Head Lice Prevention: What Methods Work?

Head lice are common among children because they have close contact with others and are curious about their environments. One thing most people don’t know about lice infestations is that lice are normally only spreadable through head-to-head contact, not through jumping off the scalp and scattering. Lice normally die after 24 hours being off of their host’s scalp, which is why infestations are quite easy to manage. Eggs, also called nits, are unable to hatch and die quite quickly when far away from head temperatures.

If your child is a victim of the seasonal lice infestations going around their play places, there is no reason to fear and halt them from having fun. Here are some steps to take to prevent and control the spread of head lice:

Avoid Head-to-Head Contact

It is important to tell your child to avoid rough playing or having contact with their friends during playtime. Lice cannot fly, jump or transfer without direct contact, so educating your child on keeping distance will help you avoid them catching lice.

Put a Hold on Sleepovers for the Meantime

When there are outbreaks of lice in schools or play areas, a sleepover may not be the best idea for the time being. Lice can also briefly live on bedding, pillows, and carpets that have come into contact with a person who has a lice infestation. The best time to resume is once the outbreak has been solved and you are sure that lice no longer exists in your child’s environments.

Try Not to Share Head-Care or Head-Use Products

Although occurrences of lice transferring through means other than direct contact are extremely rare, there is still a small chance of other methods of transmission. Some of these involve the use of combs and brushes, sharing hats and other headgear, or towels used to dry children after playtime. These methods of transmission are very rare causes of lice transfers, but it wouldn’t hurt to disinfect combs and brushes through soaking in hot water for at least five minutes.

Think Wisely when Dealing with Your Home

Extreme clean-ups regularly are usually not going to stop the occurrence of lice in your home, as they can even manifest in clean environments. It has been found that regular washing of pillowcases is a useful method that deters the spread of lice. Spending excessively on home cleaning methods and products is not needed to avoid re-infestation of lice in your home, since lice die after a day off of a human scalp.

What is important is washing beddings and pillows after a lice infestation to avoid them from re-occurring. Utilize hot water to wash the fabric products and then seal them in a plastic bag for two days to be sure that the lice have died out.

When dealing with a current lice problem, try to avoid contact with beds and fabric surfaces such as pillows and couches that have been in immediate contact with a lice-infested person. Vacuuming floors and carpets are also recommended, but only as a precaution rather than a necessity.

Do Not Use Pest Sprays and Fogs

Children in your home may be affected by the chemicals in sprays and fog products, which are often overkill and are not a requirement to treat a lice outbreak. Simple precautions are better, and of course, proper treatment.

Head Lice Treatment in Jacksonville, Orlando, FL, and Savannah, GA

There are many ways to prevent lice outbreaks from happening, but when they do, it is best to have treatment done by a professional head lice removal clinic. When it comes to head lice treatment in Jacksonville, Orlando, FL, and Savannah, GA, you can trust the team at Fresh Heads! Allow us to solve your lice problems by booking an appointment today!

Schools Without Lice

Our mission here at Fresh Heads is to eradicate lice from schools across the country, so we’ve partnered with the Lice Clinics of America to create a program called Schools Without Lice. Through this program, we provide teachers and nurses with free head lice screenings, resources, and treatments. Together, we can have schools without lice!