Lice removal businesses are 15 years old, but they continue to grow and are now reaching Bali.

Juan Carlos Márquez worked in construction until the 2008 crisis hit , and he had to reinvent himself. About two years later, in 2010, he decided to venture into a new business: Sin más de piojitos (Without More Piojitos ), a center for the elimination of these insects and their eggs, nits.

Currently, it has stores in ten autonomous communities and six countries. "We have approximately 60. I think we're the largest brand worldwide. When centers have closed, it hasn't been due to malfunctions, but rather for personal reasons, such as divorce," Márquez , the company's director of quality and founder, told this newspaper.

According to him, the treatment they offer is " completely natural," without chemicals, using only vacuum cleaners with applicators and special nit combs: "They get rid of all the lice, large and small." The final part of the process includes a hair-by-hair examination with a magnifying glass and tweezers and a weekly checkup to make sure not a single bug remains. "It's 100% effective," he adds.

She also admits that summer and the return to school season are two busy times : "At least until November, when the cold weather sets in, we'll be up to our necks. In summer, children share a comb and play on the same towel, so the risk of infection is higher." Regarding prices, she says they range between 70 and 90 euros , depending on the center and the community. "We do between 1,000 and 2,000 treatments a year," she maintains.

Kids and Nits is another Spanish company dedicated to the same sector. As its CEO, Charo Montero , explains, they opened in 2014 and created Nitter , "the only" approved professional device on the market for treating head lice in humans . This machine combines high-speed, temperature-controlled hot air with aspirated air. Like Sin más piojitos, this company also doesn't use chemicals: "The hot air dehydrates the lice and nits. It's harmless and doesn't damage the scalp."

Even so, he assures that if any residue remains , it will be dead. "They return for a checkup after a week because the client returns to the contaminated environment. Plus, we have a 15-day guarantee from the date of treatment. The price is 85 euros , although we have vouchers, and many children come every two weeks, as if it were just another extracurricular activity," he continues.

In Spain, they have about 50 locations , 25 in Portugal, and one in Indonesia, on the island of Bali . "We're now in the process of expanding across Europe . We want to replicate the same business model as in Spain. We've closed about a dozen clinics over the past eleven years," she notes. "Starting in November, infections decrease because lice are very sensitive to temperature changes, and nits take longer to hatch . In the summer, mothers relax because they think there aren't any, but it's quite the opposite. Now, with the return to school, some mothers check their children's heads and find some, but they're from the summer," Montero explains.

" Pediculosis is a disease caused by a parasitic arthropod known as louse that primarily affects the scalp, producing minor irritations caused by the insect bite, which are complicated because the intense itching it causes causes the affected person to scratch," says Juan José García Rodríguez , member of the Spanish Society of Parasitology and Professor of the Department of Microbiology and Parasitology of the Faculty of Pharmacy at the Complutense University of Madrid.

He also describes that once a child has been infected, the likelihood of it spreading to other family members is "quite high." He also emphasizes the method of transmission: "It is transmitted through direct contact, from head to head , or through the use of what are called fomites, such as hats, combs, headbands, or hair bands."

Myths

Regarding myths about lice, she insists that they don't jump : "They're quite sedentary, although when they receive certain stimuli they can move very quickly, but, in any case, they don't jump." Regarding the fact that they go to dirty hair, she confesses that it is "totally wrong" because they prefer long, clean hair, which is why it affects girls more than boys. "Although they can colonize all hair , they are usually found mainly in what are known as nit combs, the nape of the neck and behind the ears. As for the dye, although one might think that the hydrogen peroxide used on them could have some effect, it has not been proven to have a real effect; some articles mention that it can affect adults somewhat, but in no case the nits ," she declares.

" The effectiveness of home remedies has not been scientifically proven . Vinegar, for example, does not kill adult lice. The only thing it can help with is to slightly dissolve the 'cement' that surrounds the eggs, making it slightly easier for them to come off. Centers specializing in the elimination of these eggs work quite well, as long as follow-up is done after treatment ," he adds.

Regarding prevention, he indicates that early detection and subsequent treatment are the most effective measures. "Obviously, the school should be notified so they can take extreme precautions, thus avoiding mass contagion. At home, the use of common fomites is not recommended, and it is advisable to wash bedding at temperatures above 55 degrees , use steam-based disinfectants or pediculicidal products for sofas, vacuum carpets, or wrap small items that cannot be washed in airtight plastic bags," he points out.

More resistant

Regarding the most effective treatments, he mentions permethrin , although he points out that nits must be removed mechanically with nit combs. However, these lotions don't always work: "The indiscriminate use of permethrin in the absence of lice as prophylaxis and natural selection in the arthropod have led to an increase in resistance to standard treatments."

" Various alternatives are currently being evaluated. Some attempt to act on the parasite's own metabolism to block its vital functions. Others use technology such as smart combs. In other cases, natural compounds such as tea tree or eucalyptus are being evaluated," he concludes.