When is Head Lice Contagious?

A child can become infected with head lice if they touch the scalp of someone with the parasite. The best way to prevent head lice is to avoid sharing your personal items and never have direct contact with a person who has lice. You should also treat any members of your household who have been exposed to a person with lice. The best way to prevent the spread of lice is to wash your child’s clothing and personal items in hot water and dry them in a hot dryer cycle. If you are unable to wash your child’s clothing, you should place it in a plastic bag for two weeks. You can also sanitize your child’s hairbrush by soaking it in hot water and rinsing it. The heat from the water will kill the lice and also keep it from spreading to other people.

Lice eggs lay in your hair for about a week before hatching. This gives you enough time to treat your child’s hair with a professional treatment. The best way to avoid spreading the lice to others is to treat the eggs as soon as possible. However, if the lice are resistant to chemical treatment, you can try prescription treatments or manual removal. There is no need to send your child home from school if they have head lice. However, you should inform the school if your child has an infection. This way, you can get the lice treatment right after school.

Head lice are very small insects that live inside the human scalp. These parasites have the ability to reproduce fast, making them very difficult to spot. These insects are also hard to catch because they cannot fly or live on non-human surfaces. They are usually passed from one person to another by close contact with their hair. It is also important to note that this condition is most common in young children, but it can affect adults as well.