Head Lice Articles - Amoils.com
Personal hygiene or cleanliness in the home or school has nothing to do with an infestation of head lice. Head lice can be a problem for children of all ages and whatever socio-economic level. It does not matter how often children bath or wash their hair, they can still be affected by head lice. They are highly contagious and can spread quickly and easily from person to person especially when children are together in groups.
You can prevent and address head lice as follows:
- Watch for tell-tale signs such as frequent head scratching.
- Check family members on a weekly basis but only treat if there is an infestation. Work under a good light from a lamp, sit by a window or go outdoors when checking.
- Be careful not to confuse head lice with dandruff.
- Be careful about rushing to buy an over-the-counter product because all these lice-killing products are pesticides and can be very harmful particularly to anyone who is pregnant, nursing or who has an allergy, asthma, epilepsy or pre-existing medical condition. Never use products that contain lindane and never use a pesticide on or near the eyes for example if someone has nits in the eyebrows or eyelashes.
- In children who are very young, you can manually remove the head lice by using a grooming comb or hairbrush to remove tangles, then divide the hair in sections and fasten off the hair that is not being worked on. Use a special comb to check from the scalp to the end of the hair. You can dip the comb into a cup of water to remove any lice, nits or debris from the comb between passings. Wash any lice down the sink. An infested child should be checked on a daily basis until you are confident the infestation is over. Look for attached nits (lice eggs) and live lice. Nits are always oval-shaped. While usually grayish-white, they can vary in color and are generally laid close to the scalp but can be found anywhere on the hair shaft.
- Put clean clothing on a child after treatment.
- Wash any bedding, recently worn clothing or any other items, you feel may have been contaminated, in hot water and dry in a hot dryer.
- Combs, brushes and other personal items can be soaked in hot water and soap (130 degrees F) or in rubbing alcohol or Lysol for 10 minutes.
- Dry clean anything that is not washable or store in a plastic bag and seal for 2 weeks.
- Vacuum carpets, upholstered furniture, rugs and car seats to remove any fallen lice or hairs with nits still attached. It is not necessary to have a pest control company spray your home as vacuuming is enough to treat the household.
- Don't be tempted to use household sprays to kill adult lice.
- Remember also that each day is a new day for the risk of a new infestation. A daily screening is important for anything that may have been missed and for identifying a new infestation as early as possible.
- It is only right and civil minded to notify your child's school, camp, child care provider and neighborhood parents of any head lice infestation so that they can check their own children. Check for lice on a regular basis as this is the best way to protect your family and community.