A so-called super lice is on the prowl and a new clinic in Liberty, Missouri expects to be very busy treating for this head lice resistant to over-the-counter products.
Heartland Healthy Heads just opened in June and its services are solely dedicated to treating lice.
"The more common over the counter products, the bugs are now resistant to those," said Cherie Parker, owner of Heartland Healthy Heads.
Parker opened Heartland Healthy Heads' first location in Olathe several years ago. With business booming she expanded with the new Liberty location.
The clinic uses a special machine that kills lice eggs on the patient's head immediately. Treatments cost $159.
"It dehydrates both the lice and the eggs, so very very effective," said Parker.
The CDC says up to 12 million American children may get head lice this year, but lice are not becoming more common.
They're just getting tougher.
"Lice has been around forever," said Parker. "And it's transmitted from hair to hair contact so of course it's more common among children."
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Justin Wilfon can be reached at justin.wilfon@kshb.com.
