An estimated 6 – 12 million lice infestations occur each year in the United States among children 3 – 11 years of age according to the CDC.
As children head back to school, one of the common concerns parents face is the possibility of lice infestations. Lice are tiny, wingless parasites that live on the scalp and feed on human blood. While they don’t pose serious health risks, they can be uncomfortable and challenging to get rid of. Here’s what you need to know:
How Did I Get Lice?
Lice are highly contagious and spread primarily through direct head-to-head contact. This can happen in various ways:
- Close Contact: Sharing personal items such as hats, helmets, hairbrushes, or bedding.
- Crowded Environments: Schools, daycare centers, and sleepovers where children are in close proximity.
Tips on How to Prevent Lice
- Avoid Sharing Personal Items: Teach children not to share hats, hairbrushes, combs, headphones, or pillows with others.
- Regular Head Checks: Regularly check your child’s scalp for lice, especially after returning from school, camp, or sleepovers.
- Keep Hair Tied Up: For children with long hair, keeping it tied up in a bun or braid can reduce the risk of lice.
- Educate Your Child: Inform your child about lice and encourage them to avoid head-to-head contact with classmates and friends.
Remedies to Get Rid of Lice
If you or your child gets lice, it’s important to act quickly to prevent them from spreading.
- Over-the-counter treatments: Various shampoos and lotions contain insecticides like permethrin or pyrethrin, which are effective at killing lice. Follow the instructions carefully.
- Prescription Treatments: If over-the-counter treatments fail, your doctor can prescribe stronger treatments such as malathion lotion or ivermectin lotion.
- Wet Combing: This method involves thoroughly combing wet hair with a fine-toothed comb to remove lice and nits (lice eggs). It requires patience and repetition every few days for at least two weeks.
- Natural Remedies: Some natural treatments include applying olive oil, coconut oil, or tea tree oil to the scalp and hair, which can help suffocate lice. However, the effectiveness of these remedies varies and they should be used with caution.
- Clean Household Items: Wash all bedding, clothing, and personal items in hot water and dry them on high heat. Items that cannot be washed can be sealed in plastic bags for two weeks to kill any remaining lice.
Lice infestations, though bothersome, are manageable with prompt and proper care.
If you or a loved one gets lice, don’t wait for treatment—find an urgent care location near you.
Sources:
CDC.gov, FDA.gov, Mayo Clinic, Havard Health, CDC