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 basics 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

What are nits? 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

Is your family at risk? 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

How can you tell if you have head lice? 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

Detection combing 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

Easy steps to detect head lice Work on one section at a time 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 After each pass of the comb, wipe it on a tissue and inspect for lice Step 3 Repeat the process until all sections are completed - it will take 15–20 minutes to do it properly

Detection combing Conclusion 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 Tips 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

What should you do next? 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

Head lice – a summary 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 For more expert advice, visit