Lice

What are head lice?

Having head lice does not mean you are unclean; your child can get them even if hair is washed every day. School and day care centres are crowded places and therefore are good breeding grounds for the spread of lice.

What are lice?

Lice are tiny greyish insects living near the roots of hair (sometimes also in the eyebrows or beard). Every day they lay 6 to 8 nits (eggs) that take about 10 days to hatch. Living nits are pale grey and resemble large flakes of dandruff, most often found at less than 1 cm from the scalp. They stick to the hair and are difficult to remove.

Lice neither jump nor fly. They do not spread diseases and do not live on pets. They easily go from one person’s head to another by hair contact. On the other hand, lice do not spread as easily through contact with personal objects (hats, combs, hairbrushes, pillow cases, etc.). Lice feed on blood: they bite the scalp and inject saliva that prevents blood from coagulating. Some victims’ reaction is itching while others feel absolutely nothing.

How to prevent lice infestations

There is no preventive treatment. However, you can take certain preventive measures:

• Keep long hair tied up.
• Remind children to avoid touching their classmates’ head with their own.
• Teach children to place hats and scarves inside their coat sleeves.
• Carefully examine their scalp and hair using a fine comb (a special comb for lice):
  - At least once a week, when washing hair
  - Every day if lice have been detected among other children
  - As soon as scalp becomes itchy.

 
A thorough examination must be done under good lighting; a magnifying glass may make the job easier. You must look for lice and nits behind the ears and near the back of the neck. After each search, don’t forget to wash your hands. If you receive a note from the school or the day care centre telling you to examine your child’s head, do not take it lightly. Prompt screening will allow infected individuals to receive immediate treatment and will help prevent spreading lice among other family members.

How to eliminate lice

If you detect the presence of lice or nits:

• Apply an anti-lice treatment as soon as possible.
• Notify the school or the day care centre, as well as everyone in contact with the infected child.
• Remove the child from the school or day care centre temporarily, until treatment has been applied.
• Treat only the infected persons: a preventive treatment is useless. It is better that all infected people be treated at the same time, i.e., on the same day.
• Once the treatment is done, remove nits with a fine comb soaked in hot water after each stroke. Any nits that do not come out may be removed by sliding them along the hair with your fingers or tweezers.
• Each day re-examine the hair of each family member with a fine comb (treat new cases as soon as lice or nits are spotted).
• Repeat the treatment 7 to 10 days after the first application, whether or not you have found living lice or nits.
• If living lice are discovered 48 hours after the first treatment, you must apply another treatment with another type of product (see chart of treatments that can be used in case of failure). Clean personal objects (caps, hats, combs, hairbrushes, accessories and toys used regularly, as well as bedding). Select the best cleaning method, depending on the type of object:o Soak objects in a lice-treatment shampoo (not diluted) for 5 to 10 minutes; or o Soak objects in hot water (at about 65 °C or 150 °F) for 5 to 10 minutes; or o Place the garments in the dryer at a high-heat setting and tumble dry for 20 minutes; or o Have garments dry cleaned; or o Store objects for 10 to 14 days in a sealed plastic bag.
• In case of failure, consult a physician.

Your pharmacist will recommend the most appropriate treatment for the infected person and will give you all necessary information to make sure that the treatment is effective. Children under 2 years of age, pregnant or breastfeeding women and people who are allergic to ingredients found in these products must consult a pharmacist or a physician to obtain a treatment that will suit them.

These products may come in the form of a shampoo or after-shampoo treatment. To find out how to apply the selected product, do not hesitate to consult your pharmacist and be sure to read the manufacturer’s instructions carefully.

Source: Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux du Québec.

The health information contained herein is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace discussions with a healthcare provider. All decisions regarding patient care must be made with a healthcare provider, considering the unique characteristics of the patient. Links to other sites are provided as a convenience to the viewer. PROXIM accepts no responsibility for the content of linked sites.