Does Your Child Have Head Lice?

Head lice is a common affliction among school aged children. The close contact of the school provides many opportunities to spread lice unwittingly with friends and class mates. How can you tell if your child has head lice?

First of all, look for symptoms of head lice. The most common symptom of a head lice infestation is severe and sustained itching of the scalp. Your child may seem like he or she is constantly scratching his or her head, even during sleep. Examination of the scalp often reveals redness, irritation, and scattered bumps on the skin. Sometimes, in cases where the child scratches incessantly, secondary skin infections can occur on the scalp.

As you examine the scalp, you should also pay close attention to the base of the hairs. If you see many tiny, white or grey bumps on the hair strands, try to scrape them off with a fingernail. If they are tenacious and very difficult to remove, and seem to completely encircle the hair strand, you are seeing nits. Nits are the eggs laid by adult head lice. They are glued to the hair strands and are difficult to remove. While adult head lice are difficult to see due to their small size and reddish-brown color that blends with most hair colors, these nits are larger and easier to spot. If you find nits on your child’s hair, it is safe to assume that adult head lice are also present.

Once you are sure that your child has head lice, you must decide on the treatment for the lice. If your child has recently spent time with friends such as during a birthday party, play date, or sleep over, it is courteous to inform the other parents that you have discovered the head lice so that they can check their own children for head lice. Head lice are very easy to spread. They have no wings and do not jump, but can easily crawl from one head to another via shared brushes and combs, hats, pillow cases, stuffed animals, sweaters, or any other item that contacts the hair. Remember, head lice are not an indication of poor hygiene, and additional shampooing with regular shampoos will not eradicate head lice.

Common treatments for head lice are available over the counter. Many brands such as Rid, Nix, and Ovide are effective and relatively inexpensive. Proper use of these treatments ensures that you will not have to buy them over and over, and thereby reducing your child’s exposure to pesticides and chemicals. Many of these over the counter treatments are intended to be applied to dry hair, and it is extremely important to read all the included instructions before beginning the treatment. The treatment must be allowed to remain in contact with the hair and scalp for the recommended period of time to be fully effective. Leaving the solution on the hair for longer than the recommended period of time can increase the risk of irritation and side effects from the exposure to the chemical active ingredients.