Any child can get lice. Even the cleanest child can get it. Lice tend to nest in certain hair color and textures that is why some people get repeated visits. Lice are annoying and wont go away on their on. Your child can spread it  to others and you too through close contact, usually head to head contact.

Lice crawl from one scalp to the other. They can crawl from combs , brushes  and clothing onto a fresh scalp. The bugs looks like sesame seeds  and their eggs stick to hair shaft. Lice only live one  or two days when not in a scalp. The eggs  don’t hatch when they are not in a warm environment. However you still have  to vacuum and clean linens. It can take upon to a week for the eggs to hatch. It takes about 4 to 6 weeks for the itching to start because of the saliva of lice.

How to check your child for lice

You can check your child for lice by sifting through her hair with a couple of sticks. If the child has lice, you will find viable nits which are lice eggs( these can be harder to see) or live lice in the child’s hair.You can also have your pediatrician check the child’s scalp, make recommendations and provide a prescription as needed.

How is lice treated ?

Lice can be treated with over the counter medications like Nix (permethrin) and Rid (pyrethrum). Nix is used on wet hair and can kill the eggs. It is essential not to use a conditioner before the application of Nix. Rid is used on dry hair but doesn’t kill the eggs.  You should repeat the treatment on day 9 and perhaps one more time . It is important to follow your pediatricians  recommendation on the right medication.

Fine toothed comb is another way to get rid of lice. The comb has enough teeth to pull out the lice and their nits. The negative aspect is that is takes time and patience to comb out every last nit from the child’s hair. It is more effective to comb the hair after treating with medicated soap  to get rid of any stranglers.