Evidence of head lice occurs every year at school and this year is no exception! Parents, be very diligent in checking your kids’ heads regularly to ensure early treatment! Here are the latest recommendations if you find that your child has contracted lice:

Head Lice: What Parents Need to Know

Head lice are a common problem that usually affects school-aged children and their families. They can attach to the hair of anyone’s head. It doesn’t matter if the hair is clean or dirty. Head lice are also found worldwide in all different places, such as in homes or schools or the country or city. And it doesn’t matter how clean, dirty, rich, or poor the place or person is. Though head lice may be a nuisance, they don’t cause serious illness or carry any diseases. Head lice can be treated at home, but if there are sensitivities, you may want to check with your doctor first. Here is information from the American Academy of Pediatrics to help parents and caregivers check for, treat, and prevent the spread of head lice.

What are head lice?

Head lice are tiny bugs about the size of a sesame seed (2–3 mm long [mm stands for millimeter]). Their bodies are usually pale and grey, but their color may vary. One of these tiny bugs is called a louse. Head lice feed on small amounts of blood from the scalp. They can usually live 1 to 2 days without blood meal. Lice lay and attach their eggs to hair close to the scalp. The eggs and their shell casings are called nits. They are oval and about the size of a knot in thread (0.8 mm long and 0.3 mm wide) and usually yellow to white. Some nits may blend in with some people’s hair color, making them hard to see, and are often confused for dandruff or hair spray droplets. Nits attach to the hair with a sticky substance that holds them firmly in place. After the eggs hatch, the empty nits stay on the hair shaft.

What is the life cycle of head lice?

Head lice live about 28 days. They develop in 3 phases: egg (also called a nit), nymph, and adult louse.  Eggs or nits hatch in 6 to 9 days. Eggs are usually found within 4 to 6 mm of the scalp and do not survive if they are farther away. The nymph looks like an adult head louse but is much smaller (about the size of a pinhead [1.5 mm]). Nymphs become adults about 7 days after hatching. An adult louse can multiply fast and lay up to 10 eggs a day. It takes only about 12 to 14 days for newly hatched eggs to reach adulthood. This cycle can repeat itself every 3 weeks if head lice are left untreated.

How common are head lice?

Head lice are most common in preschool- and elementary school–aged children. Each year millions of school-aged children in the United States get head lice. However, anyone can get head lice. Head lice are found worldwide. How do head lice spread? Head lice are crawling insects. They cannot jump, hop, or fly. The main way head lice spread is from close, prolonged head-to-head contact. There is a very small chance that head lice will spread by sharing items such as combs, brushes, and hats.

What are symptoms of head lice? Itching on the areas where head lice are present is the most common symptom. However, it may take up to 4 to 6 weeks after lice get on the scalp before the scalp becomes sensitive to the lice saliva and begins to itch. Most of the itching happens behind the ears or at the back of the neck. Also, itching caused by head lice can last for weeks, even after the lice are gone.

How do you check for head lice?

Regular checks for head lice are a good way to spot head lice before they have time to multiply and infest (are present in large numbers) your child’s head. Seat your child in a brightly lit room. Part the hair. Look for crawling lice and for nits on your child’s scalp a section at a time. Live lice are hard to find. They avoid light and move quickly. Nits will look like small white or yellow-brown specks and be firmly attached to the hair near the scalp. The easiest place to find them is at the hairline at the back of the neck or behind the ears. Nits can be confused with many other things such as dandruff, dirt particles, or hair spray droplets. The way to tell the difference is that nits are firmly attached to hair, while dandruff, dirt, or other particles are not. Use a fine-tooth comb to help you search the scalp section by section.

What is the comb-out method?

The comb-out method can be used to help check for nits and head lice or to help remove nits and head lice after head lice treatment. However, the comb-out method usually doesn’t work on its own to get rid of head lice. Here is how you use the comb-out method:

Step 1: Wet your child’s hair.

Step 2: Use a fine-tooth comb and comb through your child’s hair in small sections.

Step 3: After each comb-through, wipe the comb on a wet paper towel. Examine the scalp, comb, and paper towel

carefully.

Step 4: Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you’ve combed through all of your child’s hair.

How do you treat head lice?

We recommend strict adherence to the 14 day treatment plan (listed below). Further, call your health care provider or pharmacy for advice about specific treatment products. Recommended treatment includes using either a store-bought or prescription lice-killing product. Be sure to follow the package directions carefully for they vary among different treatment options.

Daily removal of nits for at least 2 weeks is an essential treatment component. We recommend metal, versus plastic, nit-removing combs.

Combs, brushes, and other hair accessories should be cleaned with hot soapy water. Launder recently worn clothing, bedding, and towels. Vacuuming carpets, furniture, mattresses, and car seats may control the spread of head lice. Insecticide or lice-killing sprays are not recommended.

Exclusion

Students with active head lice do not need to be sent home early from school. They can go home at the end of the day and return to school after treatment has been started. This exclusion guideline is supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Association of School Nurses. A student with an active infection has likely had an infestation for over one month. The risk of further transmission is low. Students with head lice may return to school after the first application of lice killing treatment.

Additional Information & Resources:

MN Health Dept Lice Fact Sheet

https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/headlice/headlice.pdf

CDC Head Lice

https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/index.html

Video on how to remove nits

14 day lice treatment plan

Please feel free to call the health offices for any help with treatments or advice to reduce transmission!