Headlice Advice

Head lice is a common affliction of childhood. While lice infestations themselves are generally more annoying than hazardous, the frantic responses to them can be downright dangerous. Luckily, head lice infestations can be prevented and treated without the use of harmful chemical products.

How They Spread

• Head lice spreads through direct contact with the head or hair of someone who is infected. They do not fly, they do not jump, and because they require human blood to survive, they generally do not live more than 24 hours after separation from the host.

  Head lice can, however, be spread through the sharing of hats, brushes, hair ties and other items that frequently come in contact with the head.

Treatment Products

• Treatment for head lice ranges from old-time home remedies such as the kerosene hat (not recommended) to modern-day chemical shampoos and prescription treatment. None of these products is completely safe, and the National Pediculosis Association, a nonprofit organization, recommends manual removal of lice with a specialized comb.

Disease Transmission

• Many worry that lice can spread blood-borne illness. Scientific study suggests otherwise, but head lice are the same species as body lice, which have been associated with diseases such as typhus and relapsing fever. It is unwise to assume that lice cannot spread diseases.

Head Checks

• Many schools or other organizations that deal with high numbers of children perform regular head lice screenings. The NPA suggests that nurses use disposable wooden sticks rather than gloves, as gloves can transmit lice.

Life Cycle

• Lice can live for about a month, if they remain on the host. Females lay about five eggs a day. They hatch in approximately a week, and those lice can mature and hatch their own eggs in about a week as well.