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How Does Lice Spread

How Does Lice Spread

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The holiday season provides a great opportunity for us to spend time with family and friends, make new memories, and indulge in good food, but we aren’t the only ones enjoying the festivities. The holidays also provide head lice with the perfect opportunity to find new hosts and spread from family to family. These blood-thirsty insects spread like wildfire across schools, sports teams, and summer camps, leaving many of us wondering, how do these tiny bugs get around so fast? Despite being one of the world’s more famous parasites, there are a lot of misconceptions about them. 

Do Lice Jump or Fly?

Because of their ability to travel from head to head, many people suspect that head lice have the ability to jump or fly. Thankfully, this is not the case. Though there are many bugs that are capable of jumping, lice are not among them. The only way for lice to spread is by crawling around on their six legs. If you have recently spoken with someone before finding out they had lice, the good news is you are at low risk. Lice are bound to ground travel, so it is unlikely the lice will have enough time to make the journey. But if they can’t jump or fly, how do lice spread?

How Does Lice Spread

The only way for head lice to spread is via direct contact with an existing host. Head lice have adapted to live exclusively in human hair, so if they fall out of it, they do not have long to find a new home before they die. This makes it almost impossible for head lice to spread through indirect methods like such as hat sharing or borrowing sports equipment. Pillow sharing, group photos, and hugs are a few of the ways that lice can get the direct contact that they need to spread. 

How To Avoid Head Lice

The best way to prevent head lice is by avoiding head-to-head contact whenever possible. Doing regular lice checks at home and encouraging them in schools can be a great way to catch a case of lice before it has a chance to spread. If you have family, educate your children on the signs and symptoms of lice, and how they spread. Head lice are much more common among children in grade school, so it is important that your children know how to identify them. Keeping your hair up and out of the way is another easy way to lower your risk of getting lice. Putting your hair up in a bun or pulled back into a braid or ponytail keeps hair out of the way and reduces your chances of tangling hairs with the wrong person. 

Stop the Spread of Lice at Fresh Heads Lice Removal

If you begin to see signs of head lice on yourself or a family member, do not hesitate to contact a lice clinic. At Fresh Heads Lice Removal, we specialize in the treatment and removal of head lice without the use of any harmful chemicals. Our AirAlle head lice machine allows us to offer a guaranteed, same-day treatment that will have you ready to return to normal life in just under an hour and a half. If you would like to learn more about our treatment options, and how lice are spread, get in contact with us today or visit us at one of our locations in Jacksonville FL, Orlando FL, and Savannah GA.

Schools Without Lice.

Schools Without Lice

At Fresh Heads Lice Removal, our mission is to get rid of lice in schools across the United States. We’ve partnered with the Lice Clinics of America to create the Schools Without Lice program. Through this program, we provide school nurses and teachers with free screenings, resources, and treatments. Together, we can have schools without lice!

Children touching heads--the main way lice is spread.

How Is Lice Spread?

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For parents, hearing that someone in their child’s classroom has lice is often their worst nightmare. In fact, we often receive phone calls from panicked parents unsure of what course of action to take once they find themselves in this situation. Over the course of many years, we’ve realized that a good deal of their initial concern arises from the uncertainty about how lice is spread. We’ll outline some facts about how lice is actually spread, so that you can be better equipped to treat or prevent them.

Lice Cannot Spread by Jumping

First things first: one of the most important facts for parents to know about head lice is that lice cannot jump. Their only “mode of transportation” is crawling. They have no wings and aren’t capable of jumping, which means that a louse cannot jump from one person’s head onto another.

How Lice is Spread 98% of the Time: Head-to-Head Contact

Because lice cannot fly or jump, they are only spread through direct head-to-head contact. As a result, lice are commonly spread among children who are often in close physical proximity, often with their heads, hair, and clothing touching and being close enough to allow lice to crawl from one to another. It’s also important to note that the spread of lice is not in any way related to personal hygiene (lice are attracted to blood, not dirt and bacteria).

How Lice is Spread in Less than 2% of Cases: Inanimate Objects

Although head-to-head contact accounts for the vast majority of head lice cases, there is an extremely small chance that your child could get lice another way. If you want to cover every possible base, consider the following:

Lice can possibly be spread through the sharing of clothing or accessories that are used on or near the hair. As a result, it’s important to discourage your child from sharing personal items such as hairbrushes, combs, barrettes or ribbons, hats, hair elastics, hair pieces/hair extensions.

Make sure your child has their own equipment, such as helmets, if they participate in sports or athletics. It’s also a good idea to discourage them from sharing towels after shampooing and showering post-game/practice.

Stop the Spread of Lice with Fresh Heads Lice Removal

Understanding how lice is spread is an important key to both prevention and peace of mind. If you suspect your child has lice, it’s important to seek treatment as soon as possible. At Fresh Heads Lice Removal, we are committed to empowering our customers with the head lice facts they need in order to safely and quickly eradicate lice. We pride ourselves on being a lice service that your family can rely on to help you safely diagnose, treat, or prevent a full-blown lice infestation. We help you select the most effective lice treatment option so that you and your child can return to normal life as quickly as possible. Contact Fresh Heads Lice Removal today to learn more about our safe and affordable treatment options!

 

Schools Without Lice.

Schools Without Lice

Fresh Heads Lice Removal’s goal is to get rid of lice in schools across the country. Our partnership with Lice Clinics of America for the Schools Without Lice program supports nurses and teachers with free resources, screenings, and treatments. Take another step toward lice-free schools!