Head lice

Just the thought and talk of head lice seems to make our heads itchy!
Head lice, also known as nits, is a common condition frequently seen in school-aged children, although everyone can get them. Whilst the condition itself is harmless, it is highly contagious and irritating if not treated appropriately, and let’s face it, no one wants bugs crawling through their hair!

MYTHS:
– Lice can fly and jump from head to head
– Lice carry and transmit disease
– Lice prefer dirty hair

FACTS:
– Direct head-to-head contact is how head lice is caught – so hold off on playing, cuddling or working closely with anyone who has head lice
– Lice do NOT carry or transmit disease; however, the human scalp is their food source!
– Lice aren’t fussy when it comes to hair type – clean, dirty, long, short, curly or straight; they love it all!

SYMPTOMS
– Itchy scalp
– Visible eggs that appear as white specks and ‘pop’ when you squish them!
– Live lice crawling around the hair; often colourless or a reddish-brown colour and a couple of millimetres in length

WHAT TO DO:

  1. A good way to check if there are actually lice or eggs present is to comb through hair with a regular conditioner and fine toothed comb, then wipe the comb on a piece of paper towel – if lice or eggs are present you will be able to see them
  2. Notify your children’s school, kinder or childcare that head lice is suspected
  3. Come into one of our friendly UFS Pharmacies to discuss the various treatment options to get rid of these annoying little creepy crawlies!