Cornering the Market

Eliminating the head lice headache

Posted

DeLiceful
2886 Merrick Road, Bellmore
(516) 590-7888, www.deliceful.com

What mom or dad hasn’t felt panic after a note from the school nurse saying head lice have arrived? Even worse, what do you do when your child comes home with them … and then spreads them throughout the family?

Head lice come with myths and misinformation on how to treat them. Experts at DeLiceful can help you out. In addition to treatment centers in Great Neck and Hauppauge, they have just opened a third in Bellmore, and have others locationsin the works.

Kathy Zappulla, who was recently cited as “Long Island’s leading expert on lice,” started DeLiceful in 2010, following her own personal experience. Her children had come home with head lice and soon the entire family was infested. She did what most parents would do — purchased over-the-counter remedies, scrubbed everything in the house, had the carpets and furniture professionally cleaned. But after all that, the pesky critters kept returning. She discovered that the issue was the nits — the eggs. Most products available only kill the adult bugs, but not the eggs, which attach themselves to hair follicles with a glue-like substance.

Zappulla worked with Lice Solutions, an organization that trains people in the Shepard Method of strand-by-strand lice removal. Examining every hair and using non-toxic organic solutions is the key to successful elimination.

Now Zappulla owns three state-of-the-art family-friendly salons, where children can enjoy iPads, movies and munchies, and adults can be treated as well. She is a frequent guest speaker at PTA meetings, camp events and health fairs. She wants to educate the public in the proper ways of lice removal and to dispel the myths. If needed, she will come to a school or daycare centre to assess the problem.

The good news is that lice will only survive on the head. Unlike bedbugs, which burrow into furniture, lice will die within 24 hours if not on a scalp. Proper tools are needed to get the nits out, and the entire process takes a few hours. Treatment includes a non-toxic enzyme mousse application, strand-by-stand combing, blow drying the hair, inspection, and another round of mousse. A final application is done at home. Results are guaranteed. DeLiceful is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Their comprehensive website covers every detail and fact.

 “Head lice can appear on anyone, anywhere. They date back to Egyptian mummies,” Zappulla said. “Lice are just a nuisance, a human parasite.” Her mottos are, “No blame, no shame,” and “We make a scary situation DeLiceful.”