Head Lice

(pediculosis capitis)

Even the sound of it makes you shudder.

I dread the statement from my kids, "Mum.. I have an itchy head". Sure enough, there are little critters running through tiny strands of hair and off we go for the trip to the pharmacy to buy head lice treatments.

There are so many on the market these days it is hard to know which one to choose. There are chemical based ones and natural ones but all involve using the head lice comb.

With four kids I have spent many hours stooped over my children's heads making sure I have got every last critter and egg only to find more the next day.

One of the annoying things about head lice is that you can't use the same treatment twice on the same batch. If any have survived the first treatment, they will have built up immunity to it. So after 4 days if there are still head lice present you need to go back to the chemist for different treatment.

The treatment the Victorian Health dept. suggest as being the easiest and cheapest is a bottle of cheap hair conditioner and the head lice comb. The way this works is the conditioner stuns the head lice for up to twenty minutes which gives you time to comb out any you can find.

Checking for Head Lice.

When checking for head lice gently pull hair to one side. Slowly let the hair fall back to its position looking along the hair and close to the scalp. Eggs will be attached to the hair and look like light brown dandruff. The adult louse will be crawling around in the hair as it needs to hold onto something to move.

How to treat Head Lice with conditioner.

Thoroughly massage conditioner through the hair then under a good source of light comb through removing head lice as you go. Rinse the comb in a bowl of white vinegar between strokes. Continue treatment for two weeks to be safe.

Deterring Head Lice.

One easily made deterrent is to add a few drops of lavender oil to a spray bottle filled with water. Spray the children's hair each morning before they go to school.

If you girl has long hair, be sure to tie it back in a pony tail or braids. Head lice do not jump or fly. The only way they can pass from person to person is from contact.

Treating Clothing and Toys.

The best way to treat clothing and toys is to wash them in hot water and hang out to dry for two days. If you are unable to hang them out to dry, place in a dryer and keep quarantined for 2 to three days. Head lice can only live for around 48 hrs without nourishment.

I personally don't use the sheets for about a week then rewash and dry.

Finally, remember it is not your child's fault or the kids they play with. It is not a sign of being dirty or having bad house keeping skills and has nothing to do with pets. Head Lice is a part of going to school and growing up. And remember to keep your chin up, it does tend to stop once they hit high school or at least the occurrences are less.