Licealiz

CEBU, Philippines - Parents beware! “Kuto” infestation may be a back to school problem So you thought the dilemma was over? The annoying head lice or kuto that kids seem to attract during summer is on its way back. While we all blamed it to the heat, the increased activity and contact with peers multiplies the chance of kids having head lice during the summer months.

Parents should be weary as the back to school season is nearing. They should be even more vigilant to ensure their kids don’t go home from school scratching their heads and once again the all-too-familiar tale of “kuto kadiri” is relived. The classroom is an ideal setting for kuto to spread. There is nothing more that “kuto kadiri” wants than many small heads sitting together for more than half a day.

A documentary shot by, respected broadcaster and journalist, Jessica Soho revealed that a Department of Education study with the University of the Philippines ranked Pediculosis or head lice infestation as the third most common health problem of public school children after tooth decay and dental problems. A conscious effort must be made as kuto gets in the way of education. Do not let all the good hygiene habits you employed to ensure your children remain lice-free during summer come to naught.

“Kuto” a burden to both parent and child

The findings also put multiple burdens on parents who inevitably bear the responsibility of ensuring the health and well-being of their children.

For example, it may be “normal” for kids to have head lice and dismiss this as a part of growing up. However, this “normal” phase in a child’s life also comes with the social stigma that both parent and child have to endure.

A child with kuto is often ostracized by classmates, barred by other kids from participating in games or group activities because of fear that head lice will spread. They will be shamed; ousted by even their closest friends. Now the parents or “yayas”, with efforts to shield the child from merciless teasing, wards them from peers or forbids them from going out. In this case the child’s fate is doomed. It is a choice of being house confined or put to tears. Let it not come to this ultimatum. Incidents like these are enough to traumatize a child. They may refuse to go to school, develop behavioral problems or adversely affect his or her academic performance. This is a social problem that will continue to escalate if not prevented.

Often, however, the parent is also shamed by the head lice infestation of their kids. They may refuse to go the drug store to try out safe, effective and modern treatments of curbing head lice. The fear of being judged by store clerks or the people around them as having head lice themselves or for being an unfit parent to allow their kids to have “kuto” in the first place is a relevant factor.

In fact, the DepEd observed that “little attention is put on the impact common diseases like head lice creates on the physical and mental development of children like school attendance, school performance and ultimately quality of life.”

A research study conducted in 2006 by the global research firm GfK NOP revealed that 59 percent of Philippine households suffer from head lice. The most susceptible are children aged 4 to 10, the majority of which are females. In addition, 34 percent of elementary school children in public schools are infected.

Preventing head lice

Most parents know that good hygiene habits play a large role in preventing the occurrence of head lice. Simply by teaching their kids to be cautious in sharing their personal belongings like combs, hair clips, barrettes, head bands and towels reduce the chances that head lice will spread. Let’s say for sleepovers, kids should pack their own pillows and blankets.

Parents must take necessary action once head lice are suspected. For shared belongings at home, contact with contaminated furniture like beds or sofas and furnishings like carpets, rugs and other items must be vacuumed/cleaned regularly. Bed linens, towels, stuffed toys and clothing recently worn by the infected children must be washed with hot water.

A head lice treatment shampoo made of natural ingredients is the best solution. Lamoiyan’s Licealiz shampoo contains Pyrethrin as its active ingredient. It is naturally derived from Chrysanthemum flower extracts. Sources from the Education Department and the Philippine Dermatological Society endorse Pyrethin as safe and reliable in removing head lice and their eggs (lisa). In prescribed doses, the Pyrethin-formulated, Licealiz Shampoo is safe and effective even for use of children as young as two years.

Licealiz is applied on the hair like a regular shampoo. It contains a hair conditioning formulation that keeps hair soft and healthy. For best results, leave it on hair for ten minutes before rinsing. The recommended application is twice a week for two weeks. Licealiz also prevents the reoccurrence of head lice. Simply use it once a week, after the initial two weeks, to ensure complete head lice removal. It is also available in a variant that cools the scalp during and after washing.

To ensure that Licealiz can be made available for every Filipino, it is priced up to 50 percent lower than competing brands and is also available in even more affordable 10ml sachet packs. This only means that parents should have no hesitation in immediately stopping the “kuto” problem once it is discovered. Licealiz is just in the next drug store away. It is safe and effective as it is affordable.

Good hygiene and Licealiz: the most effective ways parents can ensure the third most common health problem in the Philippines stops being their problem.

Licealiz is available in leading drugstores, supermarkets and department stores nationwide. PR