Head Lice

Information about Lice

  • Lice live on human heads and feed on human blood

  • Lice do not live on animals

  • Lice can't fly, jump or hop

  • Lice are unlikely to re-infest after coming off a head

  • Lice are spread mainly by head-to-head contact

  • Lice like clean or dirty hair

  • Lice do not carry disease

  • Lice lay 3 to 10 eggs (nits) a day; nits hatch after 5 to 10 days

  • Lice lay 100 to 300 eggs (nits) before they die

How to Prevent Head Lice

  • Avoid direct head-to-head contact with people

  • Don't share brushes, combs, ribbons, hats, helmets, or hair ties

  • Keep long hair tied up or pulled back

  • Brush hair regularly with a close bristled brush

Treatments

  • Lice can be resistant to pediculicides (chemical treatments- not recommended for children under 3 years of age)

  • No matter what treatment is used, all nits must be removed to eradicate lice.

  • Recommend the use of a metal nit comb and manual removal (nit picking) to remove all nits.

  • Olive oil on hair for 8 or more hours, it has its own insecticidal properties, it smothers and kills active head lice. Use it daily for up to 3 weeks.

  • Treatment is not complete until ALL nits are removed.

For More Information Contact Your School Nurse