The rise of super lice: What you need to know about chemical vs physical lice treatments
Head lice really puts the fear of God in us, and it’s no surprise why. They’re tiny wingless insects that crawl all over your little one's precious head. The idea itself makes you shiver, but it's nothing compared to having to dive headfirst into getting those little critters out.
So finding out about “super lice” (yep, that’s their real name) is pretty much the stuff of nightmares. That’s where V-COMB A1 comes in, the ultimate defeater of super lice that feels just like combing your child’s hair.
In this article, we’ll be empowering you with the need-to-know of super lice, how to spot them, and why the V-COMB A1 is the best option for easy and effective removal.
Head lice vs super lice
Head lice are tiny, wingless parasitic insects that rely solely on humans to live. They jump from one head of hair to the other, feeding on blood from the scalp (there’s no nice way of saying that). What makes getting rid of these creepy critters extra tricky is that they lay eggs, which hatch a few days later. That locks your little one in a head lice cycle.
What distinguishes super lice from head lice is that while common lice can be treated with either chemical or physical lice treatments, super lice are identified as being drug-resistant. They are head lice that have adapted over time to no longer respond to chemical treatments.
“Research indicates that over 75% of head lice are now genetically resistant to common lice chemical treatments.”
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Symptoms of super lice
Signs and symptoms of typical head lice include:
✔️ Intense itching on the scalp
✔️ Scatching
✔️ A tickling or crawling feeling
✔️ Seeing bugs that look like light-brown sesame seeds
✔️ Finding lice eggs, which are a yellow or brown colour, near the hair follicle
The tricky thing is that symptoms from super lice don’t differ from normal lice infestations. So the only way to know if your child does have super lice is if insecticide treatments aren’t working. Which is why starting off with a physical treatment saves you time and your child from that dreaded itch.
How do you treat super lice?
Because super lice are defined by their resistance to chemical treatments, the best course of treatment is to use a physical treatment that mechanically removes the head lice. Historically, this involved using a fine toothed metal lice comb to brush through dry, conditioned hair in sections. You’d then have to wipe the comb with a white tissue and check for lice or nits manually, before continuing to comb until none more appear.
But, as you might’ve realised, that’s a whole lot of dirty work. Which is why V-COMB A1 exists.
V-COMB A1: Our choice of physical treatment
This allergen-and chemical-free treatment uses stainless-steel combing teeth and suction power to extract every kind of head lice and eggs (super lice included) into a disposable capture filter. The hygienic filters are automatically sealed and slip out from the unit into the trash for a hands-free treatment that prevents re-infestation. It’s gentle, free of nasty smells, user-friendly, and gives immediate visible results with the LED-illuminated compartment.
The streamlined design cuts down the typical 4-step lice removal routine to a portable and simple solution that really does the trick. It’s even rechargeable, meaning there’s no need to mess around with batteries. Super lice aren’t sounding so scary now, hey?
So when your little one starts scratching their head, don’t shave their head and burn down the house. Just use V-COMB A1.
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Sources:
Better Health Channel. ‘Head Lice and Nits’ [Online]
Available at: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/head-lice-nits
Mohammadi, J., Azizi, K., Alipour, H., Kalantari, M., Bagheri, M., Shahriari-Namadi, M., Ebrahimi, S., Moemenbellah-Fard, M. D. (2021). ‘Frequency of pyrethroid resistance in human head louse treatment: systematic review and meta-analysis’. Parasite, 28, 86. https://doi.org/10.1051/parasite/2021083
Nationwide Children’s Hospital. (2016) ‘What You Need to Know About Super Lice’, [Online]
Available at: https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/family-resources-education/700childrens/2016/03/what-you-need-to-know-about-super-lice
New South Wales Ministry of Health. Head Lice: Treatment’.
Available at https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/headlice/Pages/treatment.aspx
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