The Autumn School term is a head lice pressure point in the yearly calendar. It’s when children en masse congregate and when that happens there are multiple risks of catching something.
Some children come back after the long summer break with full blown infestations that haven’t been cleared in the holidays, spreading it quickly through the class and the battle to contain it starts all over again.
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It’s a contentious time where those who have assiduously cleared their child or children over the summer holidays are often reinfected. Schools can be slow or unwilling to remind parents to deal with the issue, and many, with the onslaught of homework, clubs, playdates, and parties, feel the overwhelming pressure to be on top of everything again, and head lice are just another thing to deal with.
You can however protect your child and yourself from the madness of it all.
6 Tips On How To Navigate This Effectively
TIE THE HAIR BACK
Girls need their hair back. Ponytail and then plait or braid it. Clips or a stretchy Alice band to stop the stray hairs around the hair line from becoming social. Boys with long hair need to look to the footballers and copy their hairstyles for keeping the hair back. This should apply to playdates and clubs as well as when they are in school. When organising playdates tell the mums that all the children should wear their hair back for it. If children come to play with their hair down have a bag of hairbands set aside to use to put their hair back when they arrive.
CHECK REGULARLY
When the hair is washed check it with a long-toothed metal nit comb. This way if anything crawls on you will find it quickly. Don’t use the head lice products ‘just in case’. They won’t prevent an infestation, and the more you use them in this manner the more the resistance to them builds. They clearly say on the box or bottle, use only if you see a head louse.
CLEAR YOUR CHILD IF THEY HAVE THEM
If you find them nit comb, nit comb, nit comb. Use a spray on, leave in conditioner which you can also dilute with some water to make it go further. Do not rely on the head lice products to do the hard work for you because they just aren’t as effective as they lead you to believe, so they give people a false sense of confidence in them. Nit combing is essential because it deals with the eggs as well as the head lice. You need to get out the eggs to shut down an infestation effectively. They take 11 to 15 days to come through and hatch so you need to cover a 15-day period to know they are all through and out of the hair.
TALK TO THE OTHER PARENTS ABOUT THE PROBLEM
This raises awareness and creates a team spirit. Share your experiences and encourage each other to tackle the issue. Promote nit combing as the safest and most effective approach and educate about the growing failure of the products so others don’t rely on them. Work with your PTA to support the effort and each other through the term.
AVOID SLEEPOVERS IN THE AUTUMN TERM
Sleepovers are a sure-fire way of spreading head lice if someone has it. It would be wise to avoid them, but if that is impossible ask the other parent(s) to check before it and you check your child as well. If your child goes on a sleepover check them the next day so you can be sure nothing was transferred at the sleepover.
ASK YOUR CHILD TO BE VIGILANT (AND SENSITIVE)
Teach them to keep their eyes peeled for head lice around them (easier if they are older of course). Someone itching is a sign, but not everyone itches. They may see eggs and/or lice in a friend’s hair. Their friend(s) may say they have it or they may smell of the head lice product, or the greasy product may be evident. In these situations, your child needs to be sensitive and not shun or make fun of the person who has it but instead tell you and avoid getting their hair close to that other person. You can then possibly speak to that mother. You should also not have a playdate with them until they are cleared.
Don’t let head lice take over your autumn term. Let the experts help!
Contact Hair Force Clinics to learn more about professional head lice removal and prevention services that actually work.