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Lousy job, but Lafayette salon will do it
By Brooke Bryant
STAFF WRITER
Contra Costa Times
Article Launched: 08/31/2007 03:10:59 AM PDT
If you're looking for the latest in hair couture, LoveBugs Salon isn't the place for you.
If you have an itchy scalp that won't quit, it just might be.
The small salon tucked in an out-of-the-way spot in Lafayette doesn't do flat tops, buzz cuts, perms or dye jobs.
But it does tackle a sesame-seed-sized problem wrapped in a big stigma: lice. Although head lice infestations don't
carry any health risks, parents who have been through an outbreak can attest to the hefty dose of irritation and
embarrassment that comes along with the creepy crawlies. LoveBugs owner Mailana Mavromatis-Broumand girds
herself in pink scrubs, a magnifying visor and an array of fine-toothed combs to do battle with the pernicious -- if
petite -- pest, and the attendant disgrace.
Tired of the steady stream of lice-outbreak notices coming home from school, Mavromatis-Broumand started
treating people in her own home a few years ago, using a blend of oils and "ancient Greek secrets" passed down
from her mother to lull the lice before combing the irksome bugs from the hair, section by section.
Business has boomed, and in April, she opened her own salon. She charges $90 an hour and recommends at least two
visits.
Her clients include people such as Walnut Creek mother Melissa Morton, who discovered just how difficult it can
be to get a handle on head lice when her 7-year-old son came home from summer camp with a case. She tried
chemicals. Then she tried slathering mayonnaise on her son's curly head of hair to suffocate the lice.
"It seemed like we were still pulling nits out of his hair," she said. So she turned to LoveBugs Salon, and within
two weeks, the problem was solved.
The youngest of five children, Mavromatis-Broumand remembers being mortified when she got lice as a child and
the school treated her as if she were "dirty." That perception hasn't changed much. She often gets calls from
mothers who want to ensure no one from their child's school is scheduled for an appointment at the same time.
People assume that "poor, dirty people get lice. Not people who live in Orinda," Mavromatis-Broumand said. But in
reality, "this has nothing to do with socioeconomic background. Lice are equal-opportunity annoyers."
Mavromatis-Broumand grappled with that prejudice while searching for a place to set up shop, when she found that
landlords were reluctant to rent to her. She had found one space in Walnut Creek, installed a phone and even
printed business cards when the owner decided he didn't want to rent to her after all because other tenants were
nervous about catching lice from her clients.
In the space she finally found, the floors are hardwood, leaving lice with nowhere to hide when the staff washes
and vacuums each day. The walls are covered with children's pictures of bugs, and portable DVD players keep
clients distracted while Mavromatis-Broumand and her staff spend hours picking through heads of hair. After
each appointment, they urge clients to take the portable vacuum cleaner on the table near the door to use on their
car seat headrests. Otherwise, all that hard work could go down the drain during the ride home.
An infestation can range from nits (lice eggs about the size of a knot in thread that are attached to the base of
the hair at the scalp) to nymphs (a baby louse that feeds on blood and matures into an adult in about a week) to
adults (which hold on to hair with hooklike claws but die within a day or two of falling off a person's head). Lice
can't jump, only crawl. They feed by injecting a small amount of saliva and taking a tiny amount of blood from the
scalp every few hours. Irritation from the saliva is what creates the itching.
Head lice can strike anyone, but the most likely targets are children ages 3 to 11 and their families, according to
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although statistics on head lice cases are hard to find, partly
because they are so easy to misdiagnose, the problem is common enough that most school districts have policies
requiring students to be sent home when lice are found. Many schools follow a strict "no-nits" policy, meaning that
children can't come back to class until they are free of both live lice and their eggs. But some schools are beginning
to question that philosophy. Pointing out that children with active lice infestations have likely had the problem for
a month or more, and there are no health problems associated with head lice, groups such as the National
Association of School Nurses and the American Academy of Pediatrics have come out against the "no-nit" policies.
The Oakland school district recently went a step further and began allowing students with lice or nits to stay in
school because the district doesn't want students missing class for something that doesn't pose any health risks.
But aversion to lice is often ingrained.
"A lot of people are very grossed out by it," said Walnut Creek school district nurse Oonagh McAndrew. The
district sees lice outbreaks particularly after summer vacation and holidays such as Halloween, when legions of
children may try on the same mask. Walnut Creek sends infested students home and doesn't allow them back in
class until the nits are gone, she said. Siblings and classmates are checked, as well. "That term 'nit-picking' takes
on a whole new meaning when you've been through it," she said.
The salon's Web site is http://www.lovebugslice.com
*****************************************************************************************************************************
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June proves a banner month for nit-pickers
Salon specializing in removal of lice notes upsurge in business
By Kelly Pollard
CORRESPONDENT
Contra Costa Times
Article Launched:07/06/2007 03:22:44 AM PDT
Kay Smith, health educator and head nurse of the San Ramon Valley School District has 25 years of experience
with head lice in the local schools.
"Twenty percent of all school-age children will have lice at some point during their school career," she said,.
Although schools usually see an upsurge in cases at the beginning of the school year and in early spring, this June
was busier than most summer months.
"I have no scientific reason as to why," Smith said. "Perhaps there are more sleepovers, which are hotbeds for the
nits to thrive."
Although there often is a stigma attached to a child with lice, it's more common then people realize.
Head lice are parasites that affect the whole world, with children ages 3 to 10 the most susceptible, according to
the National Library of Medicine. Females have a slightly higher incidence of the disease, due to more frequent
head contact, which is how the disease spreads the fastest.
"The main way to prevent head lice is to not share any clothing items, hats, and combs," Smith advised. "Nits can
live a couple hours on an item of clothing, but they need blood to stay alive. Since there is that window of time the
nits are viable, it's important for parents to be vigilant in cleaning areas where the child with lice had contact."
Once head lice are discovered, the household must be treated just as meticulously as the child. All bedding and
clothing, stuffed animals and upholstered furniture must be vacuumed or washed.
"Don't forget to vacuum car seats and the sides of mattresses and couches," Smith said. "We often see
recurrences in the same household because the caretakers haven't followed through with the laundry and cleaning
aspects. You also need to boil all combs and hairbrushes in really hot water for 10 minutes."
Treating the head is a tedious process. There are various over-the-counter shampoos and cream rinses that get rid
of lice. Smith recommends a pesticide-free formula and favors the cream rinses that make the hair slippery, thus
easier to remove the nits.
"Nits are like sprinkles on a cake. The eggs are much easier to see," Smith said.
For those families lacking the patience or stomach for the lice-removal process, there is an option not far away.
LoveBugs Salon in Lafayette specializes in lice removal. The salon specialists, self-labeled as the 'Ladybugs', often
work on whole families, going through each strand of hair and checking under the nails, where lice also hide.
Mailana Mavromatis-Broumand at LoveBugs Salon noticed a heavier flow of clients this June.
"I've been surprised at how busy we are. June is usually a slow month. September seems to be the busiest," she
said. "We've been getting families from San Ramon, Danville, Alamo, and Moraga."
Mavromatis-Broumand uses magnifying equipment to pick out the nits and eggs, strand by strand. She charges $90
an hour, the length of time depending on a variety of factors.
"The length and thickness of the hair determines the time needed to go through each layer. Also, it depends on the
infestation," she said. "If it is caught early, there aren't as many eggs."
She recommends at least one follow-up visit since the nits are so tiny and difficult to see, even under
magnification.
Students shouldn't need to be kept home more than a day or two, according to Kay Smith. Before they are allowed
back in the classroom, a nurse or teacher will double check the hair to make sure it is louse-free.
San Ramon Valley schools discourage students from sharing clothing items and brushes. Many schools have a row of
spaced hooks outside for backpacks and jackets, allowing enough room so they do not touch. Some schools also
enlist parent volunteers to do monthly lice checks in the classroom.
"We tell the families not to panic," Smith said. "Head lice isn't a reflection on hygiene. It has been around forever."
Mailana Mavromatis-Broumand also strives to remove the stigma associated with head lice.
"Lice have nothing to do with socio-economic background or how clean your house is. Part of the reason we named
the salon LoveBugs is because that is what lice really are. How do people spread head lice? By leaning their two
heads together."
For more information about LoveBugs Salon, visit http://www.lovebugslice.com.
*****************************************************************************************************************************
*****************************************************************************************************************************
By Brooke Bryant
STAFF WRITER
Contra Costa Times
Article Launched: 08/31/2007 03:10:59 AM PDT
If you're looking for the latest in hair couture, LoveBugs Salon isn't the place for you.
If you have an itchy scalp that won't quit, it just might be.
The small salon tucked in an out-of-the-way spot in Lafayette doesn't do flat tops, buzz cuts, perms or dye jobs.
But it does tackle a sesame-seed-sized problem wrapped in a big stigma: lice. Although head lice infestations don't
carry any health risks, parents who have been through an outbreak can attest to the hefty dose of irritation and
embarrassment that comes along with the creepy crawlies. LoveBugs owner Mailana Mavromatis-Broumand girds
herself in pink scrubs, a magnifying visor and an array of fine-toothed combs to do battle with the pernicious -- if
petite -- pest, and the attendant disgrace.
Tired of the steady stream of lice-outbreak notices coming home from school, Mavromatis-Broumand started
treating people in her own home a few years ago, using a blend of oils and "ancient Greek secrets" passed down
from her mother to lull the lice before combing the irksome bugs from the hair, section by section.
Business has boomed, and in April, she opened her own salon. She charges $90 an hour and recommends at least two
visits.
Her clients include people such as Walnut Creek mother Melissa Morton, who discovered just how difficult it can
be to get a handle on head lice when her 7-year-old son came home from summer camp with a case. She tried
chemicals. Then she tried slathering mayonnaise on her son's curly head of hair to suffocate the lice.
"It seemed like we were still pulling nits out of his hair," she said. So she turned to LoveBugs Salon, and within
two weeks, the problem was solved.
The youngest of five children, Mavromatis-Broumand remembers being mortified when she got lice as a child and
the school treated her as if she were "dirty." That perception hasn't changed much. She often gets calls from
mothers who want to ensure no one from their child's school is scheduled for an appointment at the same time.
People assume that "poor, dirty people get lice. Not people who live in Orinda," Mavromatis-Broumand said. But in
reality, "this has nothing to do with socioeconomic background. Lice are equal-opportunity annoyers."
Mavromatis-Broumand grappled with that prejudice while searching for a place to set up shop, when she found that
landlords were reluctant to rent to her. She had found one space in Walnut Creek, installed a phone and even
printed business cards when the owner decided he didn't want to rent to her after all because other tenants were
nervous about catching lice from her clients.
In the space she finally found, the floors are hardwood, leaving lice with nowhere to hide when the staff washes
and vacuums each day. The walls are covered with children's pictures of bugs, and portable DVD players keep
clients distracted while Mavromatis-Broumand and her staff spend hours picking through heads of hair. After
each appointment, they urge clients to take the portable vacuum cleaner on the table near the door to use on their
car seat headrests. Otherwise, all that hard work could go down the drain during the ride home.
An infestation can range from nits (lice eggs about the size of a knot in thread that are attached to the base of
the hair at the scalp) to nymphs (a baby louse that feeds on blood and matures into an adult in about a week) to
adults (which hold on to hair with hooklike claws but die within a day or two of falling off a person's head). Lice
can't jump, only crawl. They feed by injecting a small amount of saliva and taking a tiny amount of blood from the
scalp every few hours. Irritation from the saliva is what creates the itching.
Head lice can strike anyone, but the most likely targets are children ages 3 to 11 and their families, according to
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although statistics on head lice cases are hard to find, partly
because they are so easy to misdiagnose, the problem is common enough that most school districts have policies
requiring students to be sent home when lice are found. Many schools follow a strict "no-nits" policy, meaning that
children can't come back to class until they are free of both live lice and their eggs. But some schools are beginning
to question that philosophy. Pointing out that children with active lice infestations have likely had the problem for
a month or more, and there are no health problems associated with head lice, groups such as the National
Association of School Nurses and the American Academy of Pediatrics have come out against the "no-nit" policies.
The Oakland school district recently went a step further and began allowing students with lice or nits to stay in
school because the district doesn't want students missing class for something that doesn't pose any health risks.
But aversion to lice is often ingrained.
"A lot of people are very grossed out by it," said Walnut Creek school district nurse Oonagh McAndrew. The
district sees lice outbreaks particularly after summer vacation and holidays such as Halloween, when legions of
children may try on the same mask. Walnut Creek sends infested students home and doesn't allow them back in
class until the nits are gone, she said. Siblings and classmates are checked, as well. "That term 'nit-picking' takes
on a whole new meaning when you've been through it," she said.
The salon's Web site is http://www.lovebugslice.com
*****************************************************************************************************************************
*****************************************************************************************************************************
June proves a banner month for nit-pickers
Salon specializing in removal of lice notes upsurge in business
By Kelly Pollard
CORRESPONDENT
Contra Costa Times
Article Launched:07/06/2007 03:22:44 AM PDT
Kay Smith, health educator and head nurse of the San Ramon Valley School District has 25 years of experience
with head lice in the local schools.
"Twenty percent of all school-age children will have lice at some point during their school career," she said,.
Although schools usually see an upsurge in cases at the beginning of the school year and in early spring, this June
was busier than most summer months.
"I have no scientific reason as to why," Smith said. "Perhaps there are more sleepovers, which are hotbeds for the
nits to thrive."
Although there often is a stigma attached to a child with lice, it's more common then people realize.
Head lice are parasites that affect the whole world, with children ages 3 to 10 the most susceptible, according to
the National Library of Medicine. Females have a slightly higher incidence of the disease, due to more frequent
head contact, which is how the disease spreads the fastest.
"The main way to prevent head lice is to not share any clothing items, hats, and combs," Smith advised. "Nits can
live a couple hours on an item of clothing, but they need blood to stay alive. Since there is that window of time the
nits are viable, it's important for parents to be vigilant in cleaning areas where the child with lice had contact."
Once head lice are discovered, the household must be treated just as meticulously as the child. All bedding and
clothing, stuffed animals and upholstered furniture must be vacuumed or washed.
"Don't forget to vacuum car seats and the sides of mattresses and couches," Smith said. "We often see
recurrences in the same household because the caretakers haven't followed through with the laundry and cleaning
aspects. You also need to boil all combs and hairbrushes in really hot water for 10 minutes."
Treating the head is a tedious process. There are various over-the-counter shampoos and cream rinses that get rid
of lice. Smith recommends a pesticide-free formula and favors the cream rinses that make the hair slippery, thus
easier to remove the nits.
"Nits are like sprinkles on a cake. The eggs are much easier to see," Smith said.
For those families lacking the patience or stomach for the lice-removal process, there is an option not far away.
LoveBugs Salon in Lafayette specializes in lice removal. The salon specialists, self-labeled as the 'Ladybugs', often
work on whole families, going through each strand of hair and checking under the nails, where lice also hide.
Mailana Mavromatis-Broumand at LoveBugs Salon noticed a heavier flow of clients this June.
"I've been surprised at how busy we are. June is usually a slow month. September seems to be the busiest," she
said. "We've been getting families from San Ramon, Danville, Alamo, and Moraga."
Mavromatis-Broumand uses magnifying equipment to pick out the nits and eggs, strand by strand. She charges $90
an hour, the length of time depending on a variety of factors.
"The length and thickness of the hair determines the time needed to go through each layer. Also, it depends on the
infestation," she said. "If it is caught early, there aren't as many eggs."
She recommends at least one follow-up visit since the nits are so tiny and difficult to see, even under
magnification.
Students shouldn't need to be kept home more than a day or two, according to Kay Smith. Before they are allowed
back in the classroom, a nurse or teacher will double check the hair to make sure it is louse-free.
San Ramon Valley schools discourage students from sharing clothing items and brushes. Many schools have a row of
spaced hooks outside for backpacks and jackets, allowing enough room so they do not touch. Some schools also
enlist parent volunteers to do monthly lice checks in the classroom.
"We tell the families not to panic," Smith said. "Head lice isn't a reflection on hygiene. It has been around forever."
Mailana Mavromatis-Broumand also strives to remove the stigma associated with head lice.
"Lice have nothing to do with socio-economic background or how clean your house is. Part of the reason we named
the salon LoveBugs is because that is what lice really are. How do people spread head lice? By leaning their two
heads together."
For more information about LoveBugs Salon, visit http://www.lovebugslice.com.
*****************************************************************************************************************************
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