How Does Head Lice Start?
WouterFortunately, there are many ways to prevent head lice from spreading from one child to the next. These methods include treating children who have been exposed to head lice as quickly as possible, avoiding contact with the head of another infected person, and checking for infected individuals in a child’s home or daycare.
Lice infest the head, and they lay their eggs on strands of hair. These eggs are tiny and difficult to detect when they are first laid, but they become visible after about a week. They are oval in shape and are brown or tan in color. The duration of an infestation depends on the treatment used to treat it.
The best way to prevent head lice is to wash clothing and personal items regularly. This will keep lice from spreading to other areas of the body. It’s also important to avoid sharing clothing and bedding with a person who has lice. This also applies to other members of the household. Head-to-head contact is a big cause of lice spread, so it’s important not to share hats or stuffed animals. Whenever possible, wash personal items in hot water and dry them in a dryer on the hot cycle. If this is not an option, store items in plastic bags for two weeks to kill lice. Soaking hairbrushes in hot water is another great way to eliminate head lice.
Lice are spread through physical contact and are most active at night. They cannot fly or swim but can crawl and can live on a person’s head and clothing. Lice are very annoying and embarrassing, and there is a common misconception that having head lice is a sign of poor personal hygiene. People of any age, gender, race and color can get head lice.
