Lice can be a nightmare for any parent. Once it starts going around a school system it can be almost impossible to get rid of, and if you have a few kids it's very difficult to keep it from going around your household as well. Parents have been dealing with lice for decades, so there are a lot of great tips that have been discovered that can keep your kids lice free and happy.
1. Stay Vigilant
The first way to keep your kids lice free is to be constantly vigilant against the presence of lice. This means regularly watching your children for any signs of their presence. Lice are very small and their eggs are even smaller, which means they aren't always visible until the infestation has become bad. If your child complains of a feeling in their hair, or scratches a lot, these could be signs of lice. You can also inspect your child's head when their hair is wet for the visible presence of lice.
2. Be Proactive With Treatments
When any of your children's classmates have lice the school will often send you a note home advising you of this. Lice shampoo can be used at this stage to guarantee that your child does not have any lice from their fellow students. Just a few lice can quickly multiply into a full infestation, so it's important to do this treatment early to ensure your child's health.
3. Attention to Detail
Use a lice comb after the shower when there's been a lice scare, or when your child has just recovered from lice. This will enable you to see if your child has developed lice, or if there are any remaining lice on them after treatment. It's important to kill all the lice, because if any remain then the infestation will come back.
4. Run Everything Through the Washer
Change the bedding and wash your child's clothing. Head lice don't exist long outside of a human host and cannot live on pets. In general, your home does not need to be cleaned after a lice infestation. They are not like bed bugs, and will not survive in the environment. It still may be a good idea to immediately wash the clothing and bedding of your child just in case there are a few eggs or lice still alive there.
5. Try Natural Remedies
There are a few natural methods you can also use to remove lice. Many parents swear by using mayonnaise or petroleum jelly as a method to control lice. If using these methods, you must leave the substance on the head for at least a few hours before washing off. The substance must cover the whole head and saturate each strand of hair.
Lice are a disturbing problem, but they do not present any significant health risk to your child. While they should be taken care of immediately, you don't have to worry about any long-term health concerns.
Add comment