As exciting as the back to school season can be it can also come with plenty of stress.
There's often a whole list of things you need to make sure your child has, and keeps hold of, as well as making sure there is somebody to pick them up or drop them off if you're unable to. So the thought of head lice is probably the last thing parents or carers need.
Head lice and nits (lice eggs) are very common in young children and their families. They spread through head-to-head contact and, contrary to a common myth, they have nothing to do with dirty hair.
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While the most obvious and common symptom is visible lice or eggs in a person's hair, on their scalp, or behind their ears, there are some lesser-known signs. One of these can be a rash on a person's neck.
Other symptoms include an itchy scalp and a sensation that something is moving in the hair. The only way to be sure someone has head lice is to find a live louse by combing their hair with a special fine-toothed comb, known as "detection combing".
If your child does get head lice, there is no need to panic. The main treatments are lotions and sprays, and wet combing – where you cover the hair in conditioner and comb each strand through to remove the lice and their eggs.
Some chemical treatments will need to be performed twice, seven days apart, to make sure any newly-hatched lice are killed. Always check the packet or leaflet to see if a product is suitable, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if the child with head lice is under 2 years of age.
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