If you have a child, then there is always the chance that they will come home with that dreaded letter from their school that tells you that they were exposed to head lice. If your child brings home one of these letters, then you will want to check them out good for signs of head lice. Also, there is the chance you can even get a call from the school office staff telling you that your child has been confirmed to have head lice. This article will explain to you how to know whether or not your child has head lice and what to do if they do have them.
How to check for head lice
When looking for lice you will be looking for very, very small creatures that will move quickly to avoid the light. You will probably have an easier time seeing the eggs than you will the actual lice. With regards to their eggs, also known as nits, you will be looking for little white or yellow sacs that will be attached to a strand of hair near your child's scalp. You can distinguish them from flakes of skin because they stick to the hair.
Head lice generally prefer to stay behind the ears or around the nape of the neck. Therefore, this is generally the area of your child's hair that you will want to check first. If you don't see any signs of head lice in these areas, then you can move on to a closer inspection by parting other parts of their hair and looking.
Other signs that your child has head lice can include a good deal of scratching their head, a rash around the nape of their neck and them telling you that it feels like there is something crawling around on their scalp.
How to treat your child for head lice yourself
If it is determined that your child does in fact have head lice, then you will want to check everyone else in the house as well. Lice can spread easily, especially amongst those who reside in the same house. Once you have determined who all needs to be treated, then you can start treatment.
You can take care of the problem yourself with an over the counter treatment. You can purchase head lice treatment at most grocery stores, big box stores and at pharmacies. There are different brands available, so you can choose the one you feel is the right choice for your budget and needs.
When you treat your child, you will have to follow the instructions exactly how they are printed. Be aware that it is time consuming and tiresome to comb all of those nits out and to make sure that you have done the job completely.
Consider taking your child to a head lice treatment location
You may be extremely glad to know that there are head lice treatment centers where you can go to have your child treated for head lice. This allows you to have them treated without you needing to put all of that work into it. You can also rest assured that the lice are all out and you won't have to keep checking your work over and over again. If you have vision problems then these centers will be especially helpful. Another benefit to this is you won't be left feeling like you have lice crawling in your scalp, which is a common side effect with most parents who treat their own children for lice!
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