Hair lice are mostly common among children especially the ones who attend school. Lice are parasites found in our hair, they are tiny insects that lay eggs and form nits. It is important to prevent them from spreading. Head lice spread mainly from head to head contact not because of poor hygiene levels.
Head lice travel easily from one child to another especially when they are playing together in large groups. Lice are not dangerous but they can definitely cause discomfort, irritation and itchiness on our scalp. Individuals can also experience lack of sleep due to continuous itching on the scalp. There are many treatments to prevent hair lice such as the conventional shampoos and sprays.
The following tips are recommended to avoid hair lice.
- Avoid head to head contact with anyone whose scalp is already infested.
- Don’t share your hairbrush, comb and other hair essentials items with someone who has lice.
- Teach your children to avoid head to head contact during sleepovers, leisure activities and summer camps.
- Don’t share your clothing and other hair supplies such as towels, hair ties, brush, comb and scarves.
- Lice do not jump, but they do crawl so avoid sharing blankets, pillow covers and other bedding items with a person who has head lice.
- Check everyone in the family for lice and then start the treatment accordingly.
- Do not start using hairsprays or shampoos to kill lice without reading the instructions carefully or the ingredients that it contains. Insecticides sprays can be toxic if inhaled so be careful while using them.
- If you have long hair, it might increase the chances of lice but this is not necessarily true in all cases because lice spread from one person to another.
- Separate all your personal belongings from your family members, as shared closets can be breeding grounds for lice.
- Tie your child`s hair in a ponytail especially if they are going out to play with their friends.
- Clean your house thoroughly if someone who is infested visits your place.
- If an infested person has used any of your hair tools, then you have to disinfect them by soaking them in hot water for a couple of minutes.
- Make sure to inform your child not to share their personal belongings especially the ones that touch their head.
Lice can easily pass from one person to another and they don’t occur due to lack of personal hygiene or from your pets. Start by taking some precautions yourself and also guide your children, explain to them what lice are and how they should avoid head to head contact with other children. Schools should also start preventive measure programs with the help of parents so this problem could be prevented from spreading. After taking all the preventive measures, if the lice situation still continues then you should consult a doctor who will prescribe medication.