Children's Health Children's Diseases and Conditions

Don't Bug Me: Getting Rid of Head Lice

Some kids may be bringing something else home along with their textbooks and homework—a case of head lice.

Having head lice is almost a right-of-passage for school-aged children; as social interaction grows, the likelihood of lice transmission does, too. Children who are found to have lice are generally sent home to avoid spreading the bugs to other kids, but infestations are never dangerous, nor are they a sign of dirty hair or poor hygiene. Adults are just as likely to get lice, especially if a child in the house has them.

The good news is that preventing head lice isn't difficult, and if a few bugs do get in, treatment is simple, too.

Being a Nitpicker
Lice are tiny insects that hook into the hair and feed on blood from the scalp. They may cause a little scalp itching in some cases, but generally cause no other symptoms. The insects can really only be seen upon close inspection of the scalp.

If lice are suspected, a parent or school nurse may perform a head inspection, where a fine-toothed comb is raked across slightly wet hair. After each swipe, the comb is checked for signs of the insect.

Sometimes, the comb will pull some pieces of hair that have a tiny, grayish egg hanging off the side. Very often confused for dandruff, this tiny egg, called a nit, can only hatch if located very close to the scalp. Adult lice, grayish-white insects, the size of a sesame seed, are more likely to be found in a case of head lice. The Centers for Disease control recommends that you only treat cases of lice in which active adults are found.

If a few live ones are found, there's no need for panic. There are several shampoos, sold both over-the-counter and with a prescription, that can be used to kill the lice. Keep in mind that these shampoos, called pediculicdes, are strong chemicals, and the directions on the bottle should be followed closely. To effectively treat your child:

• Do not shampoo or condition hair before treatment.
• Apply the lice medicine, according to the instructions on the bottle. If your child has hair that falls past the shoulder, a second bottle may be necessary.
• About 8 hours after treatment, comb through hair with a lice comb to remove the dead bugs. If a few live lice are still found, but they are moving slowly, do not reapply the shampoo as some medicine takes longer than others to kill the lice.
• If there seems to be no change in the number of live lice, or how actively they are moving after 8 hours, see a doctor for a stronger treatment.
• Keep checking your child's head with a lice comb every 2 or 3 days for a few weeks to be sure that all the lice and nits are gone.

Preventing another Head Case
Of course, now that you went through the process of removing each and every nit from your child's head, you certainly don't want to have to do it again. Unlike common belief, lice cannot jump and are only spread through direct contact. Advise your child to not share hats, brushes or combs, and tie long hair back whenever possible. If you do find lice on your child, be sure to contact the school to prevent it from spreading further.