Some experts, however, are skeptical.
Many of the "natural products" these companies develop to fight lice don't have to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration, said Frankowski, a pediatrician in Vermont.
"The `natural' product, you don't have to prove it's safe or effective," she said. "Some of those natural products can cause side effects. You have to be careful."
Pollack, of Harvard, said many businesses are perpetuating myths about lice for marketing purposes.
Just because there is a nit in a person's hair does not mean there are or are going to be lice present, he said. Only adult female lice can lay eggs, and they do so even if the eggs have not been fertilized. An unfertilized egg won't hatch, and the adult female will die within a month.
Parents should not be concerned unless they spot a live louse, he said. Even then, they should try over-the-counter treatments, which are fairly inexpensive and might work if they haven't been used excessively in the area. Prescription drugs, too, offer many more benefits than risks if used as instructed.
It's a concern that delousing salon technicians aren't required to have craft licenses or certifications, similar to that of a cosmetologist or hairdresser, Pollack said.
Nancee Siegel, who turned to Chicago's Hair Fairies when her 10-year-old son got lice, said it made her feel better just to have another set of eyes examining him.
"It's really a hard thing to do alone," she said. "It's a time, I think, as a mom, that you feel very vulnerable."
Kristen Kridel writes for the Chicago Tribune.
