Genius Ways to Prevent Head Lice ...

It’s that time of year again when kids come home with notes that their school has a head lice infestation. Fortunately, there are some ways to prevent head lice that should keep that note out of your kid's backpack.

Also called Pediculus humanus capitis, head lice are parasitic insects found on the heads of people. Head lice is very common. Preschool and elementary age children and their families are infested most often. Girls and women get head lice more often than boys and men. Personal hygiene or cleanliness at home or school has nothing to do with getting head lice. Anyone who comes in close contact with someone who already has lice is at the greatest risk. Lice can also be spread by coming in contact with clothing such as hats, scarves or coats, or other personal items like brushes or towels that belong to an infested person. Even lying on a bed, couch, pillow or carpet where an infested person has been can cause you to become infected. Stuffed animals are another hiding place for these creepy crawlies.

There are three forms of lice. The egg, also called a nit, are head lice eggs. They are very small and are often confused for dandruff or hair care products. Nits are laid by the adult female at the base of the hair shaft nearest the scalp. They are firmly attached to the hair shaft and are oval in shape. The nits are usually yellow to white and take about a week to hatch.

After the nit hatches into a baby, it is called a nymph. Nymphs mature into adults about seven days after hatching. In order to live, the nymph must feed on blood. The mature lice is called an adult louse. It has six legs and is tan to grayish white. Adult lice can live up to 30 days on a person’s head, as long as they are feeding on blood. If the louse falls off a person, it will die within two days without blood to feed on. Lice are most commonly found on the scalp, behind the ears and near the neckline at the back of the head. Head lice very rarely are found on the body, eyelashes or eyebrows.

For more information on recognizing the symptoms plus available treatment options, check out the following web sites for more info on how you can avoid this school year nuisance and for some ways to prevent head lice.