Risk Reducing Precautions When it Come to Dealing With Lice

Those nasty little irritating buggers. If your child comes home from school scratching his head, lice may be finding a home in his hair. Anyone can get lice - especially your little angel - mainly because from head to head contact or sharing hats, brushes or headrests.

• Check all family for lice and nits (lice eggs) at least once a week. Only those infested should be treated. What are Lice? Lice are reddish brown wingless insects, nits are grayish white always oval shaped, and are glued at an angle to the side of the hair shaft.

• Be sure not to confuse nits with hair debris such as bright irregularly shape clumps of dandruff. Lice treatment is not appropriate for hair debris.

• Consult your pharmacist or physician before using lice treatment pesticides when the person involved is pregnant, nursing, has allergies, asthma or epilepsy. Never use a pesticide on or near the eyes.

• All lice killing products are pesticides. If you choose to buy an over the counter treatment, follow the directions carefully and with caution. Manual removal is always a safe alternative.

• Use product over the sink, not in the tub or shower. Always keep the eyes covered.

• Separate hair in sections and remove all attached nits with a comb, baby safety scissors, or your fingernails.

• Wash bedding and recently worn clothing in hot water and dry in a hot dryer. Combs and brushes may be soaked in hot water for 10 minutes.

• Avoid lice sprays. Vacuuming is the safest and best way to remove lice or hairs attached nits from upholstered furniture, rugs, stuffed animals and car seats.
  

Facts about Lice

Does your little bundle of joy have lice or a member of the family? Here are some important facts about Lice:

• Hatched lice live for only a day or two without human host. So you don't need to seal the stuffed animals for two weeks at a time (two days is fine), vacuum daily or do laundry constantly. Just vacuum, and wash all hats, bedding and brushes once using hot water.

• They can't or jump through the air. (But they do crawl really fast).

• Head lice don't carry any disease and there aren't any medical conditions or infections transmitted by head lice. They're just a nuisance.

• Getting lice doesn't reflect bad hygiene. In fact, they prefer clean hair, perhaps because it's less greasy - so they can get a better grip.