Opening a new Lice Clinics of America location in Southwest Louisiana couldn’t have happened at a better time because more cases of lice occur at the start of the school year, according to Owner Shanna Montgomery.

The clinic, at 203 East Miller Ave. Ste G, Iowa, is Montgomery’s second. She said she “knew it was time” to open a second location because most of the visitors to her Lafayette clinic were from the Lake Charles area.

Montgomery said she knows how stressful it can be to treat lice and see no improvement. Treating one of her daughters “was about a six-week ordeal” and cost nearly $500 in products, she said.

Relief finally came when Montgomery took her daughter to a Lice Clinics of America office in Texas. She said she became passionate about helping families deal with the problem.

“As a mom, I know how miserable lice can be, and I desire to be the answer for families searching for a proven answer,” Montgomery said.

A lack of effort is not why families struggle to get rid of lice, Montgomery said. “Super lice” are resistant to most modern treatment options, including over-thecounter products, prescriptions, home remedies and beeswax, she said.

A 2016 study published in the “Journal of Medical Entomology” revealed that 48 out of 50 states are home to super lice. Forty-two states have insects that are 100 percent resistant to the traditional treatments.

“I like to compare it antibiotics,” Montgomery said. “Over time, you become resistant to one kind, so your doctor has to find a different course of treatment until something actually works.”

The clinic uses an FDAcleared medical device, the AirAllé, which heats air to blow-dryer like temperatures and is then combed throughout the hair in a unique pattern for 20 to 30 minutes. Once applied, the AirAllé essentially “dehydrates” the lice egg, killing the insect inside.

The treatment is then followed up with a comb out and oil treatment using products special to the clinic.

Clients may spend up to 90 minutes at the clinic. Each treatment comes with a 30-day guarantee if the whole household is checked by a clinic technician using an LED magnifying lamp.

“Ninety percent of the time, if kids have it, mom has it too — especially if she has been trying to treat it at home,” said Raven Perron, clinic technician.

All of the products used at the clinic are chemicalfree and safe for use during pregnancy. Less than 1 percent of patients treated at the clinics have to be retreated, Montgomery said.

The clinics also sell specialty products for lice prevention, provide education for home maintenance and have technicians conduct lice checks.

To learn more about the clinic’s services or to book an appointment, call 466-8998 or visit www.liceclinicswla.com.