Head lice have been around for as long as humans have been in existence. They are tiny wingless insects that cannot survive off the human scalp and are prevalent right the way through the year. They cannot jump or fly and they are not dangerous or a sign of poor hygiene. They are highly contagious when in direct contact with another person carrying an infestation.

Head lice affect 1 in 4 children between the ages of 4 and 11 in Australia today. There is still a lot of stigma attached to having head lice but really, it is just one of those things that children come home with.

Old fashioned treatments included simple pantry items such as mayonnaise and olive oil, while kerasine was also quite popular. While these ingredients worked to treat the problem they were not gentle to the children’s scalp, left an unpleasant smell and very greasy hair.

Today there is the option of chemical based head lice treatment and natural based treatments. It’s generally a personal choice as to what product you choose. However, test have shown that traditional chemicals such as malathion, permethrins and piperonyl butoxide/pyrethrins have worked well in the past recent tests have proved that head lice are increasingly resistant to these ingredients.

Key advice to successfully treat head lice is to treat, comb and defend against future infestations.

The head lice treatment will kill the head lice (live lice) by paralysis or suffocation. Most importantly the treatment should be massaged into the scalp to ensure complete coverage as the adolescent lice live on the scalp for the first few days of their life.

After treatment the eggs (nits) will still be attached to the hair shaft and will still house a live embryo. To remove the eggs you’ll need to comb through the hair with a nit comb, physically removing the eggs is the only way to be rid of them. Using a magnifying glass will help to identify the nits as they are much the same size as a sesame seed.

It isn’t uncommon for nits to be left behind, it is almost impossible to get every last one. Re-applying the treatment 7 days after the initial treatment will ensure that any young hatchlings are eradicated.

Use a prevention spray and tie long hair into a bun or plait. The less fly away hair the better as the head lice will use these strands to make their way up onto the scalp.

It is important to inform the teacher or carer that you have found head lice and that treatment has been administered. This can prompt a reminder message from the school or day care encouraging all parents to check their children for head lice. It is strongly recommended that parents check their children’s hair for head lice at least once a week using a nit comb. Catching an infestation early can reduce the chance of other children getting head lice in the class and also make treatment a little less traumatic.