Hello parents!
There’s no denying it, we all feared the day a letter is sent home from school about lice in the classroom and we probably all will or already have panicked a bit. I’m here to tell you, do not panic! It’s going to be ok!
No need to burn the house down or even put everything in trash bags.
Sure you can vacuum, wash the sheets, dirty clothing, and outwear your child may have worn recently. But that’s it. The main issue is what’s on our heads right now.
When you understand the life cycle of lice, it becomes less scary.
An adult female will lay eggs, called nits. These look like tiny brown specks on the scalp. After a few days the hair grows and the nit is now stuck to the hair. After the nit is separated from the scalp is when you will be able to comb them out. If they are not combed out, in 7-10 days they will grow into nymphs (babies). It takes another week for a baby to turn into an adult, and then they have to mate and the cycle continues. So nipping out the nits and babies before a new cycle begins, is key to controlling lice.
What do you need?
A metal pronged lice comb.
The longer the teeth the better, especially if you are dealing with long hair.
A spray bottle for water.
Comb through the hair when wet.
Paper Towels.
To wipe the residue you collect on your comb. Residue may be dead skin, dirt, oil, fuzz, or lice.
Lice Treatment. (Maybe)
Over the counter treatments will not always be as effective as we hope. What was recommended to me was an enzymatic solution that helps make the nits separate from the hair so you can comb them out.
A specific shirt.
Everyone should wear a shirt that can be removed by pulling down, rather than being lifted over the head. A button-up shirt, tube/tank top, or no shirt at all. This is in case any lice fall onto the shirt. We don’t want it to pass back onto the head when lifting it up over the head. This would undue all of the hard work.
Speed.
You would think to take your time, searching through every inch of the head slowly would surely have you finding them all. Nope! Lice are sensitive to light. So when they see light, they will scatter out of sight. Meaning you may miss them when you think you are being thorough. When you are combing through wet hair, you should have a certain speed, just as you would quickly brush or comb your own hair. Trying to keep the comb perpendicular to the head. (Think of an upside-down T)
Time and diligence.
Comb wet hair in every direction. Front to back, back to front, comb-over left, comb-over right. As many times as you feel you need to. If you or your child has any signs of nits or lice, keep combing, quickly. Wipe your comb onto a paper towel when you feel you’ve collected enough residue and keep going. After you are finished the first combing, If you see no nits, nymphs, or adults. Great! No treatment needed. If you did find some, apply the foam treatment to the scalp and repeat the combing process.
After completing your combing, repeat a thorough combing every other day. This is to make sure you’ve combed out every possible nit after the hair has grown more. (remember- if they are stuck to the scalp we can’t always comb them out, so we wait for new growth!) You must stay diligent and check for at least the next 10 days. Make it a routine. If we all work at this, it will no longer be a problem for our class and homes.
What about repellents?
Repellents can be very helpful! But keep in mind they are only repellents, and not effective treatments. Repellents are typically a blend of scents like rosemary, mint, tea tree, etc. They will only work for about 6 hours, so remember to re-apply before after-school activities.
What else should I know?
Lice needs a human head to survive. They will not jump, fly, or want to spend any time on anything else because it isn’t the correct temperature for them. They will use the prongs on their legs to attach to the scalp, release a chemical and feed off of our blood. (I know, sounds gross) Lice will not want to live in facial hair, pets, or stuffed animals. If you are concerned about your child’s favorite stuffed animal they sleep with every night, you can place it into the freezer for a while to kill any bacteria.
Lice is spread by head-to-head contact. They do not fly or jump.
Only 50% of people with lice will itch.
Vacuum upholstery. No need to spray with pesticides.
Check each family member. Notify any recent guests that had contact. Share this letter with them!
Before today, I knew absolutely NOTHING about head lice. But as soon as I saw one on my child, I called a professional to help. Lice Happens came to my house within one hour, checked the entire family, and treated the one child who actually had it. (everyone else was clear, yay!) They also taught us everything about lice and how to treat and maintain a lice-free living. So I absolutely recommend giving them a call if you are nervous. But please don’t be!
Please remember, we all have to work together to prevent this type of outbreak in our classrooms and homes. I know it’s yucky and embarrassing, but it’s a part of life.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at jillbirthbaby@gmail.com or contact Lice Happens! They offer effective pesticide-free products and a really good comb that you will keep forever. Their home-service may be a bit pricey, but you will never need to call them again after the confidence, skill, and knowledge they leave you with.
Hang in there!
LiceHappens.com 856.562.2212 (24hr hotline)