As a child, perhaps you had the unfortunate experience of contracting head lice. It may be embarrassing to admit but I did have lice when I was a child. Adults will often say that "Liliparin na daw ako ng kuto or may bahay na sila nabuo sa ulo ko." Lice infestations can be extremely stressful and disrupting.
Pediculosis presents a negative impact on children’s self- confidence. It is one of the causes of absenteeism, loss of concentration, attentiveness and poor academic performance.
That is why it is imperative that we treat them right away and make our kids enjoy school without the worry of lice.
What are lice?
Head lice are tiny insects that develop in three stages: from nit to nymph to full-blown louse.
How can I get lice?
The primary way you can get head lice is when your head comes in direct contact with the head of an infested individual. Head-to-head contact like that doesn't guarantee that the infestation will spread, but it gives lice the best opportunity to move from the hair of the infested person to your hair.
What are the symptoms of head lice?
- Itchiness- One of the biggest symptoms of head lice is, obviously, an itchy scalp. Of course, there are many other things that can cause itchiness, such as dandruff, allergies, or just dry scalp from the changing weather. There’s no need to jump to conclusions, but if your child is scratching their head more often and complaining of an itchy or tingly scalp, you may want to check for lice.
- Sores and Scabbing- Kids tend to scratch harder than necessary when they have an itch, and they can end up injuring themselves in the process. In the case of head lice, children may even scratch throughout the night without realizing it. If you suspect head lice, check your child’s scalp and hairline for sore spots, scratch marks or scabs that have been caused by excess scratching.
- Loss of Sleep- The itchiness caused by lice can be persistent, and the constant discomfort will probably disrupt your child’s sleep schedule. If your child has a hard time getting asleep or staying asleep due to itching, there’s a good chance that head lice are to blame.
- Irritability- If your child has head lice, they’ll probably be more irritable than usual, and it’s no wonder why. Not only are they feeling itchy and uncomfortable, but they aren’t getting enough sleep either – and that’s enough to put anybody in a bad mood.
What is the treatment for lice?
When it comes to lice treatment, there is Permethrin (Kwell) Shampoo, the medicated shampoo for the treatment of head lice and their eggs (kuto at lisa) and prevention for those at risk.
How to use Permethrin (Kwell) Shampoo:
1. Wet the Hair
2. Shake the bottle/open the sachet. Place an ample amount of Permethrin (Kwell) shampoo and lather it in the hair thoroughly. Make sure that all parts of the head, hair and scalp and even the back of the ears and neck are treated.
3. Leave for 10 minutes and wash thoroughly after.
4. Dry the hair by using a towel.
If other members of the family have lice, treat them as well with Permethrin (Kwell) to avoid the spread of lice.
Permethrin (Kwell) also is more economical. Use it once to get rid of lice then repeat after 7 days to make sure that no nits have been left and that’s it. No need to do maintenance washes.
There’s no guaranteed way to avoid head lice. Teach your kids not to share brushes or hats, but remember that most cases come from simple close contact – hugging their friends, sitting close together, sleepovers and the like. There are products that claim to repel lice using essential oils; some suggest using hair gel at the roots; however, none of these claims has evidence to support the effectiveness.
When it comes to lice treatment, there is Permethrin (Kwell) Shampoo, the medicated shampoo for the treatment of head lice and their eggs (kuto at lisa) and prevention for those at risk.
How to use Permethrin (Kwell) Shampoo:
1. Wet the Hair
2. Shake the bottle/open the sachet. Place an ample amount of Permethrin (Kwell) shampoo and lather it in the hair thoroughly. Make sure that all parts of the head, hair and scalp and even the back of the ears and neck are treated.
3. Leave for 10 minutes and wash thoroughly after.
4. Dry the hair by using a towel.
If other members of the family have lice, treat them as well with Permethrin (Kwell) to avoid the spread of lice.
Permethrin (Kwell) also is more economical. Use it once to get rid of lice then repeat after 7 days to make sure that no nits have been left and that’s it. No need to do maintenance washes.
There’s no guaranteed way to avoid head lice. Teach your kids not to share brushes or hats, but remember that most cases come from simple close contact – hugging their friends, sitting close together, sleepovers and the like. There are products that claim to repel lice using essential oils; some suggest using hair gel at the roots; however, none of these claims has evidence to support the effectiveness.
Permethrin (Kwell) for head lice & scabies is manufactured by Aspen Philippines, a subsidiary of Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Limited, Africa’s largest pharmaceutical manufacturer and the biggest listed pharmaceutical group in the healthcare sector of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Aspen Philippines aims to make high-quality branded medicines available to Filipino patients at affordable cost.
One of Aspen’s healthcare programs called “Kwella sa Es-Kwella at Komunidad” was established in 2013 as a response to the Dept. of Education’s (DepEd) need for information campaign on proper hygiene and treatment for pediculosis (head lice). For the past 4 years, Aspen Philippines has conducted series of educational tours. In 2017, they have visited 630 schools, participated by about 12,000 students, teachers, school staff and parents.
In 2015, Aspen Philippines was awarded by Aspen Asia the Asia’s Community Involvement Award for our delousing activity of 150 children in Barangay Barangka, Mandaluyong City. Permethrin (Kwell) is the Number One head lice treatment certified by IMS Health.
The above program was institutionalized by Aspen Philippines as a result of the 2012 DepEd & University of the Philippines (UP) statistics which revealed that pediculosis (head lice) is ranked as the 2nd most common ailment among public school children aged 7-12 years old. Based on DepEd data, almost 9M or 84% of students are afflicted with head lice.
In 2015, Aspen Philippines was awarded by Aspen Asia the Asia’s Community Involvement Award for our delousing activity of 150 children in Barangay Barangka, Mandaluyong City. Permethrin (Kwell) is the Number One head lice treatment certified by IMS Health.
The above program was institutionalized by Aspen Philippines as a result of the 2012 DepEd & University of the Philippines (UP) statistics which revealed that pediculosis (head lice) is ranked as the 2nd most common ailment among public school children aged 7-12 years old. Based on DepEd data, almost 9M or 84% of students are afflicted with head lice.
Kaya, Dito ka na sa Aprubado! Sa Permethrin (Kwell), Isang Hugas. Kuto Todas!
