How to Protect Your Child from Head Lice

The school year is about to start once again, and along with it will come many problems. One that many people often seem to forget about is head lice. Believe it or not this is still a growing problem in schools all around the country. How though can you protect your child from getting head lice? This article will point out several suggestions that you may find helpful in accomplishing this task.

First it is important that you understand exactly how head lice is spread. It usually happens when two children have head to head contact. Such as if they bump heads or are leaning on the other. It can also be spread by children who share hats, combs, and any other object that can come in contact with their hair. The good news is that head lice do not survive for a long time once on the scalp. The most important thing that you can do as apparent to protect your child from getting head lice in the first place is to take the time to educate them. Here are five steps that you can advise your child to take in order to avoid getting head lice.

1. Do not use anyone’s brush, or comb. Even though many doctors say that this is one of the less common ways that head lice is spread, you should still advise your child never to use anyone’s comb or brush.

2. Never share hats. Make sure that your child understands the importance of not sharing hats. This includes any type of classroom activities, such as when young children play dress up.

3. Keep their hands out of another person’s hair. Some children have a tendency to play in their friend’s hair. This is especially the case with young girls. You should advise your child not to play in anyone’s hair and not to allow anyone to play in their hair.

4. On a weekly basis you should check all of your school aged children’s hair for lice. This is especially the case if you notice that they are constantly scratching their hair. By doing this you will help to prevent them from spreading to any other member of your household, including yourself.

5. Never use a lice removal treatment unless you have been advice to do so by your child’s doctor. There are many products that are currently sold over the counter, and those that you need a prescription for. It is always best that you have your child seen by a doctor if you suspect that they have lice. The doctor will be able to inform you of the best treatment to use on your child’s hair. If you use any type of lice treatment on your child’s hair and it is not needed you can end up causing serious damage to their hair.

When it comes to preventing head lice it is important that you work with the teachers, and other parents in your child’s school. This will help to keep all of the children lice free. If you do find out that your child has lice, make sure that you immediately contact their school and let their teacher know. This will give them the opportunity to make other parents aware, so that they can check their own children. If you would like additional information on head lice you can visit the following websites: www.bchealthguide.org, www.headlice.org,