Head Lice are the bane of my life as far as things my child can catch goes. We’ve tried several methods of prevention and I figured it was time to write some Head lice helpful tips.
My head lice helpful tips won’t cost a lot either – you just need a few essentials in and you’re covered.
I hate head lice. Almost all children will experience it, especially if your child goes to nursery or preschool where they’re around other children.
A female head louse lays eggs close to the root where the scalp keeps them warm. They’re tiny and really difficult to see. After 7-10 days the lice hatch and the eggshells stay glued in place – these are nits. They become more noticeable once they’ve grown from the scalp and look a bit like dandruff but are glued to the hair.
Head lice feed by biting the scalp and feeding on blood. They take 6-10 days to become fully grown and once mature they can crawl from head to head. (taken from here)
There was a time when H had it for what felt like three months – they’d clear and she’d be reinfected, and it was so frustrating. Here’s our helpful tips to get rid :
• Get a good nit comb. We have a Nitty Gritty which is good at getting the eggs off the hair shaft. It will also occasionally pick up the lice too. I’d advise splashing out and getting the Nitty Gritty as it has been the most reliable, though it’s not easy to clean. Wet conditioned hair is the best way to get the blighters – though dry combing works too – it just hurts more.
• As well as a nit comb, I’ve found our electric Robi Comb Pro will loosen the lice from the hair – it occasionally zaps them. Working the two of these intitially will clear the hair pretty well.
• Look out for the signs when your child has them. I know H may have them if she has a red patch at the back of her neck and behind her ears. You can also see little bite marks on her scalp – red blood spots. Or she’s scratching a lot…
Buying products to help the head lice stay away doesn’t come too costly either.
Poundland have sprays and shampoos in stock a lot (Anovia Head On), and I’ve spotted some Tea Tree ones that Ocado sell, also for £1 each. Vosene Kids have a spray which you can leave in the hair which I’ve found is a good preventative measure.
Hedrin is one of the popular options for head lice removal. The cheapest I’ve found is for £5, there are several kinds of treatments available.
We’ve tried a few and have found them all to be as effective as the other.
You might find your child keeps getting them. We found this happened until there was a clear break when the children don’t see each other – for example Christmas holidays. Everyone needs to get rid of the lice at the same time for them to disappear.
The good news is that head lice like any kind of hair. It doesn’t have to be clean or dirty, any hair will do. They’re not fussy, they want to feed.
I feel itchy now… do you have any head lice helpful tips you’d like to add?
