Why Pesticides Are Bad For Treating Lice and Bad For Your Kids
Why Pesticides Are Bad For Treating Lice and Bad For Your Kids
As a parent, you would know how sensitive your kids’ skin can be. It would be normal for you to be vigilant in reading labels and checking for chemicals, additives, and other ingredients that could potentially be harmful to your children. As careful as you are, you would not want the same harmful chemicals outside your home to be used on your child’s skin.
While the regular garden pesticides aren’t going to contain the same ingredients as over-the-counter and prescription head lice treatment kits, the same pesticides found in these lice products are also used on crops and livestock. These are heavy-duty insecticides that could have great potential harm. This is not what you want around your family. And yet, medical doctors recommend and write prescriptions for these lice treatment products on a regular basis. This is because doctors don’t specialize in lice and they don’t know there is a safe, effective alternative.
Having lice in the family is always inconvenient and you’d tend to run to get the closest head lice treatment product and quick! The problem is, these products contain potentially hazardous ingredients, and you might want to know how to get rid of lice naturally. Not only are they harmful, they are actually no longer effective, as Super Lice are taking the country by storm. Lice is a problem that affects 6 million to 12 million school kids every year. That means there are millions of moms and dads out there who need a product that effectively and safely eliminates lice and Super Lice!
What is in Over-The-Counter and Prescription Head Lice Treatment Products?
Over-the-counter and prescription head lice treatment products mostly contain the same ingredients; the only difference is that prescription products have a higher percentage of active ingredients – namely, pyrethrins and permethrin. When it comes to prescription products, there’s also an ingredient used that is extremely hazardous – lindane. Again, don’t forget that these products do not work against Super Lice.
Young children have thinner skin than adults which makes them highly susceptible to absorbing these harmful chemicals through their skin and scalp.They are also more susceptible to any and all side effects these over-the-counter and prescription lice treatment products may cause. Since traditional drugstore treatments don’t kill lice eggs (nits), this means that multiple applications are required. More applications mean even more chemicals are absorbed into your child’s body.
What Are Pyrethrins?
Pyrethrins are an ingredient normally found in chrysanthemums. However, pyrethrins can cause an allergic reaction if someone has an allergy to these flowers or ragweed. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, as many as 23 million people in the USA alone suffer from ragweed allergies. Given that statistic, it’s nerve-wracking to imagine applying pyrethrins to a young child’s scalp not knowing if he or she has an allergy to ragweed. Not only would you be dealing with a lice infestation, but you could soon be dealing with an allergic reaction on top of it. In addition, pyrethrins do not have any effect against Super Lice. So, pyrethrins might not even solve your lice problem.
Moreover, the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) says that pyrethrins are a blend of six chemicals that are toxic to insects.Pyrethrins are not just used to kill lice; they are also used to control mosquitoes, fleas, flies, moths, and ants.
The NPIC also states that:
Children who have gotten lice shampoo containing pyrethrins in their eyes have experienced irritation, tearing, burns, scratches to the eye, and blurred vision. When inhaled, irritation of the respiratory passages, runny nose, coughing, difficulty breathing, vomiting, and diarrhea have been reported.
– National Pesticide Information Center (2014)
What Is Permethrin?
Permethrin is a synthetic chemical lice treatment that has some scary side effects, which include mild burning, stinging, tingling, and numbness. Not only that, WebMD states that scalp irritation, itching, swelling, or redness may temporarily worsen after treatment with permethrin.
The National Pesticide Information Center expertly covered what the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) thought about permethrin. The IARC decided that permethrin was “not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans” back in 1991. Yet, in 2014, the IARC published another report with new finding regarding permethrin, saying:
“Permethrin was previously reviewed by IARC in 1991 (Volume 53), when it was assigned to Group 3 (not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans). An increased risk of multiple myeloma has been reported in the NCI Agricultural Health Study. Increased risks of liver tumours in mice and rats have been observed. At high doses, permethrin can induce oxidative stress, DNA damage, and genotoxicity in bone marrow, and disruption of the immune system.
– International Agency for Research on Cancer (2014)
What Is Lindane?
It’s worth noting that besides utilizing a higher percentage of pyrethrins and permethrin, some prescription products also contain Lindane. Lindane has been classified as neurotoxic and carcinogenic. That means that this chemical has been linked to causing cancer and permanent brain damage. One study from the Journal of Pediatric Dermatology which reviewed…
67 cases of adverse reactions and deaths associated with the medical use of lindane. Many of the most serious events and fatalities occurred in pediatric and geriatric populations. We concede that toxicity frequently arises from misuse, but labeled usage of lindane caused 43% of the serious adverse reactions of this review.
– The Journal of Pediatric Dermatology (2011)
There have even been reports of seizures and deaths. RX-List asserts that Lindane Shampoo should be used with caution in infants, children, the elderly, and those who weigh less than 110 lbs (50 kg), as they may be at risk of serious neurotoxicity.
Despite the danger associated with Lindane, families still seek it out as a way to get rid of lice. We’re here to tell you that there is a natural lice treatment. A better way, safer way — the Lice Choice way.
The Lice Choice Difference
Lice Choice is non-toxic, pesticide-free, and enzyme based. By enzyme-based, we mean that we have created a formula that uses lice’s own bodies and life cycle against them. When Lice Choice is applied to Super Lice, lice, and nymphs, it stimulates the shedding of their exoskeleton, which drastically expedites their life-cycle down to a few minutes.This means that lice and Super Lice are quickly eradicated without the use of harmful chemicals or Super-Lice resistant pesticides.
Since Lice Choice is derived from organic enzymes and free of chemicals,it’s safe to use on infants and pregnant women. Lice Choice products won’t even damage hair or irritate the skin. Unlike other traditional treatments, Lice Choice is free of hazardous chemicals, which range from neurotoxic to potentially carcinogenic. Lice Choice will not harm you and your family.Safe on children as young as two months old, our products are gentle enough to use on absolutely everyone, no matter their age, skin type, or skin sensitivity.
Better yet, our products have a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. They are made in the USA and were formulated with you in mind. We strive to keep you and your family lice and Super Lice free while not causing, or even potentially causing, any detrimental effects to your health.