How to Prevent Lice in Children

Head lice are tiny, wingless insects that live on the scalp and lay eggs or nits on hair strands. They can be hard to detect and even harder to get rid of once you find them. Because children come in close contact with each other while they are learning and playing, a lice infestation often works its way through a group of friends or classmates. By taking steps to avoid lice from visiting a child's head, parents can avoid the hassle of having to get rid of them.

Instructions

How to Prevent Lice in Children

• 1

  Keep long hair braided or pulled back to discourage lice.

  Keep hair short or pulled back. A louse can not fly or jump, but only crawl, so head-to-head contact is often how they spread from one person to the next, according to KidsHealth. If hair is cut short, there is much less chance of this happening. Many children enjoy their long tresses too much to cut them, so parents should pull hair back in a braid or ponytail to keep hair contained.

• 2

  Brushes, combs, and hair accessories should not be passed around.

  Teach children not to share combs, brushes, hair accessories, helmets and hats. Sharing is a major childhood lesson, but in some instances it is for the benefit of all involved for children to use their own items. Any of these objects that come in contact with the head should not be used by other children, whether a case of lice has been detected or not.

• 3

  Kids should use their own blanket and pillow at a sleepover.

  Have children take their own blankets and pillows to sleep over at a friend's house. For many children, a favorite activity is having a slumber party, but it's not so fun when the friend's mother calls the next week to let you know she just discovered her child has head lice. A child will lower his chance of catching lice by using his own items, according to MayoClinic.com.

• 4

  Skipping a wash may deter lice.

  Don't keep hair squeaky clean. Lice prefer clean hair to attach their eggs securely to the strand of hair, according to the New York City Department of Health. Parents may want to avoid washing their child's hair right before school or some other event with other children because the build-up on the hair could deter a louse from laying eggs.