Head Lice

With Christmas and the New Year behind us it is time kids are heading back to school. This time is peak for that topic that makes us all start scratching our heads – head lice.

With kids heading back to school the chances of them getting head lice is increased.  Head lice are spread by head-to-head contact with another person who has head lice. They are incredibly quick and can run from one head to another in seconds. Their quickness also can make searching for them difficult. Head lice are not a reflection of poor hygiene; they are present in both clean and dirty hair.

So how do you know if your child has head lice?  You may notice that your child is scratching their head- in particular behind their ears. The scalp becomes itchy as the skin reacts to the saliva of the head lice. Itchiness can take weeks to develop. If you have had head lice more than once, the skin may become desensitised and there may be little or no itch.

Generally, eggs will hatch 7 to 10 days after being laid on the hair shaft. This is why most treatments recommend that you retreat at 7 or 10 days. Also many treatments don’t remove the eggs, which is why a lice comb is recommended.

There a few different options for treatment
- Conditioner and comb method
- Insecticide treatment
- Natural treatments.

Conditioner and Comb Method

Head lice can be more easily removed by applying plenty of hair conditioner to dry hair before combing to remove live lice and eggs (nits).
What to do:
- Apply plenty of hair conditioner to the dry hair until saturated. Using white hair conditioner may make it easier to see the head lice.
- Comb through with an ordinary comb or brush to remove tangles.
- Section and comb the hair thoroughly with a metal fine-tooth ‘nit’ comb in 4 directions — forwards, backwards, left, and right.
- Wipe the comb on a white paper towel to check that the dark adult lice or the paler hatchlings are being removed. You may need to use a magnifying glass and a strong light to see the lice and eggs.
- Continue combing the hair in sections until the whole head has been screened.
- Rinse the hair conditioner out when finished and dry the hair.
- Repeat this process every one to two days over a 10 day period, to cover the hatching cycle of the eggs.
- Check for head lice reinfestation once a week for at least 4 weeks after completion of the 10-day treatment.
- Check all other household members for head lice infestation using the method described above.

How to remove eggs:

Some eggs will be removed by combing, but others are harder to detach. You may need to use your fingernails to remove as many eggs as possible from the base of the hair shaft near the scalp.

Insecticide Treatment

There are three main groups of insecticide (i.e. permethrin, pyrethrin and malathion). These treatments have shown to be effective and safe for the treatment of head lice.

Some facts about insecticides:

1. No insecticide is guaranteed to kill all eggs. Eggs which are not killed or removed manually will hatch 7 to 10 days after being laid. The hatchlings can be combed out daily using hair conditioner.
2. Following insecticide treatment, remove as many remaining eggs as possible with your fingernails.  Concentrate on ‘live’ eggs, which are found within 1 cm of the scalp.
3. If insecticide alone is used, treatment should be applied on Day 1, Day 7 and Day 14 to kill any hatchlings before they mature and lay more eggs.
4. To prevent skin irritation, do not repeat treatment more than 3 times, one week apart.
5. Head lice can sometimes be resistant to an insecticide. If you have used the treatment correctly and lice still appear to be there the next day then you should thoroughly wash out the first insecticide and re-treat the hair the same day with another type of insecticide (not a different brand of the same type of insecticide.)

Natural Treatments

There are several natural treatments out in the market now. These formulas contain natural oils and herbs such as Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca Oil), Eucalyptus Oil, Lavender Oil, Orange Oil and Quassia.

Natural treatments are gaining popularity, as some insecticides can have a resistance from head lice when they are used often. Also these treatments are seen as less harsh and still reasonably effective.

With your kids heading back to school there are several things you can do to try and prevent head lice;
- Check your child’s hair regularly for head lice and eggs – you can do this using the conditioner and comb method.
- Tie long hair back  i.e. braid and/or put it up if possible.
- Consider applying hair gel or mousse.  These do not prevent or repel lice but may help to keep stray hair strands from contact with other heads.
- Avoid sharing combs or brushes.
- Immerse brushes and combs in hot water for 10 minutes after use to kill any head lice or eggs trapped in them.
- Remind your child to avoid head-to-head contact with other children.

For more information on treatment for head lice ask our friendly staff in-store.

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