The Facts About Lice
What It Is and How to Treat Your Tween In Case of Infestation
Lice can become an uncontrollable problem quickly. Learn the facts about lice and how to go about treating it, if your tween becomes infested.
Lice is a word that strikes fear in the hearts of teachers and parents alike. Despite what you may think about head lice, they do not just attack those with poor personal hygiene. Lice can infest any head of hair clean or not. These tiny, parasitic insects love human hair and like other parasites, they feed off blood. Fortunately, lice are treatable without taking drastic measures. They can be treated by buying simple over-the-counter medication.
What are Lice?
Lice are small parasites that feed of humans. Lice are not dangerous to your health. They itch and they are contagious, but they will not pass disease on to you or your tween. Lice are most common among girls aged 3 to 12, but boys can get them, too. Lice find girls easy targets because of their longer hairstyles.
How Did My Tween Get Them?
You will never really know the reason why your child got head lice. Most of the time it is because she has come in contact with someone else that is infected. Perhaps your tween attended a sleepover and one child had them, but didn’t know. Maybe your child played sports at school, or used someone else’s hairbrush. These are all common ways to pass lice on to others.
What Happens After My Tween is Infected?
After lice attack your child’s hair, they will begin laying lice eggs which are more commonly known as nits. Nits are interesting because they are very small, yellow or tan before they hatch (white in appearance after they hatch), and stick to your child’s hair like glue. The lice lay their eggs very close to the scalp and they hatch in 1 to 2 weeks after being laid. It is the eggs that are hard to rid of, but lice treatment can kill them before they hatch. It is also good to know that many school nurses and parents will first notice the nits in the hair before they actually see live lice.
What to do About Lice?
You will want to start treatment right away. There are plenty of effective over-the-counter treatments, or you can call your pediatrician who can give you a prescription shampoo or cream to kill the lice and nits. Lice can become resistant to these medications, so several treatments may be necessary. After you have followed the instructions for washing and treating your tween’s hair, you will need to use a fine tooth comb to comb out any remaining nits left in her hair. You must do this in order for the lice to clear up. You may have to treat your child for up to 10 days after the initial treatment and this also means that your tween will need to stay away from other children.
Next Steps
Lice cannot live long without a host. Still, it is a good idea to wash bed linens and clothing in hot water, as well as vacuum the carpet and furniture. You will also want to place anything that cannot be washed in an airtight bag for up to two weeks.
Note: This information is not intended to be medical advice. Always consult your tween's pediatrician with questions about lice.
Article Reference: HeadLice.org
