CABOT — A new clinic in Cabot is working to end the social stigma surrounding head lice while helping families relax.
The clinic offers a variety of treatments, ranging from a signature full treatment to a comb-out.
Heidi Merritt, owner of Lice Clinics of America’s new Cabot branch, said she opened the clinic to help people.
“My daughters had lice last summer, and it was a nightmare. We spent well over $400 trying to treat them ineffectively. Prescription medication, over-the-counter medication, home remedies — we tried it all,” she said.
Merritt said she took her daughters to a Lice Clinics of America treatment center in Wisconsin to get rid of the insects.
“They left lice-free, and we never had a problem again,” she said.
“I used to be a teacher. Then I became a stay-at-home mom for a while, and I knew I wanted to go back to work, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” Merritt explained.
Merritt said that when she realized there wasn’t a treatment center in Arkansas, she started the process of opening a clinic herself.
“I decided that we needed to have one here,” she said.
Kim Hayes, manager of the clinic, said it has already received clients from Conway, Beebe, Bryant and Judsonia, among other locations.
Hayes said she was friends with Merritt when she told her about the clinic and offered her a job.
“Everybody says, ‘You’re crazy,’ but I think it’s exciting,” Hayes said. “We’re helping so many people.”
Hayes said she knew about the “super lice” epidemic but didn’t realize just how many people were affected by it.
“A lot of lice have developed a resistance to over-the-counter, and even popular prescription, treatments,” she said.
“People are just so thankful when they leave here,” Merritt said. “Parents have told us that weight has been lifted off of them.”
Merritt said the response to the clinic has been overwhelming, and she didn’t expect it to get so busy so fast.
“It has been a definite blessing,” she said. “We have a lot of fun here.”
Hayes said the goal of the clinic is to end the stigma surrounding head lice.
Our motto is, “Relax, we’ve got this,” she said.
Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 6 million to 12 million cases of head lice occur each year in children alone, she said many people believe common misconceptions about the parasitic insects.
“We want to let people know it’s not a dirty thing to get lice. Anybody can get them,” she said.
“Lice don’t judge,” Merritt added.
Merritt said lice do not prefer dirty hair over clean hair, and they affect people of all backgrounds and walks of life.
If people want to treat themselves, we offer the best do-it-yourself kits available that they can purchase from us starting at $40, she said.
“However, what sets us apart from everyone else is our AirAllé system,” she said. “It’s a patented, FDA-cleared device that dehydrates and kills not just lice but their eggs as well.”
The clinic’s signature treatment package includes AirAllé treatment, a thorough comb-out and an oil treatment for $180.
Merritt said if all members of the household are checked and are either treated or cleared in the clinic, the clinic offers a second treatment completely free of charge in the unlikely event that one is needed.
The clinic also offers an express treatment for $125 that includes AirAllé treatment in the clinic, followed by a comb-out and rinse at home.
Merritt said lice cannot live off of the human head for longer than 24 to 48 hours.
They also can’t jump or fly, which is another common misconception, she said.
Candy Griffin, a clinic technician at the treatment center, said that while lice can be passed around on personal items such as hair brushes, most people get lice from head-to-head contact.
“We’re starting to see an increase in cases of lice in teenagers because so many teens take selfies together with their heads touching,” Griffin said.
Hayes said ridding a home of lice isn’t as draining a process as people once thought.
“Even if a louse were to fall off and onto the carpet, unless someone is rubbing their head on the carpet, they aren’t going to get lice,” Merritt said.
Staff members clean the clinic meticulously between appointments, Merritt said.
“All services are by appointment only. We never have a waiting room full of people or anything like that,” she said.
Hayes said the door stays locked between appointments to ensure that children remain in the clinic while a parent is being treated, and to provide privacy for families.
“We are trying to get rid of the stigma, but people still don’t want people to know that they have lice,” she said.
Merritt said AirAllé treatment cannot be performed for children younger than 4 years old or for clients with certain conditions, such as those who have undergone scalp radiation treatments.
“For them, the comb-out is the best option,” Hayes said.
The dimethicone oil treatment is completely safe, she said, and none of the clinic’s products is toxic or packed with harsh chemicals.
Merritt said everyone has a story, and she’s not afraid to speak on the subject of lice and bring it to light.
“We’re the proud, crazy lice ladies,” she said, laughing, “and we’re excited about what we’re doing in the community.”
Staff writer Kayla Baugh can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or kbaugh@arkansasonline.com.