Back to school is a very busy time for head lice.
Chances are parents will have to deal with head lice at some point.
As schools open children return from constant play dates, activities at camp, or being with friends, they have an increased chance of carrying head lice. Here are some tips on how to check, treat and keep lice away.
Lice do not like mint or lavender scents. Spray your kids every day with something minty to help keep lice away.
A 10-minute, weekly comb-out with a nit comb and conditioner can prevent larger infestations. The rule of thumb is less lice and nits to remove equals easier-to-tackle head lice and chance of spreading to others is minimized!
Once you find evidence of lice or nits (eggs), removal is a two-week process no matter what method you use. Even if you think you removed everything the first day you must continue to comb for two weeks. In order to break the cycle of lice you must remove everything and make sure you are not getting it back from a friend or family member you are close to.
Generally, people see the same family and friends within two weeks.
If you find evidence of lice or nits, use a non-toxic product.
There is no product that kills the nits (eggs) and washes them out of your hair.
Nit removal is the tedious part of lice removal. If you have been doing the weekly comb-outs prior to finding lice, you can comb for roughly ten minutes per day to remove the nits. But, if you have not been checking on a regular basis, the first day of combing will be very tedious and last about 30 minutes to two hours or more depending on how severe of a case you have.
To perform a proper comb-out:
•Put on enough conditioner to cover the length of hair and remove all tangles.
•Hold the nit comb at a 45-degree angle. Graze the scalp with the comb and get it through to the end of the hair.
•Wipe the comb on a paper towel to look for evidence of lice or nits.
•Comb through the hair in this fashion in all directions — front to back, side to side, and underneath.
If you do not see any evidence on the paper towel, you do not have lice. Repeat the process in one week.
If you find lice or nits, add your non-toxic product to the scalp and more conditioner and continue combing, grazing the scalp and combing in all directions until everything is removed. Then:
• Keep combing for two weeks after you find out your child has lice.
• Do comb-outs with the nit comb and conditioner to everyone in your household to see who else might have lice or nits.
• Tell anyone with whom you have been in contact about the lice, and tell them they need to be combed out to check for lice, too.
Facts of Lice:
-Lice are human parasites, so they need human blood to survive. They die relatively quickly (within 24-36 hours) if they’re not directly on your scalp.
-Lice can’t lay eggs anywhere except in your hair! This means the rumored house stripping, cleaning, and bagging tips are completely wrong!
-Lice are transmitted via directhead-to-head contact 95 percent of the time. They don’t jump or fly.
Standing near someone with lice does not mean you’ll end up with lice!
Housekeeping tips: If your family has lice, wash the sheets and pillowcases after the first treatment. The comforter and any stuffed animals with which your children sleep can go in the dryer for 30 minutes.
Vacuum upholstery and carpets after the first treatment (there’s no need to do this for days on end). Boil brushes, combs, and hair accessories for five minutes, put through the dishwasher OR don’t use them for 24 hours (at which point, the lice will be dead).
Carol Gilbert, Christine Bonanno, Michelle Villella, owners Fairy Lice Mothers, www.fairylicemothers.com
