It's Blood Sucking Lousy to be a Nit-picker

These critters do not distinguish humans by socioeconomic level or cleanliness. These blood suckers are truly equal opportunity guests. These parasites won't make their presence known for up to two weeks. Then you will know that something is amiss when your child begins scratching their head constantly. Welcome home to head lice.

One female louse (singular form of “lice”), can lay up to six eggs a day. Her eggs cling to the hair shafts and don't let go. The nits will hatch in 10-14 days and that is when the itching will begin and you will know that they are happy feasting on human blood.

The nits mature into adults and then the cycle begins again and the lice multiply like field mice. (Mice-Mouse; Lice-Louse)

If you do notice your child scratching endlessly it is a good idea to part their hair down the nape of the neck, under a good light and inspect the hair shafts. Lice cling to hair follicles with their mega-clamp claws. They also like to cling to hairs on the nape of the neck and behind the ears. Sometimes bites can be visible on the scalp.

Picture of a mature louse.

The nits and lice can range in color from white to brown. Carefully check the hair shafts for anything that is not loose or easily flaked off, such as dandruff.

Lice do not carry any known diseases, but they are frustrating and have survived evolution for thousands of years. They are a hardy parasite.

Once you confirm that it is indeed head lice, this is what you need to do:

1. Treat your child's hair with an over-the-counter medication. Follow the directions carefully.
   
   Picture of louse on a hair shaft.
2. Call the school to notify them of your find. Lice are probably sweeping the campus and you missed the notice.
3. Wash all bedding, clothes, towels and anything that can be laundered in hot water
4. If you are unable to wash the item, then quarantine it in a sealed bag for three weeks. Lice need a living human host and won't survive more than a few days without one.
5. Lighter colored hair often mimics the color of the lice. So check carefully and be diligent. Missing one nit, will start the cycle all over again.
6. Use a fine comb, under direct overhead light to careful comb or pick out the nits

This is a good time to watch a favorite movie, as it can take hours. Long hair is really tough.

1. Do a head check and nit combing daily for a week after you have used the treatment shampoo. The level of nits and lice should quickly decrease, but don't put away the comb yet.
2. Check the treatment label for the next time you can reapply the shampoo. Since new nits can hatch every ten days, you will need to reapply in that timeframe.
3. Vacuum and clean everything. The cushions in the couch and everywhere you can imagine.
4. Don't forget to vacuum the car and car seat as well
5. Use the lice shampoo to clean all brushes and combs. Throw out any brushes, combs, clips that you feel are not clean and buy new ones.
6. Notify the parents of your child's playmates, so that they might conduct their own head checks

Lice are highly contagious and thrive in schools and day care centers where kids are in close contact. Also teens are prone to lice, if they share brushes or hair items.

Here are some common sense tips for avoiding the next outbreak of head lice:

1. Tell you kids to not have head-to-head contact with others
   
   Lice do not jump or fly. But they do crawl and head-to-head contact is one way to inherit this pesky parasite.
2. Tell your kids to never share brushes, combs, clips, hats or jackets with classmates
3. Make sure that the nap area in your child's day care or preschool is clean and vacuumed regularly
   Picture shows nits on hair.
4. Girls tend to get head lice more often than boys. Keep long hair in a pony-tail, so it is not flying around and it is contained
5. Head check your child briefly once a week or at least twice a month
6. Tell your child to place his/her jackets and backpacks in their own area of a classroom closet and not piled on top of everyone else's things. Lice can spread from backpack to backpack and sweater to sweater if left in a heaping pile.
7. Talk about respecting the personal space of others
8. Talk to your school nurse about the school's policy regarding nits and head lice

Picture of lice bites.

Head lice are one of the most contagious parasites that your child can ever contact. The best advice for all parents is to be aware and proactive. The positive thing about head lice is that once your child has had it, you know what to do to keep it from happening again and again.