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The Lice Lady of Westchester Says YOU Can Prevent Super Lice, Just Stop Taking Selfies

Dina Sciortino

2006 Joseph Strycharz, Ph.D.; Kyong Sup Yoon, Ph.D.; Frank Collins, Ph.D. Under a relatively low magnification of 79x, this 2006 scanning electron micrograph (SEM) depicted a ventral, or inferior view, of a male louse, Pediculus humanus var. corporis. The head, or cephalic region is at the left, from which its two antennae were extended. The head attached to the thoracic region, which gave rise to its three pairs of jointed legs. While the abdominal region, towards the far right, is the region in which was housed the stomach, and intestines. The jointed nature of its extremities, designates this organism as a member of the phylum Arthropoda, and the fact that there are three pairs of legs, the louse is, thereby, placed into the class, Insecta. Note the small, hair-like structures adorning the exoskeletal surface of this insect. These are known as setae, and are not hairs at all, but extensions of the chitinous exoskeletal surface, which provide the organism with sensorial data about its surroundings. How is a body lice infestation diagnosed?By looking closely in the seams of clothing and on the body for eggs and for crawling lice. Diagnosis should be made by a health care provider if you are unsure about infestation.How are body lice treated?Lice infestations are generally treated by giving the infested person a clean change of clothes, a shower, and by laundering all worn clothing, bed linens, and towels. When laundering items, use the hot cycle (130?F) of the washing machine. Set the dryer to the hot cycle to dry items. Additionally, a 1% permethrin or pyrethrin lice shampoo, (also called pediculicide peh-DICK-you-luh-side), may be applied to the body. Medication should be applied exactly as directed on the bottle or by your physician.

Hearing the term super lice may cause concern for some parents as their kids are?back in school, but local lice expert Anna Albano-Krosche, a.k.a. The Lice Lady of Westchester, says there is nothing to fear.
Though headlines like Super Lice Are Coming For Your Kids, dont help, Albano-Krosche said the situation is far less dramatic and is not only treatable but also preventable.
Her answer? Stop taking selfies!
Super lice is not new. If you search the Internet youll find articles dating back to 2008 discussing outbreaks. Super lice are lice that have become resistant to pyrethroids found in over-the-counter lice treatment products.
Its the same lice that my kids had in 1998, Albano-Krosche tells Westchester Woman.
The Lice Lady of Westchester?actually started her lice removal business after the lice her kids lovingly gave in 1998 werent responding to over-the-counter products. She began using all natural products, like olive oil, and good old fashioned nit picking.?When friends and family got word of her secret remedy they began asking her to treat their kids.
Thats when I became The Lice Lady of Westchester, says Albano-Krosche.
She has been in business since 1998 and currently has her salon located in Elmsford. Here’s how she works her lice removal magic:

The Lice Lady of Westchester says super lice is a?no match for her all natural methods.
My shampoo contains a patented formula of enzymes that breaks down the hard shells of the lice, causing them to perish, she explains. Because the biology of insects depends on the creation of enzymes for survival, it is impossible for lice to develop a resistance to these enzymes.”
Though “super lice” has been around for a while, Albano-Krosche says there is one thing that has changed about lice outbreaks over the years.
The only thing that might be different, is that doctors are blaming the selfie craze for the lice becoming resistant to the OTC products, she explains. Lice has definitely been on the rise with teenagers since the selfie craze, also referred as social media lice.
Though the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) does not mention selfies or social media in their information on lice the Daily News reports that some doctors say that taking selfies or leaning in towards each other and touching heads while viewing things on their cell phones is contributing to the spread of lice and super lice amongst kids, especially amongst teens.
Albano-Krosche says avoiding head-to-contact is the key to preventing a lice outbreak.
If you keep your head to yourself, you wont get lice, its that simple! says Albano-Krosche.
The Lice Lady also offers this lice prevention advice:
We like to say, once a week, take a peek! the Lice Lady of Westchester tells us.

Contact The Lice Lady of Westchester at 5 N. Goodwin Ave. in Elmsford at (914) 497-5465 and theliceladyofwestchester.com.

For more information on lice visit: cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head

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