Introduction
Robi Comb, an innovative device
in the fight against head lice infection, can detect, kill, and
remove head lice. It transmits an audible signal when head lice
are present, and it provides an alternative to chemical pesticides.
In addition, it alleviates concerns over both the initial exposure
to chemicals as well the continual usage of pesticide treatment.
Robi Comb can be used frequently as well as safely, as a preventative
treatment program with no harmful side effects.
Product
Overview and Description
Robi Comb has been proven successful by both school nurses and parents.
It is a reliable and safe alternative to chemical treatments and
for the elimination of pesticide-resistant lice. It is made up of
a comb with metal-coated teeth. When a louse is detected between
two of the teeth, a tiny electrical discharge passes through the
louse and kills it. Insulation on the tips of the teeth protects
the scalp from any discomfort. A single AA battery supplies the
power.
Combing the
entire scalp, especially in areas that itch, will kill the lice.
To destroy any new lice that may have hatched during the infestation
phase, the Robi Comb should be used at least five minutes a day
for two weeks. To maintain lice free scalp, Robi Comb should also
be used two or three times a week for a month or two after the school
outbreak is over.
Product
Use and Procedure
The Robi Comb should only be used on dry hair. As the comb slides
through the hair, it makes a soft humming sound until it encounters
a louse. At that time, the humming sound stops and a small electrical
charge passes from one of the comb's teeth through the louse to
the next tooth, killing the louse. Using the small brush included
in the Robi Comb package, the examiner should remove the dead louse
from the comb's teeth and resume combing. Robi Comb should be used
daily for about two weeks to help destroy the existing lice and
any new lice that may hatch.
Caution: Robi Comb should not be used on or handled
by persons who suffer from epilepsy, heart disease or persons with
a pacemaker or other neurostimulator.
Features
and Benefits
 |
 |
Use for
screening and re-screening. |
|
Safe, effective,
and chemical-free. |
|
Detects,
kills, and removes head lice. |
|
Audible
signal tells whether head lice are present. |
|
Runs on
a single AA battery. |
|
Medically tested
and proven, and used by over 3,000 school nurses in all 50 states. |
Frequently
Asked Questions
| Q: |
What
are head lice? |
| A: |
Head lice
parasites survive on the human scalp by feeding on blood.
The "bite" made to extract the blood does not hurt,
but the substance the lice excrete to prevent the blood from
clotting can cause itching and allergic reaction. The lice
have a lifespan of 40 days, during which time they may lay
about 200 eggs (also called nits), attaching each egg to a
strand of hair with a very strong, glue-like matter. These
eggs usually hatch within seven to ten days. Given the average
growth rate of hair, by the time the egg hatches, it will
be about 5mm (or 1/5 of an inch) from the scalp. These lice
live so close to the scalp that they are often difficult to
see. The nits themselves are easier to observe and are far
greater in number. Live nits are usually found close to the
scalp, and are a yellow/gray color when first laid but turn
dark brown as they are about to emerge. After hatching, the
empty egg cases are whitish in color. Because so many eggs
are laid, and because they're attached to the hair with such
strength, it is difficult to find and remove all of the eggs.
The existence of just one louse or nit is enough to warrant
immediate treatment. Where there is one, there will inevitably
be others.
|
| Q: |
Who
gets head lice and how is it transmitted? |
| A: |
Children
up to the age of 12 are most susceptible to head lice, but
lice can also affect older children as well. Since lice transfer
easily from one head to another through physical contact and/or
the sharing of clothing, hats or grooming utensils, they are
easily contracted by children in schools, day care centers,
camps and similar locations. Once thought to be primarily
a "back to school" problem, the treatment of head
lice is now a year-round concern.
|
| Q: |
How
do you know Robi Comb really works? |
| A: |
Robi Comb
was developed in Israel in 1991 and tested on children by
the Beilinson Medical Center, which is affiliated with Tel
Aviv University Medical School. It was found to be about as
effective as permethrin (the primary ingredient in pesticide
shampoos) in curing the initial infestation, and possibly
more successful at preventing a re-infestation. It was also
tested at the Medical Entomology Centre in England, and found
to be highly effective there too. Robi Comb has been used
in England, France, Germany, and Israel for about eight years.
In Europe, hundreds of thousands of units have been sold each
year, mostly in England. The product was introduced in the
United States in 1998 and has been very well received. School
nurses reported that Robi Comb allowed them to identify lice
that had not been observed during visual inspection. More
than 3000 school districts nationwide are currently using
the Robi Comb.
|
| Q: |
Does
Robi Comb have any advantages versus other treatments? |
| A: |
Yes. First,
it gives an audible signal when head lice are present and
thus it may be used to detect an infestation. In fact, many
school nurses use Robi Comb for exactly this purpose. Second,
since it involves simply combing a child's hair for five minutes
a day, the Robi Comb is a painless and efficient way to help
prevent infestation and re-infestation. Harsh chemical products
are generally not recommended for prophylactic use on younger
children because of concerns over exposing them to pesticides.
Third, Robi Comb is used on dry hair, eliminating the need
for gloves to apply a pesticide shampoo and exposing mucous
membranes to the shampoo. Fourth, studies, as well as reports
from school nurses and parents, now show that lice are resistant
to the shampoo treatments currently available. Robi Comb is
a safe and non-toxic alternative.
|
| Q: |
What
about the nits, or eggs? Does Robi Comb kill them too? |
| A: |
No. Even
pesticide-based medications have limited success against nits,
because young nits don't have a central nervous system for
the pesticides to affect. Pesticide shampoos generally leave
a residue on the hair for a few days, which kill the lice
as they hatch. Both Robi Comb and shampoo manufacturers recommend
attempting to physically remove the nits from the head, even
though this can be quite difficult to do completely, and just
a few nits can keep an infestation active. Shampoo manufacturers
recommend a second application of the shampoo seven to ten
days after the first use, which is the time it takes for the
newest eggs to hatch. The Robi Comb may be used each day for
ten to twelve days while the eggs are hatching in order to
kill the lice as they emerge. After twelve days, all of the
eggs should have hatched, and there should be no live lice
left to lay eggs nor any eggs left to hatch. ARR Health Technologies
recommends that when children return to school, the Robi Comb
be used a few minutes every other day for as long as there
is an existing head lice problem in the classroom. This procedure
should effectively detect and kill any lice that may be transferred
to the child's scalp.
|
| Q: |
If
the Robi Comb is used on a number of children, or continually
as a screening tool, how can it be kept sanitary? |
| A: |
There are two concerns
with this issue. The first is to avoid the transfer of lice from one
scalp to the next. Fortunately, Robi Comb signals when it has trapped
a louse. Before resuming the combing process, or using the comb on
another child, the teeth should be inspected and the dead louse removed
with the cleaning brush that is supplied with the comb. The second
issue is to keep the comb sanitary. The manufacturer recommends using
99% isopropyl alcohol to clean the comb. The alcohol should be poured
onto a cotton ball to clean the comb's teeth and the surrounding plastic
area. Because excessive moisture on the comb will prevent it from
operating properly, and since it takes a while for it to dry, it is
suggested that when screening a large numbers of children, nurses
consider using two Robi Combs. This way one can be cleaned and dried
while the other is in use. (A portable hair dryer can also help speed
the drying process.) Nurses can purchase Robi Comb replacement teeth
that can be snapped in clean and dry while the just-used teeth are
being cleaned. |
Customer
Testimonials
Please read the below testimonials provided by the maker of the
Robi-Comb.
"When I first got Robi Comb, I sent it over to our local schools,
explaining that we had a non-toxic solution to the problem. They
fell in love with it. Now parents are coming in to get them and
we've not had one returned."
William Moyer, Pharmacist and Owner
Moyer Pharmacy
McDonough, Georgia
"I've put one Robi Comb in each of the 10 schools in
my district and have recommended it to parents and to the Public
Health Department. Robi Comb identifies a live louse and kills it
and is a very useful tool for getting rid of lice in children- particularly
repeaters."
Eileen McDonald, R.N., C.S.N.
Director of Health Services
School District of Superior
Superior, Wisconsin
"I am very pleased. In the last year, we've had three
outbreaks of head lice. We ended up using very powerful medication
from the doctor, which cleared them up, but my daughter had sores
on her head. Robi Comb eliminated the lice in two weeks, painlessly.
With this comb, I can check her head every day - I don't miss. I'm
out there talking about this product to anyone who will listen."
Karen Smith, Parent
Auburn, New York
"The Robi Comb has been a God-send. I used lindane when my
two girls came home from school with head lice. I had to use it
twice as their was still at least one live bug still in the hair
and I had already exceeded the recommended dosage of 4oz due to
her very thick hair. They became reinfested several days later at
school. I didn't want to use any more chemicals as my younger daughter
has asthma. I was beside myself wondering what to do. I saw your
product on the Internet and a friend said the local pharmacy sold
them. I used the comb and continue to do so and so we are now "lice
free" thanks to you. Thank you!"
Parent, Toledo, Ohio
"With head lice being so resistant to the chemical shampoos,
what do you do? Parents had told me about an "electric"
comb that kills lice. Skeptical? Yes! But, a parent who had purchased
one gave one to our school as a donation. We tried it during a routine
re-check and we were amazed at the way it worked. It captured and
killed three to four live lice that were very small and could easily
have been missed with the naked eye. I'm a believer! And am planning
on spreading the good news to families. With expensive shampoos,
you can easily spend upwards of $150 for a family of 6. Robi Comb
is safe and effective, as well as very, very affordable. Thanks!"
Elementary School Nurse
Saginaw, Michigan
"For 2 years we have battled lice. Infestation seems to be
rampant in the children of our community. I have spent hundreds
of dollars on every conventional and non-conventional treatment
on the market. In tears one day I went to a nearby metropolitan
city to try and find one I had not already used, and found the Robi
Comb. I had never heard of it, but decided I could spend the same
amount on shampoo to use on two daughters with long hair, plus buy
more spray for the furniture, or try this. I had prayed for a miracle,
and got one. It was the best $30 investment I've ever made. If it
could remove the nits as well it would be perfect, but a metal comb
following the Robi Comb works wonders. Not only is this the most
effective lice-killer I've found, the girls enjoy the attention
of having their hair "played with" rather than the stress
and frustration of using foul-smelling chemicals that just don't
work. It doesn't hurt, doesn't stink, and doesn't pull out half
of their hair and break the rest. And cleaning is so easy! I wish
every one of our neighbors owned one."
Parent, Princeton, Texas
"I would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude
for this product!! Our 8 year old daughter has had several instances
with head lice. We have done everything possible to get rid of them,
and have had a terrible time. We have stripped her bedding on a
daily basis, been advised to use a hot iron to iron her bed (which
we have done), thrown away bed pillow after bed pillow. We have
tried the mayonnaise treatment, the Kwell shampoo, and ALL the treatments
from the store… which the lice became immune to. We had come
to the conclusion that head lice were just a normal part of her
everyday life. Very frustrated and concerned, we thought we would
try the Robi Comb. How DELIGHTED we are!!!! The minute I stuck it
in her hair the Robi Comb STOPPED!! We thought, no way, this cannot
work… sure enough, there were lice on the comb. Ten total!!!!
We ran the comb through her hair until it no longer stopped making
the buzzing sound it makes, …and no more lice!!! We pulled
the nits from her hair and use the Robi Comb daily. I have recommended
it to all our friends, and will be taking it to the schools to recommend
it to the public school system."
Parent, Jackson, Michigan
"I was very impressed by the Robi Comb I purchased from your
company. My family has battled lice for 2 years consistently. We
will get it cleared up and it's back in 3 weeks. After using the
Robi Comb on my daughter and myself I am pleased to recommend this
product to other families. It prevented recurrences and was gentle
on thick, course hair. Thank you for inventing a solution to all
the shampoos that don't work."
LB, Edgewood, Maryland
"Robi Comb works very well for us and we're pleased to recommend
it to parents. Compared to what it costs to treat head lice with
shampoos, it is actually a lot less expensive, especially if there's
more than one child in the family."
School Nurse
Greenbelt, Maryland
"I have been totally impressed with the efficiency
of the Robi Comb. This is the second year I have been using it in
my schools. I have removed lice so small from children's hair that
the naked eye would not be able to detect. I have had children return
to school with letters from their physician that they were "lice
free". Upon returning to school, I will comb their hair with
the Robi Comb and lo-and-behold remove very small bugs from their
hair. I believe this is the real reason why many people become reinfested:
to the naked eye the children are clean, but in a couple of weeks
the cycle begins again. I have recommended the Robi Comb to many
parents, especially my repeat cases. Thanks for the great product."
School Nurse
Kingsland, Georgia
Product Ordering Information
| SH
Catalog # |
Product
Name |
| 90273
|
LiceGuard
Robi Comb |
|
