Head lice: Just as I get the children ready for school, the "head lice letter" arrives. Last year, my kids got them and I am not looking forward to all that nit dowsing. How can I stop them catching head lice?
Nits, or head lice, are small wingless insects that love nothing more than a clean head of hair. They live close to the scalp where they suck blood from the skin for sustenance. Regardless of age, sex, hygienic standards or length of hair, none of us is immune. Nits are passed by direct head-to-head contact. Small children tend to get closer to each other than older children or adults which explains why the condition is more prevalent in young school children. Long hair should be tied back during school hours and your kids advised against the sharing of head wear or brushes.
I used several over-the counter head lice products last year which eventually worked but are there any alternatives to chemical treatments?
An alternative approach to insecticide treatment has been backed by new research which showed that fine combing of wet hair is far more effective than over-the-counter chemical treatments for eliminating head lice. The study looked at the use of over-the-counter insecticide products and compared the results with fine-tooth combing of wet hair using a specially developed "Bug Buster" kit. Wet hair combing was found to be four times more effective.
What is wet combing?
This is a process of using a fine tooth comb to systematically remove head lice and their eggs from wet hair. After washing the hair, conditioner is applied. The hair is then divided into sections, and each section combed through from root to end with a fine tooth comb. The hair is rinsed and dried as normal. This is repeated every three or four days to remove the adult lice and any eggs they may have laid. All members of the household should be treated.
Marion Kerr