Prevent Back-To-School Head Lice Infestations

While many parents may be ready for their children to head back-to-school, they may not be prepared to deal with their child bringing home a head lice infestation. Although many people still believe that head lice infestations occur as a result of poor hygiene, they can happen to anyone. Like the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states, “personal hygiene or cleanliness in the home or school has nothing to do with getting head lice.” The fall season, which unfortunately happens to coincide with the back-to-school season, tends to be the prime time for head lice. While it is unknown exactly how many people experience head lice infestations per year, the CDC estimates that somewhere between 6 million and 12 million children between the ages of 3 to 11 years old get head lice every year.

Many people may be surprised to learn that head lice actually prefer clean hair over dirty hair and they aren’t spread by animals. Head lice are spread from person-to-person through close contact, like in schools and daycare centers. We teach our children the importance of sharing, which can backfire when it comes to dealing with head lice. Children often share their belongings with each other (including hats, sweaters, towels, brushes, hair ties, headbands, headphones, helmets, etc), and in turn, they are also sharing their head lice infestations with each other. Many people also don’t realize that head lice can’t jump or fly; they crawl and attach themselves to fine strands of hair and then lay eggs that produce more lice.

Head lice are easily spread among school aged children. Taking a proactive approach by using the Lice Shield Leave-In Spray is a great way to help prevent your child from getting an infestation. This spray is specially formulated to help prevent head lice infestations (plus it also conditions and helps detangle the hair). It is safe for daily use and features a convenient leave-in spray-on application.

While head lice can be quite the nuisance, thankfully there are a variety of lice treatment products available to help you eliminate those pesky little bugs from the hair, as well as your home and furniture. There are lice and egg killing shampoo treatment kits, lice removal combs, lice control bedding and furniture sprays, and even all-natural lice cure kits. D'Ann Somerall, an assistant professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing, urges parents to “use a lice comb on your child’s hair, even after you get rid of the lice.” When treating head lice infestations it’s also important to remember to treat any furniture and bedding that have been used by those with head lice.

Sources:

http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/gen_info/faqs.html

http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/schools.html

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=180121