• HEAD LICE  

    FACTS:

    • Head lice crawl from child to child through head to head contact.
    • Lice cannot hop, jump or fly.
    • ANY child can get head lice.
    • Lice can live up to 30 days on a person’s head and lay from 50 to 150 eggs.  If the louse falls off a person, it dies within 2 days.

    WHAT TO LOOK FOR:

    ·         Lice are small brown, tan to grayish-white insects, about the size of a sesame seed.

    ·         The nits or egg sacks are opaque, white oblong-shaped sacks which are firmly attached to the hair shaft. These nits cannot be brushed out.  They can only be manually removed with a nit comb or pulled out by hand. 

    ·         Suspect lice if your child scratches and/or complains of an itchy head.  Itching is the first sign of head lice.

    ·         Check the hair and scalp very carefully especially behind the ears and near the neckline. The best method is to use a magnifying glass under a bright light.

    HOW TO TREAT IF INFECTED:

    • Wash your child’s hair with a product formulated to kill lice.
    • Have your child sit under a bright light and remove all nits with a metal comb that is designed to remove nits.  Remove remaining nits with your fingernails.  Failure to do this important step always results in reoccurrence. 
    • Nits are not killed by lice shampoos, so it will be necessary to wash the hair with the lice product a second time in 7 to 10 days to kill any newly hatched lice.
    • Launder all clothing and bedding.  Laundry water should be at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit to kill the lice.  Dry on highest heat setting.
    • Vacuum all carpets, upholstery and mattresses in the house.  Throw away the vacuum bag.
    • Sealing clothing, stuffed toys, pillows, blankets or other small soft items, for two weeks in tightly closed plastic bags will kill both lice and nits. You can place items in a hot dryer for at least 30 min instead. Dry cleaning will also kill lice.
    • Soak combs, brushes and other washable items for one hour in one of the approved lice shampoos; or, soak them for 5 to 10 minutes in a pan of 130 degree hot water.

    PROACTIVE MEASURES

    • Teach your whole family about how lice is spread and treated.
    • Teach your children not to share combs, brushes, hats, hair accessories, jackets and other personal items with other children.
    • Check your child frequently for signs of lice or nits.