the effectiveness?

No. We have several techniques we use or make time adjustments for different hairstyles or types.

Does the heat device have to be used in conjunction with another lice product?

Yes. After the heat treatment, we perform a comb out and use a dimethicone oil at the end of the treatment to kill any remaining hatched lice that may have survived the treatment.