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Hi to all atMumstown,
It’s that busy time of year again where parents are getting their children settled in to the new school term. Something that crops up in the pharmacy during every school year is the emergence of headlice and so I thought the following may be useful;
Headlice are tiny wingless insects that can crawl from head to head during close contact (they do not jump, fly or swim). Anyone can be affected, but children in particular are affected because of close contact at school and play. The louse lays it’s eggs by cementing them close to the scalp where it is warm and the baby louse hatches 7-10 days later. The empty eggs (nits) may stay attached to the hair and become more obvious as the hair grows away from the scalp. Headlice grow by sucking blood from the scalp and become fully mature over about 6-10 days. They may cause itching due to an allergic reaction on the scalp to the louse. The female may lay her eggs as early as 7 days after hatching and so it is important to remove any new lice by the sixth day to break the life cycle.
Diagnosing a head lice infestation is very important as only heads affected by live lice should be treated and family members should not be treated ‘just in case’. Unfortunately there is no sure way to prevent headlice but parents should check their children’s heads once a week, as the earlier they are caught the easier it is to get rid of them. Detection can be done by either wet or dry combing with a special comb that will trap any live lice.
There are a variety of products available to treat headlice including combing techniques, medicated lotions and non-medicated oil/silicone based products which have a physical rather than chemical action on the louse. Most of these products will be suitable from six months of age. It is very important to follow the instructions exactly and most treatments will have to be reapplied after seven days (as louse eggs may not have been killed and may hatch into more adult lice). Some products may be more suited to persons with asthma and allergies.
For any further advice on headlice you can ask your GP, pharmacist or school nurse.
Good luck and I hope all the little ones are enjoying the new school year.
Regards,
Oh forgot to say i have a Boots Electronic nit comb its brilliant, it will beep if you find an nit or a lice, havent found one yet (thank God) I run it over ds1 hair every week during the school term, it give great peace of mind…. it zaps the eggs and lice and kills them without harsh chemicals
Maybe worth getting boots to do a promo at the coffee morning and do offers for back to school
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