October 31 is National Bug Busting Day and NHS Lincolnshire ICB is raising awareness of the treatment for head lice and nits.
Very common in young children and their families, head lice and nits don’t have anything to do with dirty hair and are picked up as a result of head-to-head contact. Measuring no more than three millimetres long, head lice can be difficult to spot.
Signs of head lice
Head lice eggs, known as nits, are either brown or white (when empty) and attached to the hair. Head lice can make your head feel itchy and like something is moving in your hair, and the only way to be sure if someone has head lice is by finding live lice.
You can look for head lice by combing the hair with a special fine-toothed comb, which can be bought at your local pharmacy.
How to get rid of head lice
If you find evidence of head lice you should treat them as soon as you spot them. Treatments for head lice are widely available to buy over the counter in supermarkets and community pharmacies and will not be supplied by your doctor.
Wet combing
Head lice and nits can be removed by wet combing, which is the first thing to try. This involves using a fine-toothed comb and following these steps:
- Washing hair with ordinary shampoo
- Applying lots of conditioner
- Combing the whole head of hair from the roots to the ends
The charity Community Hygiene Concern has a video about wet combing for head lice.
Medicated lotions and sprays
If you have tried wet combing and your child or family member still has head lice, you should ask your pharmacist for advice – they can recommend using medicated lotions and sprays, that kill head lice in all types of hair and which are readily available to buy.
Having used a lotion or spray, head lice should die within one day, however, some treatments need to be repeated after a week to kill any newly hatched lice. Don’t forget to check the pack first to make sure the lotion or spray is okay for you or your child or family member, as well as how to use them.
You cannot prevent head lice
Ultimately there’s nothing you can do to prevent head lice, but you can help stop them spreading by wet or dry combing regularly to catch them early.
Don’t use medicated lotions and sprays to prevent head lice, they can irritate the scalp, and there’s no reason for children to stay off school or to wash laundry on a hot wash.