Head lice advice for parents. Head lice basics Head lice are small, wingless parasites that live on the human head, especially near the ears and neck.

Head lice advice for parents

Head lice basics

Head lice are small, wingless parasites that live on the human head,

especially near the ears and neck

They are about the size of a sesame seed when fully grown

They have 6 legs ending in hooked ‘claws’

Head lice can’t fly, jump or swim, but can crawl very fast

Head lice are normally transparent, but turn brown/red

when they have taken a blood meal

Head lice can live in short or long, or clean or dirty hair

Although they aren’t pleasant, they don’t carry disease

Head lice are a common infestation, and can be

successfully treated

Head lice basics

Nits are not live head lice

They are empty or dead head lice eggs

They remain attached to the hair with a kind of strong ‘glue’

deposited by the louse when laying

Nits can remain for weeks or even months after infection

What are nits?

Head lice can infect anyone, but they are most common

in children

Head lice are spread through head-to-head contact during:

• playtime

• sport

• working together in the classroom

• cuddles at home

Is your family at risk?

A few people will get an itchy scalp

You might find black specks on the pillowcase (this is the waste product)

Some people have no symptoms at all

You should perform detection combing in your family if you suspect head lice or know someone who has them

How can you tell if you have head lice?

Prepare by buying a good quality plastic

detection comb at your local pharmacy

Remove tangles with an ordinary

wide-toothed comb

Wet the hair and towel dry

You can use Lyclear CombAway

(wet combing kit) to make combing easier

Divide the hair into 4 sections

Detection combing

With the teeth of the plastic detection comb touching the scalp at the top of the section, pass the comb through to the ends, keeping it in contact with the scalp for as long as possible

Easy steps to detect head lice

Work on one section at a time

Step 1

Step 2After each pass of the comb, wipe it on

a tissue and inspect for lice

Easy steps to detect head lice

Step 3Repeat the process until all sections are completed

- it will take 15–20 minutes to do it properly

If you find a live moving head louse, you have an

active infestation

You must only use a treatment if you find a live,

moving head louse

Nits (empty or dead eggs) may have been left by a

previous infestation, but does not necessarily mean

there is an active infection

Detection combing

Conclusion

Make sure you have plenty of light, ideally natural daylight

Don’t use lots of conditioner as it will make the head lice

difficult to detect

Perform detection combing and treatment, where

necessary, on all family members on the same day, in order to

greatly reduce the risk of re-infection

Make detection combing part of a weekly routine, such as

preparation for the school week on Sunday evening

Detection combing

Tips

Step 1

If you find live head lice, ask the school nurse or your pharmacist for

advice and treatment options, or visit www.headliceadvice.net

There are two types of treatments: insecticides and non-insecticides

Step 2

Always read the leaflet before applying a treatment

Step 3

Treat all infected persons of the family on the same day

Step 4

The NHS advises that all treatments should be applied twice,

seven days apart

- many people forget the second application

What should you do next?

Head lice aren’t pleasant, but they are harmless

You can only catch them through head-to-head contact

with an infested person

Detection combing should be carried out every week

If live head lice are found, buy an effective treatment

and treat all infected family members at the same time

If no head lice are found, make sure you prevent head lice

by avoiding head-to-head contact, and use Lyclear Repellent

when there is a reported outbreak

Head lice – a summary

For more expert advice, visit