Did you know that head lice can live for up to 30 days in a human head and that female lice and can lay up to 100 eggs in their lifetime?
These are two of the things I’ve recently learned about head lice as Lamoiyan Corporation leads the Head Lice Prevention campaign designed to help communities nationwide to address the problem of lice or more commonly known as “kuto.”
Mommy bloggers on a Kilusang Kontra Kuto Quest!
Like most moms, lice can easily set me off to panic mode. We have been made aware that lice infestation can easily spread like wildfire. From just a head filled with lice, a room full of people can easily be infested in such short a time. This is why if you live with someone with head lice, chances are you also are infested with it. Yikes! I’m head-scratching, even as I type away. The thought of lice, can easily set me off to paranoia and itchy feeling all over.
“A study by the DepEd in 2009 estimated that 8 million public school students aged 7 to 12 years old* were infested with head lice,” stated Dr. Arlene Bertuso, an entomologist and professor from the UP Manila College of Public Health.
Ready, get set, kuto away!
Hair Washing Stations in Public Schools
Lamoiyan, makers of Licealiz, recently set up hair washing stations for public school children in Bagong Nayon 1 Elementary School in Antipolo.
School children had their hair washed with Licealiz, wait for 10 minutes then rinse.
Scores upon scores of head lice and nits were combed away from the heads of school children that day! Imagine a whole school infested with head lice. Bagong Nayon 1 Elementary School reflects the infestation situation of head lice in public school. Because head lice isn’t usually addressed, its prevalence and extent of infestation only gets worse through time.
Truth be told, the issue of head lice goes beyond itchiness and infection of the scalp. The social stigma that comes with it may leave lasting psychological damage, specifically because kuto-infested children are more often that not subject to bullying and teasing, leading them to miss school for days at a time.
MCNAP President Balbina Borneo advised, “We have to take action in keeping our households kuto free through simple activities like avoiding sharing of combs, towels and other materials that touch the hair, as lice spreads through physical contact with infested objects. We should regularly replace our beddings and pillowcases to avoid the transfer of lice.”
The Grasyas, with celebrity mom Love Añover
It was my first time to meet Love Añover, and found that she’s such a pleasant person. She shared her own experience in dealing with head lice.
“We were very careful with my daughter’s hygiene and surroundings, so I couldn’t believe it when she started scratching her head. Sure enough, we found head lice! We didn’t think it was possible for my daughter to get head lice given how young she was at the time, but eventually we found out that she got them from our household help. When I was a child, we only used suyod, which was quite inefficient in getting all the lice out. For my daughter, we wanted to try something clinically tested and proven in removing lice. We tried Licealiz head lice treatment shampoo and after two weeks of use, my child was lice-free!” she shared
Licealiz will continue arranging shampooing programs and activities for public school students all over the country.
This September, being the Head Lice Prevention Month, Licealiz invites everyone to join the Kilusang Kontra Kuto, as we work together towards removing the stigma associated with being infested with kuto. As opposed to shaming those who are infested, the key is to support them by offering a solution that works.
For more information on lice prevention, visit Licealiz’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/licealiz.
The Grasyas for ComCo, PR handler of Licealiz.
