Your kids bring home a lot of papers and assignments from school. At some point, that may include head lice.
Thankfully, these little bugs don’t carry diseases or cause serious problems. But they do have a stigma attached to them and, at the very least, are a big nuisance.
What Are Lice?
Lice are tiny, wingless, seed-like bugs that live on the scalp and feed off your blood. An untreated scalp infestation (pediculosis capitis) can quickly spread through households and classrooms.
Head lice go through three stages:
- Nit (egg).
- Nymph (immature louse).
- Adult.
The entire lice lifecycle takes about 21 days, with new nits hatching every 7 to 10 days. Understanding this cycle is key to timing follow-up treatments and breaking the chain of reinfestation.
What Are the First Signs of Head Lice?
The first sign you may have lice is an itch that won’t go away. At this point, lice have been living in your hair for a couple of weeks.
When lice bite, their saliva gets into the person’s blood. This can cause an allergic reaction in the scalp, making it itchy. Encourage your child not to scratch their scalp, which can lead to infection.
Other skin conditions, such as eczema, dandruff, sensitivities, and allergies, can also cause itching.
Do lice prefer certain blood types?
Some studies suggest lice may prefer specific blood types, especially if they’ve already adapted to one. Once lice start feeding on a certain blood type, switching to a host with a different blood type may be more difficult. It could reduce their chances of survival.
Head lice need to feed on blood several times a day. They tend to gravitate toward specific areas of the body to feed, such as behind the ears and closer to the neck.
How Are Lice Spread?
While you may feel embarrassed that lice found their way into your home, they’re more common than you may think. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), about 6 to 12 million children aged 3 to 11 get lice every year. Infected kids unknowingly pass it along to their families and peers.
Lice transmission most often occurs through close head-to-head contact. This is especially true in group settings, like classrooms. That’s why lice are so prevalent during the school year.
What causes lice to spread?
Lice can spread simply by being near another person’s head. They can crawl and firmly cling to the hair shaft, where they lay their eggs.
Anything that comes into contact with the hair or scalp can transfer lice. This includes items like:
- Barrettes
- Combs
- Hair brushes
- Hats
- Headbands
- Pillows
- Towels
How long do lice live off the scalp?
Although lice need a host to survive, they can live for 24 to 36 hours on surfaces in your home. If furniture, pillowcases, or clothing aren’t cleaned daily, lice can transfer to a new host.
How to Treat Head Lice
Treating head lice requires several steps. Following these can keep your family, bedding, and household items free from a prolonged infestation.
Step 1: Don’t panic
Lice may creep you out, but they don’t spread disease. These bugs aren’t dangerous to your child, so take a deep breath and don’t panic. You can do this.
Step 2: Check your child’s scalp for lice or lice eggs
Check your child’s scalp using a magnifying glass and bright light. Then check everyone else in your home.
Look for small, white, or yellowish particles called nits — the eggs of the lice. A hatched egg looks white or clear. Adult lice are gray or tan and about the size of a sesame seed.
If particles don’t slide off when you brush them, it’s probably head lice. Unless they’re removed, nits can hatch and start an infection all over again.
If someone in your household doesn’t have lice, keep it that way through lice prevention. Avoid close head-to-head contact with the infected child, and with shared furniture that may harbor lice, such as sofas or chairs. Don’t share hair accessories, combs, or brushes.
Step 3: Buy over-the-counter lice treatments (pediculicides)
Over-the-counter (OTC) lice treatments are the first step in treating a lice infestation. These treatments often come in the form of shampoo or lotion, which you apply according to the instructions on the package.
Use a lice comb to thoroughly check your child’s hair and begin the process of nit removal. Be meticulous. Lice and nits firmly attach to hair close to the scalp and can be easy to miss.
Since the lice hatching and egg-laying cycle repeats every two to three days, you’ll need to check your child’s scalp and neck for lice every few days. Keep using the lice comb for nit removal.
Depending on the treatment instructions, you may need to apply another dose of medicine after one week.
You may encounter lice resistance to common over-the-counter treatments. If you still see lice or nits in your child’s hair after 10 days, ask your doctor about prescription lice medication.
As for natural remedies for head lice that work, some parents suffocate lice with olive oil, mayonnaise, or other oils. Your mileage may vary with these methods. If you keep seeing crawling lice or itching, you may need an OTC treatment.
Step 4: Wash items contaminated with lice
Hot temperatures kill lice and nits. Wash sheets, towels, accessories, stuffed animals, furniture, and pillowcases in hot water and then dry them with hot air.
If you can’t wash an item, you can seal it in a plastic bag to suffocate and kill lice. Vacuuming can help remove lice and nits from furniture.
Step 5: Learn about the lice policy at your child’s school
School policies on lice vary. Ask your child’s school nurse or the childcare center director when your child can return to school.
Dispel the Myths About Lice
Rumors can spread faster than lice. Verifying fact versus fiction is vital to prevent the spread of lice and its stigma.
Some facts about lice:
- Head lice have nothing to do with personal hygiene or household cleanliness.
- Lice don’t carry diseases or infections.
- Lice don’t fly or jump.
- Pets can’t transmit lice or get lice from humans.
If you’re unsure how to proceed or an infestation doesn’t improve, call your doctor. A specialist in pediatric dermatology can also recommend custom treatment options or the best lice treatment for kids with sensitive skin.
Editor's Note: This video was originally published on , and was last reviewed on .