Head Lice: Disgusting But Not Dangerous
Apr 11 '02
The Bottom Line Head lice are icky, but there are ways to manage them and avoid getting them.
The first time a note came home from school informing that "a case of head lice has been reported in your child's classroom" I was appalled. Head lice? Immediately I thought all sorts of horrible things. The school sent home instructions on how to check the child's head for signs of lice, and we were lucky that time.
Occasionally during elementary school my children have ended up with head lice, however, and each time it has been a traumatic experience for the family. I finally buckled down and did a lot of research on the topic, and at this point I am no longer appalled when the dreaded note comes home from school; I simply take action.
Myths About Head Lice
The first thing that pops into many people's minds when they hear about head lice is that only unclean people get them. This is about as far from the truth as it gets. Lice are more likely to invade a child with very clean hair, as it is much easier for them to deposit their eggs on clean hair shafts than on less-than-clean ones.
Lice do not pick and choose their victims based on social status, either. A wealthy child is just as likely to get head lice as a child whose family is having financial difficulties. One thing that is true is that African Americans have a much lower chance of getting head lice because their hair structure is more difficult for lice to attach their eggs to. Also, the use of different hair tonics makes the hair less attractive to lice.
Lice do not present a public health risk. They are not dangerous, they are just obnoxious. Most schools will still send a child home if it is discovered the child has lice, but current research indicates that this is not the best practice as it removes the child from the learning environment for a non-health related reason.
Lice do not jump from person to person. The primary ways lice are spread is by sharing hairbrushes, hair accessories, and clothing items. Sitting next to a person who has lice does not mean you will get them. Sharing their hairbrush in all likelihood does, however. Children pass them to each other at school because they often have very close contact; laying together on a rug reading, for example, where their hair is touching. One problem in my child's classroom was the reading loft; a wonderful, cozy little loft filled with soft pillows and carpet where children could spend time reading books. This was a major source of lice spread in the classroom until we figured it out and removed the pillows and vacuumed the carpeting.
You do not have to disinfect your entire house if your child is unfortunate enough to catch head lice. You should, however, thoroughly vacuum all furniture and carpeting, wash all bedding and clothing in hot water, and toss the pillows in a hot dryer for about 20 minutes every day until the lice are gone. This will help prevent re-infestation once you have gotten rid of the little critters from your child's hair.
It is not necessary to use chemicals to get rid of head lice. In fact, you should be very careful doing this, especially if you get the prescription lice shampoo. These shampoos are pesticides, and the prescription one (Qwell) has been known to cause seizures in children if it is left on the hair too long. Lice can be eliminate by non-chemical means, and this should be your first line of offense against them.
Ways to Get Rid of and Avoid Head Lice
The only absolutely effective way to get rid of head lice is to comb out all the eggs. Even if you use a lice-killing shampoo to kill the live lice, you will continue to have problems unless you remove each and every head from the child's hair. There are special lice combs on the market that work quite well; I tend to shy away from the metal ones as I have not had as much success with them. The metal combs also seem to cause more irritation to the child's scalp. No child enjoys knowing they have head lice, and it is best to make the lice removal process as painless as possible.
Avoid the lice-killing shampoos. These contain pesticides and could be dangerous for your child if not used properly. Studies have also shown that over-use of these products has caused head lice in the United States to be very hardy and much harder to kill. If you do decide to use one of these shampoos, understand that the shampoo alone will not take care of the problem and follow the instructions to the letter to avoid risk to your child.
When you hear that head lice have been identified in your child's school, have your child start tightly braiding hair back and using hair spray on it. Lice are far less attracted to this type of hair style, and we have avoided cases in our home completely by doing this. Make sure your child understands that he or she must not share hairbrushes, hair accessories, or clothing items with other children. This includes coats!
You can try home remedies when your child has lice, but they can be more trouble than they are worth. I remember once we used a mayonnaise and vinegar treatment. The mayonnaise suffocates the lice, and the vinegar helps the hair shafts rinse clean. Unfortunately mayonnaise is very hard to remove from the hair; even after numerous washings, and my daughter smelled like potato salad for several days. Not fun and she was very unhappy with the situation.
The best method I have found for dealing with head lice is the use of a lice-egg remover and a lice comb. The lice egg removes are non-chemical and non-toxic. They come in gel form, which coats the hair shaft and makes it a simple process to remove nits and eggs. The gel also makes the hair easier to comb out, which is less traumatic on the child. There are several lice egg remover gels on the market, so you may have to try several before you find the one that works best for you and your child.
Perform preventative maintenance! When the lice notes come home from school, the first thing I do is check my children's heads. Then, we use the lice egg remover gel one time per week just to be on the safe side. Remember to soak all hairbrushes and combs in hot water when you have had a lice infestation; this will also help avoid re-infestation.
The most important thing of all is to be honest. If you discover head lice on your child, notify the school and your day care provider. This can be an incredibly embarrassing phone call to make, but it is absolutely essential. It is critical for the school and day care to be able to notify other parents, and they can't do that if they don't know. Schools and day cares are very careful to maintain the confidentiality of the affected child, so you should have no worries on that score. Schools and day cares are also quite educated on head lice and they will not make you feel bad or judge you. If you happen to come across an employee who does this, notify their supervisor immediately.
Education is the key to eliminating and controlling cases of head lice. The more people know about them, the less trauma will occur for everyone involved. And take heart; my children have never had a case of head lice once they got out of elementary school.
If your child does get head lice, be sure to check all other family members, including adults. It is better to be safe than sorry!
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