Head lice are a disgusting annoyance that no parent wants to find on their kid’s head. With 6 to 12 million lice infestations a year in the U.S., you have a good chance of running into these little pests. These very small, parasitic insects feed off blood under the scalp, and they are especially prevalent among children.
Why Are Lice Attracted to Kids?
Lice are mainly picked up by your kid if their hair or head comes into direct contact with that of an infested person. They have no wings or strong hind legs, which prevents them from jumping or flying. They are, therefore, left with having to crawl from one child’s head of hair to another. Kids seem to be constantly coming into contact with each other, which makes them a natural population for lice to spread among.
If Your Kid Has Lice, Don’t Be Afraid to Tell Other Parents
Lice can spread fairly quickly between friends since they frequently put their heads together to get close for that selfie, or to whisper a secret, or during a huddle if they’re playing some sport. You may never find out who your child caught lice from, but you do want to minimize the chances of them spreading lice to other children. For this reason, you should tell the parents of your kid’s friends about their condition. If someone tells you that their child has lice, definitely check your kid’s hair and scalp because the symptom of an itchy scalp does not develop for all children.
Overreacting to Head Lice
Some parents freak out at the news of head lice and start sanitizing the whole house. Lice are extremely dependent on us for regular feedings and die quickly if they fall off our heads and land anywhere in the environment. While it’s possible that they can be picked up by wearing the hat, or using the hairbrush, or laying on the same pillow as an infested person, this is less common than direct head-to-head transmission.
Preventing Head Lice
Tell any of your kids with long hair to tie it up or back in order to minimize the chances of hair strands brushing against the hair of another child. This is particularly important if you’ve gotten a letter from a school nurse or news from other parents that there is a lice outbreak at school. It also can’t hurt to suggest that your child not share hats, hairbrushes, pillows or other things worn or used on or near the head just to be safe.
If prevention fails, you should spend most of your effort on treating the infestation on their head rather than addressing the environment. With lice removal, your best bet will be to seek out a lice clinic. These are places that specialize in head lice removal. A lice removal specialist at such a place will be able to tell you if your child has head lice. You should find a lice center that uses all-natural and safe products to treat a lice infestation because the pesticides used in many over-the-counter products are toxic.
Professional Lice Center in Cranford, NJ
Lice Lifters Cranford is a lice clinic that excels at lice removal for kids. We serve families in Union County and beyond. When you bring in one or more family members you believe to have head lice, a lice removal specialist will perform a head check to verify they are there. Once found, our lice treatment center then employs 100 percent safe and natural products for lice removal. We can treat your entire family at once and get them free of lice in a single visit. If your kids get lice, please contact our lice clinic today for an appointment.
