So, your child has come home from school with head lice and now you have the unpleasant task of trying to get rid of the pesky little critters... Unfortunately there is no one stop solution for treating head lice, in fact, the only way to completely rid head lice for good is to kill the head lice with a treatment cream or foam and comb out all the head lice eggs. It’s important to ensure all eggs are removed to stop the head lice life cycle.
I find head lice treatment is easiest and most effective if it’s broken down into steps:
Step 1 - Treat
Use a head lice cream or foam to paralyse or suffocate the head lice. Make sure you cover the entire scalp and all of the hair, and leave it on the hair for the instructed time period to ensure the treatment penetrates the head lice. Massage the treatment into the scalp to target newly hatched lice that live directly on the scalp for the first period for their life.
Step 2 - Comb
Separate the hair into small sections and use a nit comb to go through each of the sections and remove all the head lice eggs. Unfortunately this can be a lengthy process; children with long hair will have to practice some patience as it can take some time to go over the entire head, make sure not to miss any sections.
Step 3 – Defend
Lastly, take proactive steps to make sure you don’t experience a repeat infestation; be vigilant and check for head lice regularly – about once a week is ideal. Tie long hair back into a bun or plait and use a prevention spray to deter head lice from setting up house in your child’s head. Check out some easy “up” hairstyles for girls here.
I hope this gives you an idea on how to treat head lice, next week we will be looking at some of the ways you can keep children entertained while treating head lice.
