It’s undeniable … Schools and kindergartens are breeding grounds for head lice. With schools just about to recommence, it’s time to start thinking about how you’ll keep your little ones’ nit-free!
As with most health concerns, prevention is the best option. However, it can be incredibly challenging to prevent lice and nits altogether. Thankfully at WholeLife we stock an extensive range of products designed to help you and your kids with both prevention and management, so they remain healthy, happy, and itch-free while they settle back into the school year.
Here are some of our top tips to help you out.
Routine checks
To stay on top of head lice, especially once you get that (not-so) exciting notification from school, it’s important to get into the habit of checking your children’s hair frequently and thoroughly.
Make a habit of looking for any lice or nits (eggs of lice) every week. Work through sections of the hair methodically, separating the parts you have checked from those you haven’t. Use a lice comb, such as the Dual Action lice comb by KP24 to work from the back to the front of the head. Make sure to also check the base of the neck and behind the ears!
Prevention
If there is a head lice outbreak at your child’s school, it can be hard to keep them lice-free altogether. However, there are various steps you can take to minimise their chances of contracting them.
Keeping hair short or tied back is an excellent place to start, and teach children not to share hats or brushes. You might consider trying a defence spray, like this one from Moov. This product is applied as a leave-in conditioner, and works as a defence against head lice for a period of eight hours by making hair an inhospitable environment for lice. It is a fragrance-free, low-irritant product, free from synthetic pesticides and DEET. Great as a preventative measure, or if your little ones already have head lice!
Treatment and Management
Oh no! You found a creepy crawlie or eggs! Never fear, take action and follow these tips to get into a proactive routine:
Wet-combing treatment
Just like your routine check, you can do this simply with hair conditioner and a specialised lice combs, like the Dual Action Lice Comb by KP24, or the V-Comb Supra Head Lice Comb by Licetec. Wet-combing is an effective means of removing lice and unhatched eggs that might be hiding in your child’s hair.
We recommend combing out your child’s hair regularly by dividing it into 4cm sections, and running your comb’s teeth from the root to tip of the hair until every strand has been combed. Repeat this every 2-3 days for 2 weeks, until you can no longer find any eggs or lice on the entire scalp.
Anti-lice products
You can find a range of anti-lice treatments at your local WholeLife pharmacy, which come in a range of product types such as lotions, liquids, creams and shampoos. These treatments aim to kill the head lice, and there are many effective products that use natural or non-insecticidal ingredients, such as Moov’s Headlice Shampoo or NYDA’s Express Headlice Treatment.
These products often have high rates of success however, it is important to follow the package instructions carefully for best success. You will also need to repeat the same treatment process again in one week, as eggs can survive in hair for 7-10 days before hatching, so repeated treatments are often crucial to manage an outbreak.
Bedding and clothes
Get your washing machines ready! Hair is not the only place lice like to live. To break the head lice cycle, it’s important to wash any recently worn clothes and bedsheets through a hot-wash cycle, in addition to vacuuming carpets and furniture.
Schools and kindergartens can, at times, be breeding grounds for lice—so there’s no shame in having them, and it’s important to ensure your kids don’t feel ostracised or embarrassed. Support them through preventative and management processes to keep their bright young heads healthy, happy, and ready to learn this school year!
Always read labels and follow directions for use. For more advice, visit your local WholeLife Healthfoods and Pharmacy to speak with a member of our team.
REFERENCES
The Australian Parenting Website (2023) ‘Head lice’ <https://raisingchildren.net.au/guides/a-z-health-reference/head-lice>.
Ismiel N (2017) ‘How to check for headlice’, NitWits. <https://nitwitsforkids.com/all-things-head-lice/how-to-check-for-head-lice>.
Lice Doctors (2023) ‘Head Live in Schools: A Comprehensive Guide for Parents and Schools’, Lice Doctors. <https://www.licedoctors.com/blog/head-lice-in-school-guide-for-schools-and-parents>.
