Is It Possible to Get Lice Even While on Lockdown?

While going into, or back into, lockdown over the past few months has caused some level of inconvenience for many people, there are a few good things to come out of it, the most obvious one being everybody’s safety. Some parents undoubtedly rejoiced because it meant one thing for their children: no lice!

Unfortunately, lice are resilient little pests that find their way onto the heads of anybody that comes near enough to facilitate head-to-head transmission. Aside from that—since the life cycle of lice is quite long—some children might have gone into isolation carrying nits on their heads!

Although a lice infestation may seem completely baffling and can be a real nuisance, getting rid of lice isn’t impossible. Here are some of the ways that you can spot nits and lice on your child’s head and provide the right lice treatment as soon as possible:

Fighting the Life Cycle of Head Lice in Lockdown

Since going into lockdown, complaints about the sudden appearance of lice have not been uncommon. Dubbed “iso-nits”—nits that started showing up even during isolation—these pests have exasperated parents everywhere. This can happen even without visitors during the lockdown, as long as your child or anybody in your family has come into close contact with someone carrying lice before the lockdown.

What’s surprising about lockdown lice is that they seem to appear months after children have been in contact with anybody outside of the house. Though your little girl might have played with her best friend a week before going into isolation, the pesky lice might not appear until almost a month later, when you find your children needing lice treatment.

These surprise infestations can be explained by understanding the life cycle of a louse, which lays its eggs (the nits) over sixteen days before dying. About a week later, the nit hatches and molts for about two weeks before becoming a full adult louse that can reproduce. The female then lays eggs two days after mating—then the cycle starts all over again.

Based on these critters’ life cycle, it can take weeks before anybody notices the lice until the typical symptoms, like incessant scratching, start. Head lice are also much more common than people think, and there are some cases where they can come and go undetected. For those that aren’t so lucky, it might be too late before discovering that lice treatment is required.

Dealing with Resilient Lockdown Lice

If you have found lice in your home during this time, there are some things to know about your options for treating them. The first thing to note is that typical OTC lice shampoos and home remedies you can get at the grocery store are not effective against the super lice of today. Lice are a problem that requires professional treatment. The good news is, there’s a range of professional treatment options available for whatever your comfort level is at for venturing out at this time:

• Fresh Heads Do-It-Yourself Home Treatment Kit

This is a professional-grade, but DIY at-home treatment option for those who are not comfortable venturing out right now. Our soothing non-toxic topical rinse application comes with a professional-grade nit comb and instructions. Our rinse is specially formulated with enzymes to break the bonds that nits use to cling to the hair shafts. Feel assured knowing you are using a pesticide-free and non-toxic, yet effective treatment on your child.

• Fresh Heads Traditional Comb Out

For those who are comfortable venturing out, the Fresh Heads Traditional Comb Out is lice combing done by the skilled hands of our lice removal specialists. Book your appointment at one of our locations. Physical distancing and strict disinfecting guidelines are enforced. Note that this option does require a 10-day follow-up appointment, so you will make 2 total trips to our salon.

• Fresh Heads Signature AirAllé Treatment

Also for those who are comfortable venturing out, this is our professional “one-and-done” treatment. Our exclusive AirAllé device is FDA-cleared and blows warm air that dehydrates and kills lice and nits in a single treatment. Book your appointment online at one of our locations. Come in for a single appointment and return home lice free!

Professional Lice Treatments in Savannah, Jacksonville, and Orlando

Getting rid of iso-nits quickly is possible if you seek the help of the professionals. With professional at-home and in-clinic options to choose from, Fresh Heads is ready to help you get rid of lice as quickly and safely as possible. Getting lice can be inconvenient, but getting rid of them doesn’t have to be. Order your treatment or book your appointment today at Fresh Heads!.

Schools Without Lice

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