Control Methods for Pediculosis

Head lice commonly affect school-age children because of being in close contact with other children and because they share their personal belongings and heads touch other children’s heads. Eggs look like dandruff, whitish in color, but cannot be moved with the finger like dandruff. If the whitish spot sticks to the hair shaft, it is a nit. Even using the same bed, or sitting on the same upholstered furniture can spread an infestation of Pediculosis. If a stray hair has fallen off the head and onto a piece of furniture it can be transferred to another host head. Normally you will not find head lice anywhere on the body but the head. There are instances of people finding head lice in the armpits or chest hair. Normally, children who are under the age of twelve are more susceptible to being infested with head lice.

Controlling head lice is a continuing problem. Back to schooltime is a great time for educating parents and educators about the lice problem. Sending newsletters, informational literature, and personal notes to the parents of school children may help control the head lice infestation. September is National Head Lice Prevention Month and schools should actively take part in educating parents and children especially during this month. School-age children are not the only targets of head lice. Your child may be infested in day care, camps, or other childcare facilities, including the church nursery!

If a person in the family has been infested with head lice, the whole family must be checked. Only the infested person should be treated. Prevention may be close to impossible because you cannot control what your children do in school. You can prevent family members from being infested by taking a few important steps. Family members should not share clothing, hairbrushes, combs, or any personal belongings with the infested family member. All combs, brushes, and hair accessories should be soaked in hot soapy water. The water should be at least 140 degrees and soak for 20 minutes.

Combing the hair every day will help control the spread of head lice, and if someone in the family has long hair, daily combing and tight braiding may prevent them from being infested. All bedding and clothes the infested person has been in contact with should be washed in hot water and carpet, rugs, pillows, and mattresses should be thoroughly vacuumed. Vacuuming will pick up stray hairs that may have fallen from the infested head and prevent spreading to a family member.

Special combs can be bought, made of metal with teeth set close together. If you cannot find these at your local drugstore, a good substitute is a new pet flea brush. You must get rid of the nits to prevent reinfestation.

Prompt identification and treatment is the key to controlling a head lice infestation both at school and in the home. Head lice infestation can happen in the cleanest and the richest household. They are highly contagious!