Head lice are out and about...
Please check your child or children's hair for head lice. We have been hearing from a number of families that they have been dealing with these pesky little critters.
Information taken from...
https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/how-get-rid-head-lice
What are head lice?
Head lice are small insects found on the human head. They grow to about the size of a pin head, sesame seed or grain of sand.
Head lice live on the hair and feed by sucking blood from the scalp. They are pale grey (before feeding) and reddish brown (after feeding). Head lice do not carry or pass on disease.
Anyone can get head lice. They are a common problem and cause concern and frustration for parents and children.
Catching head lice has nothing to do with poor hygiene.
How do people get head lice?
People get head lice from head to head (hair to hair) contact with someone who already has head lice. This can easily happen when children play or sleep together and their heads touch.
Head lice can only crawl from hair to hair. They can't fly or jump from head to head.
Head lice only survive on humans. They die quickly when they are not on the head, usually within 24 hours.
How do I check for and get rid of head lice?
Head lice can live all over the head but particularly like warm places behind the ears, around the bottom of the hair line, and on top of the head. They can look like grains of sand or dandruff.
Whichever treatment you use, you need to remove any eggs by hand. That's because eggs attach firmly to the hair. You can put conditioner or water on the hair before combing. This loosens the eggs from the hair and makes combing easier.
4 percent (4%) dimethicone lotion is a very effective head lice treatment that your family doctor can prescribe. You only need to put it on your child's head twice - with a week in between each use.
Some head lice shampoos from supermarkets and pharmacies are becoming less effective because head lice have developed resistance to them. Dimethicone is not an insecticide. It kills head lice by suffocation and disrupting the ability of the head lice to regulate water. It is unlikely head lice will develop resistance, as they can with other products.
Wet combing with conditioner - to find and get rid of head lice
Wet combing with cheap conditioner and a fine-tooth head lice (nit) comb is also an effective way to find and remove head lice, if done properly. You don't need to buy expensive products to get rid of head lice. You can buy a fine-tooth head lice comb from your pharmacy. It can take up to an hour to do a wet combing session. It depends how long and how thick your child's hair is.
Check out our step by step photo treatment guide to wet combing with cheap conditioner.
What about checking and treating other family members for head lice?
If you find head lice, you should check the rest of your family. If you find head lice on other family members, treat them all on the same day.
If your family has head lice, tell anyone who has had head-to-head contact with them, so that they can check and treat their family if needed.
Tell your school so that they can tell other parents to check their children for head lice and treat if necessary.
It's very difficult to prevent - there is no product available that prevents head lice.
Tying long hair back and checking weekly for lice, using the conditioner and comb method, can help prevent the spread.
Once you think your child is free of head lice and eggs, make sure to check them once a week.
You don't need to wash clothing and bedding on a hot wash - it's unlikely to help prevent the spread of head lice.
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