A parents' nightmare and booming business

Not the girl from The Ring, not Annabelle, not Ghostface nor the Demogorgon... Ask any parent with school-age children and they will tell you that their greatest terror lies in a much more discreet creature; it is almost invisible, in fact (and therein lies part of its evil power). Hair lice (Pediculus Humanus Capitis) measure between three and four millimetres in adulthood and live no more than four weeks, but in that modest existence they can lay more than 200 eggs. This high reproduction speed is their great weapon; it makes it an unstoppable plague that, from September onwards, is rampant in nurseries and schools. Children are their favourite victims and schools are their natural habitat.

It is difficult to get rid of head lice. Anyone who has suffered from them knows this. Because they don't come alone; they are accompanied by nits: eggs and tiny larvae that stick to the hair and are not easy to see or remove. Pediculicide lotions often kill the adults, but more than one 'baby' remains alive. And that's the same as leaving the enemy inside: in a few days, the head in question will be infested again.

So this month is not only the start of the school year; it is also the start of the peak season for head lice. From now on, thousands of parents will live in fear of school circulars and head scratching. The more cautious will religiously check their children for these tiny 'squatters'. These are months in which pharmacies make a killing selling pediculicide products and also centres specialised in removing lice and nits 'in situ'. A flourishing business has developed around these annoying insects - and the desperation of families.

In the province of Malaga there are already more than a dozen companies and franchises dedicated to detecting and eradicating head lice. Some have clinics on the street (Kids & Nits, Piokito, Clínica Bichitos, Piojos No or Piohuelin Clinic), others operate at the client's home (such as Picapeques) and others offer both options (such as Pin, Pan Pun Fuera or Nanopiojitos).

All of these businesses claim that their method of lice and nit removal is chemical-free and ensures total eradication, which is why they offer a fifteen-day guarantee period. But what is this foolproof method? There are some variations, but most combine the application of hot air on the hair to dehydrate the nits and, finally, a thorough nit combing. A session can last between one and two hours depending on the length of the hair and the level of infestation. Fees at these centres start at 50 euros per treatment and most, as mentioned above, include a weekly check-up and a guarantee period. They also offer vouchers and flat rates for months or even years. The firms that visit homes also include in their service the vacuuming of sofas, pillows and other surfaces that have been in contact with those affected.

These businesses don't need a lot of publicity; it's word of mouth that brings them customers. "We opened in April and we can't complain, we immediately started to have a lot of demand", explained one business owner who runs a Kids & Nits franchise in Malaga.

"Ninety per cent of our clients know us through word of mouth. They come desperate because the pharmacy treatments are not effective, as they do not get rid of all the nits. Some parents told me that they had spent more than 200 euros on shampoos and lotions," she said. The chain has around 70 centres throughout Spain.

The price of pediculicide lotions for use at home ranges from nine or ten euros for the cheapest (pharmacies' own brands) to more than 20 euros for the most expensive.

There are three types of pharmacy treatments: the most classic is permethrin and more recently other types of lotions have been incorporated without insecticides that cause the insect to suffocate, with active ingredients such as dimethicone, benzyl alcohol or neem tree seed extract.