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 Stop head lice before it starts. Prevention is key when dealing with head lice. Learning how to spot the signs of lice infestation is the first step to controlling and treating this widespread and common problem. It is also important to effectively treat head lice immediately upon discovery to stop the spread.
Carefully inspect your child’s head by dividing the hair into sections and closely examining the hair closest to the scalp, especially the first 1/4 to 1/2 inch. Depending on the degree of infestation it may be difficult to spot a lone egg but all it takes is one egg to trigger an infestation so take your time. A magnifying glass may help as eggs are often smaller than a grain of salt. If you see dots or specs in the hair try to see if they move when you blow on them. A nit will be glued onto the hair strand and will not blow away or fall off with movement—it will need to be pulled off. The eggs are usually oval in shape and can range in color from white to off-white, yellow, brown or reddish .
Often there are no signs of head lice infestation but in some cases there may be telltale signs that are visible to the naked eye.
BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR SOME OF THESE SIGNS OF INFESTATION:
2. Small bumps or sores around the nape of the neck, behind the ears, or on the scalp.
3. Black dried dots that look like grains of sand on the scalp.
4. Tiny red or reddish brown dots on the pillowcase.
5.
Small bugs that fall from the hair onto a surface or are transferred to a hairbrush.
6.
A small dead bug roughly the size of a sesame seed on sheets or bedding.
7.
Small off-white, yellow, clear, or brown ‘grains of sand’ that stick to the hair that cannot be brushed or blown away.
KEY THINGS TO HELP PREVENT & ELIMINATE THE SPREAD OF LICE:
1. Do not share hairbrushes, combs, hair accessories, hats, or scarves with other people, including siblings.
2. Avoid hanging your coat next to somebody who has lice and do not let your personal possessions touch theirs.
3.
Notify people that you or your children have come in close personal contact with head lice and/or that you or your children have contracted head lice. This includes teachers, relatives, friends, and babysitters.
4. Do not organize sleepovers when you know there is head lice present in a social group. Instead wait until the problem is cleared up.
5. Try to remember that treating head lice is an ongoing process and it often needs to be treated on a regular basis for several weeks to interrupt the lice lifecycle.
6.
There are no quick fixes to getting rid of head lice and it requires persistence and attention to detail over the course of 7 to 10 days, at a minimum
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USING THE WRONG METHODS TO TREAT LICE CAN CAUSE SEVERE HARM.
For more information read about another family's tragedy Jesse's Story.
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