Head Lice & Nits
 

Head lice and Nits are very common amoungst young children and their families.
They are contracted and spread by head-to-head contact.
The lice lay small eggs called Nits. These can appear small brown (if unhatched
Catching head lice has nothing to do with how dirty or clean the hair is.
 

How do I know if it is head lice?

The only way to find if someone has head lice is by finding live lice in the hair.

You can check by using a fine toothed comb (Detection comb) and combing through the hair - Detection combs are available from pharmacies and online shops.

Headlice can make you feel:

 - Itchy
 - Like something is moving in your hair
 

How to get rid of Head Lice

YOU CAN TREAT HEAD LICE WITHOUT SEEING A GP

 - Wash hair with orginary shampoo
 - Apply plenty of conditioner to the hair (Any type of conditioner will do)
 - Comb the whole head of hair, from the roots of the hair down to the ends (Comb the hair each day)

 - Comb wet hair on days 1,5,9 and 13  (This is to catch any newly hatched head lice)
 - Check everyone in the house's hair is Lice free on day 17

If the hair is not lice free after 17 days

 - Consult a pharmacist about using a medicated shampoo or spray
 - If the medicated shampoo or spray does not work, consult the pharmacist.

 

Can Head Lice be prevented?

There is nothing you can do to prevent head lice.

You can help to stop the spread of head lice by dry or wet combing the hair on a regular basis to catch them early.

DO NOT use medicated shampoos/lotions/sprays to try and prevent the spread of head lice, they can irritate the scalp.

Children do not need to be taken out of school if they contract head lice

There is no need to put laundry on a hot wash when washing
 

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