In the News

Portland, OR – August 4, 2020 – Lice Clinics of America – Northwest, part of the Lice Clinics of America (LCA) 200 clinic network, saw increased lice activity of 111 percent in their Portland clinic, and 49 percent in the Salem clinic from April to May of this year, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Infestations of lice affecting the entire family have been more severe during the pandemic, likely due to the fact that families have been isolating at home together.

“Early on in the pandemic, with most families coming in, almost all the family members had lice,” says Mark Meyer, co-owner of the Northwest clinics in Portland, Salem, Bend, and Clackamas, OR and Vancouver, WA. “Many families didn’t realize they had lice until school had been out for over a month. Recently, the pattern has changed, so now most families coming in have been treating with ineffective methods for a long time at home and have given up.”

In order to ensure the safety of staff and clients, each Northwest clinic pre-screens clients over the phone to ensure they are not sick before coming in. Each client must wear a face mask and only one client is treated at a time. Treatment areas are thoroughly cleaned and sanitized between clients.

“Each of our five clinics are open again, after Vancouver, WA was closed for six weeks due to the State of Washington requirements,” says Meyer. “Almost everyone who comes in has lice. Prior to COVID only 40 percent of the people coming in had lice.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Head-to-head contact with an already infested person is the most common way to get head lice. Head-to-head contact is common during play at school, at home and elsewhere, such as sports activities, the playground, slumber parties, and camps.” The CDC estimates 6-12 million infestations occur each year in the U.S. among children 3-11 years of age.

Dr. Krista Lauer, Medical Director of LCA, states, “If you have children who are elementary and middle-school ages, it’s important to take some immediate steps to either prevent your children from being infested or to properly treat and kill the lice before they spread to others in your family and social group.”

PORTLAND, OR – Lice Clinics of America reported that their 330 clinics across the network saw an average increase of 30 percent in lice activity nationwide this winter. This data was gathered and compared from the organization’s bookings and treatments in January 2018 and January 2019 in its clinics in the U.S. and abroad. Geographic areas such as Portland saw an increase of 60 percent this January. The CDC estimates six million to 12 million infestations occur each year in the U.S. among children three to 11 years of age.

“Lice Clinics of America has a unique opportunity to gather its data to help identify trends. We believe we can attribute the increase in lice infestation bookings and treatments in our clinics to three things,” said Lice Clinics of America CEO Claire Roberts. “First, it’s a fact that many over-the-counter products are no longer effective in treating the “super lice” of today, so people are seeking professional help. Second, there is a true lack of understanding by the public on the life cycle of lice and how they spread. And third, people are becoming increasingly aware of the more effective, technologically-advanced treatment methods offered by Lice Clinics of America.”

Lice are highly contagious. According to the CDC, “Head-to-head contact with an already infected person is the most common way to get head lice. Head-to-head contact is common during play at school, at home and elsewhere, such as sports activities, the playground, slumber parties, and camps.”

Dr. Krista Lauer, medical director of Lice Clinics of America, reports, “If you have school-age children in a region where lice infestations have been reported, it’s important to take some immediate steps to either prevent your children from being infested or properly treat and kill the lice before they spread to others in your family and social group.”

Dr.  Lauer says, “First, don’t panic, and second, don’t be embarrassed. Those pesky lice have nothing to do with personal hygiene.” She recommends the following to make sure lice aren’t living in your child’s hair: