Being scared of bed bugs is so 2009. This spring, there's a new creepy-crawly that may be laying its eggs on you right now: head lice! Ok, they're not new, but they are turning parents across the country into nervous wrecks, and earning some lice treatment companies a lot of cash. According to the Times, some de-lousing companies charge up to $300 to get the critters off your kid's scalp. So what would drive parents to pay this much? One mother said, “I certainly wasn’t going to pick them out myself."
New York based Hair Fairies is one of the companies offering de-lousing services, saying on their website that they will "manually screen hair for lice and nits" to determine the best way to remove them. They'll make house calls, and one client allegedly sent a private jet to fly in one of their nit-pickers. It seems that parents are willing to do anything to get rid of the bugs. LA based "lice whisperer" Amy Goldreyer said, “I get 5 to 15 calls a day from parents who basically tell me: ‘I’ll pay anything. Just get this over with.'"
For those who aren't willing to fork over that kind of cash, the DOH has some tips on how to deal with head, body and even pubic lice—which Hair Fairies probably won't treat. Apparently, head lice actually prefer clean hair and survive on human blood. They suggest using a medicated shampoo and fine-toothed comb on hair and to thoroughly wash all bedding. Feeling itchy yet?
