School has returned and with it the concern for the dreaded head lice. And while parents may be rushing out to buy Nix or Rid, the most widely sold lice-control products, Consumer Reports has other advice:

"There's no reason for parents to douse their children's heads in chemicals," says Urvashi Rangan, Ph.D., director of consumer safety and sustainability for Consumer Reports. "Physically removing lice, while it seems daunting, is safest for your child's head."
The kicker? Over-the-counter products are losing their fight against lice because studies suggest that most of the bugs in the U.S. have evolved to become genetically resistant to the insecticides found in those products.
For the full report on head lice and steps to take when the scourge of the playground bites, click on the link below.

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Angie McBrayer, ex-wife of James Aaron McBrayer, leans her head on her son Sam McBrayer as she and her three children and two grandchildren (from left) Jackson McBrayer, 3, Piper Jae McBrayer, 7, Katy Isaza, and Jordan McBrayer, visit the grave of James McBrayer, Thursday, November 20, 2025, in Tifton. He died after being restrained by Tift County sheriff's deputies on April 24, 2019. His ex-wife witnessed the arrest and said she thought the deputies were being rough but did not imagine that McBrayer would die. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC