It’s back to school time and while most thoughts turn to pens, pencils, computers and backpacks, it also means a return of a problem -- head lice.
A Contra Costa County lie and nit removal business says its business is booming.
“There's definitely been a huge demand in getting our one-hour treatment, one visit, one time,” Masoud Barukzai said.
He owns Lice Free Clinics in Concord and Pleasanton. He says their phones have been ringing nearly nonstop since the new school year started. And that’s a welcome change of pace for the clinics. Barukzai said business had nearly disappeared during the pandemic, but now it’s up nearly 50%.
“People are back in school, children are back in the camps that they go to, families are traveling again, they're going on vacations. They’re having slumber parties, sleepovers, family visits. All of that has kind of brought it back into the world again,” Barukzai said.
The U.S Centers for Disease Control recently issued new lice guidelines for the nation’s public schools. Kids with lice can no longer be sent home.
California has had those guidelines in place for years, so that’s not behind the recent uptick in Barukzai’s business.
Local
But he’s reminding parents to take precautions to avoid the pests
“We’ve got Halloween. We’ve got sharing of costumes. We’ve got this type of thing so we advise families. Keep your kids heads to themselves. Don’t let them share hats, brushes, combs, things of that nature,” Barukzai said.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
