Have you received a letter from your child’s school saying that there’s a confirmed case of lice? Your initial reaction may be to panic, but fortunately, this is not necessary. Lice are 100% treatable – and you don’t have to crawl through hoops or use toxic chemicals to make it happen. We’ll teach you how to actively address a lice outbreak in your child’s classroom so that your family can stay lice free.
First, comb through your child’s hair.
The first step is to comb through your child’s wet hair, which is usually easiest after their bath or shower. Part your child’s hair using a fine-toothed comb or nit picker like this one from My Hair Helpers. Lice like to live around the ears, near the nape of the neck and close to the scalp. Look for brownish specks the size of a sesame seed. They will likely be moving.
In case you don’t see them, wipe the comb on a paper towel. You should be able to see any active lice this way. Nits (lice eggs) are a bit more difficult to detect. They are even smaller than lice and glued tightly to the hair shafts. A good lice comb will pick them out, but you might need a magnifying glass, too.
Depending on what you find when combing through your child’s hair, here are the steps to follow.
Yes, my child has head lice.
If you do find lice, you’ll need to start treatment right away. There are over-the-counter products you can use, but we typically don’t recommend them. Not only are they ineffective at times, but also they may contain harsh ingredients like insecticides and pesticides.
A better option is to order a natural, nontoxic lice treatment kit like this one from My Hair Helpers. It will be delivered to your doorstep and you can start treatment in as little as one day. If you feel more comfortable having someone else do it, you can look for a professional head lice salon in your area. My Hair Helpers proudly serves Southern California.
No, my child does not have head lice.
If your child does not have head lice, there are steps you can take to prevent an infestation. First, use a lice repellent spray on your child’s hair. This will deter lice from crawling onto their head. If your child has long hair, keep it tied up or tied back as well. Also, review healthy habits like not sharing hair clips, scrunchies, hats, etc.
Finally, be sure to wet comb your child’s hair once a week to stay on top of lice. If a few do crawl onto your child’s head, you can pick them out before they start an infestation. Always choose a well-lit area and use a lice comb for this step.
We hope that you can see that lice, while inconvenient, are not a health hazard. There are ways to prevent them and ways to treat them. To schedule an appointment or order products from My Hair Helpers, contact us today!
