Charlotte Head Lice Cases Surge, Prompting Urgent Recommendations

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The chairs are full at Pediatric Hair Solutions as family after family comes in to be treated for head lice. Nurse and founder, Sheila Fassler, has been treating head lice in Charlotte for over 15 years. She said there are about 6,000 new head lice cases a month in Charlotte.

Pre-Pandemic Numbers

“Once the pandemic hit, when you mitigate one communicable disease you mitigate all of them, so head lice incidents went way low,” Fassler said. “Now in 2024, we’re finding that the incidents are rising back to pre-pandemic numbers, so we’re expecting a very busy summer.”

Summer Camps and Sleep-Overs

Fassler added kids’ summer camps and sleep-overs over the summer typically make for a busy season at her office. “Summer is really when lice spreads very quickly,” Fassler said.

Expanding Services

Pediatric Hair Solutions had offices in Charlotte, Lake Norman, Cary, and Winston-Salem before COVID-19. Fassler said she had to close two offices and furlough workers during the pandemic due to low demand. Now, she said she’s is reopening a couple of practices between North and South Carolina to keep up with the growing cases.

Weekly Checks Recommended

Fassler recommends all parents check their kids weekly for head lice. “Check the nape of their hair, around their ears, or the crown of their hair, and that is where you will find the eggs. You’re not looking for bugs because they move very quickly and they do not like light, so they are going to scurry away, and they have the ability to camouflage. But the eggs are glued on the hair shaft. They’re not going anywhere,” Fassler said.