According to MayoClinic.com, head lice are one of the most common problems among school-age children, second only to the common cold. Girls get lice more often than boys, because they usually have longer hair. Lice are small parasitic insects that feed on the blood from your scalp. Despite popular belief, head lice is not a sign of bad hygiene or dirty living conditions.
How Lice is Spread
According to the Mayo Clinic website, head lice, also called Pediculosis capitis, is spread by close contact with an infected person and by sharing personal belongings such as hats, brushes, towels, pillows or barrettes with an infected person.
Diagnosing Head Lice
The Mayo Clinic website says the best way to tell if your child has lice is to actually see a living, moving louse in your child's hair. Finding eggs in the hair is not enough. Because living lice may be hard to find, it is best to comb wet hair with a fine-toothed comb to see if there are any in your child's hair.
Options
There are many options available for treating head lice in children. There are several over-the-counter shampoos available to treat lice. However, according to DrBenKim.com, many of the lice shampoos that are available contain chemicals that are extremely toxic. DrBenKim.com recommends using natural remedies to rid your child of lice once and for all. Although natural remedies may take a little more time and effort to get rid of the lice than over-the-counter lice shampoos, you will not be exposing your little ones to dangerous chemicals.
Natural Remedies
Getting rid of your child's lice is a 3-step process including: killing the lice, getting rid of the eggs, and preventing re-infestation by making sure all personal items such as brushes, hats, and towels no longer have lice on them. According to DrBenKim.com, to kill the lice, apply a large amount of olive oil on the hair, saturating it from the roots to the ends. Then, put on a shower cap and leave on over night. This will suffocate the lice. In the morning, comb out the hair with a metal nit comb, wiping the comb often on a towel soaked in vinegar. This will help remove the dead lice and the eggs. This process will need to be repeated every 3 days or so for 21 days.
Eliminate Lice from Your Home
According to DrBenKim.com, it is imperative on the first day of treatment to clean combs, brushes, towels and bedding. Boil combs and brushes for 10 minutes to kill any lice. Anything that can go in the washing machine should be washed in hot water for 20 minutes; this includes bedding, towels and stuffed animals. Anything that cannot be washed should be placed in an airtight plastic bag. Be sure to squeeze out any extra air that may be in the bag to suffocate the lice. Furniture such as sofas and mattresses should be vacuumed.
Considerations
If you are not sure whether your child has lice, or if treatment doesn't seem to be working, it is important to contact you doctor. Lice is nothing to be embarrassed about, and getting it under control will come as a relief.
