Head lice are tiny insect parasites that live on your head and feed on your scalp. They lay their eggs on the hair shaft (these eggs are the ‘nits’) close to the scalp. They are spread by head-to-head contact with another person who has head lice.
Headlice are not dangerous, do not carry diseases, and are not a sign of poor hygiene. They are a major annoyance and can be difficult to get rid of but that’s about it!
Head lice can run from one head to another in seconds. They can’t fly, jump, or swim, but they can sometimes swing from one hair to another! Usually, the first sign that your child has head lice is when they scratch their head a lot - although some children make very good head lice hotels and don’t scratch until their hair is full and you can’t miss them!
What do they look like?
- Adult lice are usually dark brown and about 2 to 3 mm long.
- Hatchlings (young lice) are often a lighter brown colour and about 1 to 2 mm long.
- Eggs will be attached to the hair shaft. They can be very tiny and hard to see, especially newly laid eggs close to the scalp. They are grey-white and about the size of a grain of salt.
- Unless you can easily see the head lice, the speed at which they can move makes checking dry hair unreliable.
To check hair for head lice:
- Get comfortable and distract your child with a tv show or book.
- Put a towel around their shoulders and arm yourself with any brand of hair conditioner, white paper towel or tissues and a comb made specifically for head lice (available at your local chemist).
- Apply plenty of conditioner to your child’s hair making sure all of it is covered in conditioner (this slows the head lice down so they can be trapped in the comb).
- Divide the hair into sections and carefully comb each section. Wipe the waste from the comb on a white paper towel. Look for head lice and eggs in the conditioner.
- The lice often collect behind the ears and at the back of the neck.
- Other objects in the hair can be mistaken for head lice or eggs. These include sand, dandruff, ants, aphids, or other small insects (if they’ve been playing outside).
Check hair regularly for head lice and eggs. If you find any, the hard work begins, and your child’s hair should be treated.
If you don’t find headlice – do a little happy dance. You can also reduce the risk of getting them by doing the following.
- Check your children’s hair regularly using the conditioner method to help you detect any head lice early and minimise the problem.
- Tying back long hair can help prevent the spread of head lice.
- Avoid sharing combs or brushes.
- Regularly clean hairbrushes and combs in hot water.
- Remind your child to avoid head-to-head contact with other children, for example when working at a computer with others, playing or hugging.
Source: healthywa.wa.com.au
