LiceDoctors Surveys Lice Infested Long Island, NY Familes

LONG ISLAND, N.Y. - Sept. 25, 2013 - PRLog -- In a survey conducted by LiceDoctors Head Lice Treatment Service among 100 families on Long Island, the results reveal that use of a professional service makes a significant difference in the amount of money and time spent to eliminate the head lice. The results are in line with a national survey conducted by LiceDoctors; those results were published earlier in September and involved 300 families.

The families were divided into two groups: one group opted to treat their case on their own, while the second group was treated by LiceDoctors. LiceDoctors tracked each familiy over a six week period of time. Among the 50 families who chose to treat their case on their own, 38 families or 75% of the sample were still finding nits and/or bugs in their hair at the end of a four week period. This compares with 77% found in the national survey. Consistent with the national survey, not one family in the professionally treated group had signs of lice at the four week mark.  LiceDoctors followed up with these families two weeks later and found that 30 families or 60% were still trying to get rid of the lice infestation. At that point, among the 50 families treated by LiceDoctors, all were still lice and nit-free.

The survey also revealed at the six week point that families who self-treated estimated that they had spent on average $472 over the aforementioned time period trying to eliminate their case; this does not included money spent before they were monitored by LiceDoctors for the survey. The expenditures covered over-the-counter chemical treatments that were not effective, visit to pediatrician,  prescriptions that didn't work, loads of laundry and dry cleaning, discarded hair bows and brushes, and/or missed days of work. The average expenditure among families treated by LiceDoctors was $295.

In addition, the survey showed that parents in both groups show a high degree of concern over the level of stigma that their children have as a result of having head lice, although on the stigma appears to be less on LI than nationally. The longer the case persists the more concerned the parents were. At the initial contact, 42% of all families reported some degree of worry; at the 4 week and 6 week check-in, 54% and 62% respectively of families in the self-treated group reported concern over stigma. Within both groups 36% had told their child's school compared with the national survey in which 27% indicated that they had told their child’s school. On LI, 56% report that they have informed their child's friend which is significantly higher than the national results of 48% who had told their children’s friends.

LiceDoctors Head Lice Treatment Service has successfully treated over 25,000 families.  The company uses a treatment protocol that was developed 18 years ago by its board certified medical director.  LiceDoctors can be reached in Nassau County at 516-324-2800 and in Suffolk County at 631-306-4390 or on line at www.licedoctors.com. The in-home professional service is also available in New York in New York City, Westchester, Rockland, and upstate in Rochester.