Parents warned about 'super lice' as horrifying videos emerge
By Kate Kachor|
Parents brace yourselves. Experts are warning of a new breed of 'super lice' set to sweep through Australian schools.
The concern around this breed of head lice is they are chemical resistant, meaning infestations are likely to be worse.
"The chemicals we've been using are becoming less effective," David Bock, an insect specialist with the Australian Museum's search and discover department, said.
This is not great news to impart one week into the new school year.
Watch a video of nit infestations on TikTok above
According to Bock, the pesky nuisances are becoming more prevalent in children, teens and young adults - as they're increasingly putting their heads together to look at each other's social media platforms.
Statistics suggest one in four primary school-aged children in Australia have head lice or that the critters are most active during summer.
"Traditional products seem to be losing their efficacy as some invertebrates, such as head lice, can evolve and adapt to the chemicals that are being used to kill them," Bock said.
He explained head lice are ectoparasites. This means they are a parasite that lives on a host จC on the human scalp and transfers from host to host.
For Rachel Maroun, a Sydney lice technician, she's seen it all, including clients who attempted to kill off the tiny brutes with hair dye.
"I'm so surprised that some people don't know super lice exist," Maroun said in a recent TikTok video.
"Super lice don't react to chemicals or even hair dye. I once had a client catch lice from crazy hair day at school and because she had rainbow hairspray in all of her lice came out rainbow.
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"Because they are chemically immune, super lice are so much harder to kill."
She's not the only one sharing videos of nit infestations to TikTok - and terrifying parents. ?
For Tenar, a Sydney mother-of-two, her daughter, Florence, has experienced nits three times.?
Each time it's been an arduous and time-consuming process, more than three hours, to get rid of them.
"She has the most amazing hair. Very difficult to manage, and she still can't brush it herself. So I brush her hair," Tenar told 9Honey Parenting of her seven-year-old.
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"I have to brush her hair first, really get that knot free. Sometimes, I mean I need to wash her hair first and that would take 30 minutes and then applying the treatment and letting that set and then applying the conditioner and sectioning the hair.?
"You have to go strand by strand and then repeat the process a week later," she adds, having the most success with MooGoo's new Head Lice and Eggs Destroyer Kit.
Bock said a key tool to help parents to get rid of super nits, is a common bathroom item - a plastic shower cap.
"It's hard for them to hold on when the hair is slippery, and wiping the comb on white kitchen roll means you can see how many you get," he said.
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