As in-person camps resume in the Carolinas, the medical team at Pediatric Hair Solutions will partner with residential summer camps in North and South Carolina to ensure a lice-free summer camp environment.

Summer Camp is BACK and we couldn’t be happier! The return of in-person residential and day camps this year is a welcome change for kids and families who have been stuck at home for more than a year. Summer Camps are a special opportunity for children to take a break, try new activities, and develop important life skills that will impact their social, emotional and cognitive abilities. We all missed the afternoon swims, the fun games, sing-alongs, crafts, entertainment and fun memories that can only be made in summer camp. 

You know what you probably didn’t miss? Head Lice. There’s nothing like a pesky head lice outbreak to quickly spoil the fun and adventure of summer camp, and after the year we’ve all had- who needs that? Head lice is very contagious and tends to spread easily at summer camps because of group activities and shared sleeping quarters.

According to research, 60% of camp leaders say lice infestations were a substantial burden on staff, campers and their families. We want to make sure that each child is able to remain at camp and enjoy the experience they’ve been looking forward to all year. To prevent unwanted head lice, many summer camps require screenings for all campers and staff upon arrival. Head checks on intake day help to prevent the spread of head lice in the camp environment and we’re happy to lend a hand wherever we can! 

With the exception of last summer, a team of technicians from Pediatric Hair Solutions has provided pre-camp and intake day lice head check services for thousands of children attending local summer camps since 2011. In years past, we’ve partnered with Camp Greystone, Camp Crestridge, Camp Ridgecrest, Camp Wayfarer, Camp Weaver, Salvation Army Camps , and Camp CARE and are happy to be doing so again in 2021!  Here’s how we do it: 

  • Teams of 5-12 medically trained technicians from Pediatric Hair Solutions will show up on camp intake days throughout the summer to perform head check services as campers arrive. *All technicians from Pediatric Hair Solutions are trained to follow guidelines and recommendations from local health authorities and the CDC to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 
  • Campers who are positive for head lice are *treated immediately on site with a non-toxic treatment solution to suffocate and kill all live bugs and our innovative heated air medical device, the Flosonix, to dehydrate all lice eggs. Children are completely lice and nit free when the protocol is complete so they don’t have to miss a single day of camp! . 

*Pediatric Hair Solutions uses a scientifically based, non-toxic approach to treating head lice that is guaranteed to be effective. Because we don’t use chemicals, lice cannot become resistant to our treatment process. Learn more about our lice treatment services here.

Our camp partners tell us they could never get the job done as quickly and effectively without the summer camp head checks and lice treatment services performed by our team. “Our services allow camp medical staff to focus on important intake tasks such as tracking medications and collecting medical forms,” said Sheila Fassler, R.N., owner of Pediatric Hair Solutions. We also offer training and consulting services for camp counselors and medical staff. 

In addition to Summer Camps, PHS partners with local community organizations like Foster Village Charlotte by offering free bottles of our non-toxic treatment solution, along with a discounted rate for head lice treatment for the children of Foster Village families. Read more in  How Pediatric Hair Solutions is Helping to “Foster the Movement” With Foster Village Charlotte.

If your child’s camp does not have medically trained professionals checking for lice and you’re worried about your child getting head lice at summer camp, you can conduct your own head check at home or bring them into one of our six clinics in North & South Carolina. It’s also helpful to teach your child to follow these tips that will help prevent lice from spreading. 

  • If possible, keep your child’s hair in a ponytail braid, tight bun or french braid.
  • Use a non-toxic, chemical-free lice deterrent. Head lice have an acute sense of smell and dislike the scent of mint, rosemary and tea tree oil. We use a proprietary mint essential oil mix in our Preventive Lice Treatment Spray, which is very effective at repelling lice. Our spray is not sticky and will not interfere with summer activities.
  • Avoid head-to-head contact. Since 97% of head lice is spread through direct head-to-head contact, the best way to prevent head lice is to avoid any activity that would involve hair touching. This would include taking selfies, group photos, hugging, whispering, sitting too close together, etc. 

Our head lice experts are always here to answer your questions about head lice — no matter the season. You can reach us by going to gotheadlice.com, visit our FAQ page, Lice Facts page or call one of our locations directly. We want to help ensure a lice-free summer camp for your campers this summer! 

*COVID-19 Precautions: Our attention to preventing cross-contamination has always been top of mind at Pediatric Hair Solutions. Our lice treatment clinics have always exceeded the recommended infection control guidelines, however, the COVID-19 pandemic has made it necessary for us to implement even greater infection control measures. At the time of publication, we are doing the following to keep your family and our team safe: 

  • We are taking temperatures of all visitors, and only allowing one family in the clinic at a time. 
  • All visitors are encouraged to wear masks while inside the clinic.
  • When your family arrives for an appointment, you will need to ring the doorbell and return to your car to fill out paperwork or wait outside. 
  • Family members can then be brought into the clinic if all previous treatments/consultations are complete and checked out. 
  • We are performing enhanced disinfection routines between each appointment and will clean and disinfect all surfaces that our clients come into contact with, such as pens, clipboards, door handles, restroom handles, and all other common touchpoints. 
  • You will see that all Pediatric Hair Solutions staff are now required to wear the KN95 masks throughout treatment and patient/family interaction in the clinics. 
  • You will notice that glass partitions have been installed in all clinics at check-in/out windows so that you can communicate with our admin team while being protected against airborne transmission.
  • You will notice that our reception area will no longer offer magazines, toys, brochures, etc., since those items are difficult to keep clean and disinfected.