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As all the kids head back to school, head lice start heading to all our homes. Here are a few small pointers to get the bugs out of your house, and to keep them out.
Check your kids often
As you help your kids wash or comb their hair, look it over. Look close to the scalp. The bugs can be clear to white or can look black. Most likely, you will notice movement over the color. The bugs can move very quickly when mature, which makes them harder to see. If you see any, treat your child immediately. It may also be wise to preventatively treat other members of the family, even if no bugs are seen.
Treat your child properly
There are several over-the-counter products that are effective for treatment. Two of the most popular are Nix and Rid. Either product will work if done correctly. Be sure to read the specific instructions on the package, but here are a few important rules to follow on most. Wash the hair with regular shampoo first, but do not apply conditioner. Then apply to lice shampoo, and leave on for about 10 minutes, or according to the package. Rinse hair with warm water to remove the lice shampoo. Comb hair with a thick toothed comb to remove knots, then divide hair into very small sections and come through with the special, small comb provided with your lice shampoo kit. Be sure to get as close to the scalp as possible with the small comb in order to remove all the nits and bugs. When fin
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ished, dispose of the comb. Most shampoos can be repeated in one week if treatment was not successful the first time.
Treat your house
This is an important step that many parents forget about. Be sure to treat any furniture your child spends time on, this can include couches, chairs, mattresses, and possibly the carpet. There are good products over-the-counter that are labeled as treatment for the house, usually in a spray form. If this step is not done properly, the head lice can easily be spread to other members of the house, or back to the child. Other household items such as sheets, pillows, blankets, and toys also should be treated. Any of these that can be washed should be washed in hot water and dried in heat when clean. If the item cannot be machine washed, here is a good trick. Get a black plastic trash bag, put the items inside, and tie it up so no air can get in or out of the bag. Put the bad aside for 2 weeks. This will suffocate and kill all the lice from the products in the bag.
Don't send your child back to school infected
Each school probably has their own "return to class" policy, so be familiar with it. The "no nit" policy seems to be popular among schools. If treated properly, your child might be able to return to school the day after treatment, but some schools request that you wait a few days to see if your treatment was successful or if more nits appear. It is also re
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spectful to let your child's teacher know so other kids in the class can be treated if needed. This can reduce the chance of your child getting re-infected at school.
For additional information talk with your pharmacist or doctor.
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