MANKATO, Minn., July 13, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Head lice infamously cause stress, disgust and embarrassment for millions of moms whose kids get infested each year. But thanks to the recent opening of Air Fairies, moms in the Southern Minnesota no longer have to worry about treating the icky bugs themselves.
Air Fairies, which is part of the Lice Clinics of America network, provides screening, diagnosis and treatment options for people infested with head lice. The clinic is staffed by certified operators of the AirAllé device, an FDA-cleared medical device that kills head lice and lice eggs using just heated air.
The clinic is owned by Wendy Betters, a resident of Mankato. Betters, who also owns a photography business, decided to open the Mankato clinic after getting a one-and-done treatment for her daughter and son at a Lice Clinics of America location in Minneapolis.
"We were camping in the Black Hills when we discovered my daughter had lice," said Betters. "It put a damper on her mood the entire trip. We tried the classic concoction of chemicals to treat it, but it didn't work."
Betters said that the reason why treating head lice at home is so difficult is because over-the-counter treatments don't kill lice eggs, and combing all the eggs out can be extremely labor intensive and tricky. By opening her clinic in Mankato, Betters said she wants parents there to know they now don't have to drive 80 miles for an AirAllé treatment.
Air Fairies is located at 2400 9th Avenue in Mankato. The clinic is open seven days a week. AirAllé treatments there take about an hour, and come with a 14-day guarantee.
"We came up with the name of Air Fairies because we do an all-natural treatment using just heated air," said Betters, quipping that after the treatment they will dust their clients with pixie dust, if they so desire.
The Mankato clinic is one of 75 U.S. clinics in the Lice Clinics of America network.
With 75 U.S. clinics and 85 international clinics, Lice Clinics of America is the largest network of professional head-lice-treatment centers in the world. Lice Clinics of America and AirAllé are brands owned by Larada Sciences, Inc.