Let’s Talk Head Lice – AD

Okay, let’s talk head lice… we all know that they’re very common, especially among children who go to nurseries, pre-schools and primary schools. Outbreaks occur every day in the UK, usually among children aged between 3 and 11. As I have three long-haired little girls (in this age group), you can understand my interest in the subject. So lets get started…

What are head lice?

They’re tiny, little bugs around the size of a sesame seed that attach themselves to hair strands. Lice need blood and hair to survive – apparently they can’t live for more than 24 hours on any other surface, which I found interesting.

Head lice don’t feed on dirt or oil, they only feed on blood, which means anyone with hair is susceptible, even if you have super clean hair!

Also, remember that lice can only crawl, they can’t fly or jump, so the main way of spreading lice is through head-to-head contact.

How to prevent lice

Now I’ve been lucky and (so far) we’ve managed to avoid lice in our house. I say ‘lucky’ because quite frankly kids do spread lice so easily that it’s very difficult to prevent them completely. However, here are some tips I’ve used to avoid them…

• Keep up with school and nursery notices. If you know there’s an outbreak at your school, check your children as soon as possible, I use this fine tooth ‘detection’ comb by Hedrin.

• Try not to share hats, hair accessories or towels. While these aren’t the most common ways of spreading head lice, why take the risk? Basically, if you care, DON’T SHARE!

 

• This may be a very obvious tip but I’m going to include it anyway – tie long hair back, preferably in a plait or a bun. Basically, any way that makes it difficult for your child’s hair to touch a friend’s head.

 

• Use a protection spray that helps stop lice from taking hold. This one by Hedrin is easy to use – simply apply like a spray-on conditioner for added peace of mind.

How to get rid of lice

Let’s face it, most kids (and therefore us) will have an outbreak of lice at one stage or another. The first thing I’d say is don’t panic! Lice don’t pose any serious health threats, you just need to deal with them and move on. So treat them as quickly as possible and be vigilant.

Hedrin have a range of products to ensure your family are lice-free as quickly and easily as possible. The range includes a Treat & Go Mousse and an All In One Shampoo treatment (which apparently works in just 10mins), that both kill lice and removes any eggs.

• Inspect everyone. If one child gets lice, you should check everyone else in the house, including yourself, and treat accordingly.

 

• Clean your home and wash your sheets and towels (on a hot wash). As I’ve already mentioned, lice will die within 24 hours of being away from hair but the eggs can survive for up to a week away from the scalp. So make sure you get rid of any trace of lice and their pesky little eggs.

I hope that’s been of some help. Please let me know if you’ve experienced an outbreak at home and share any tips you have. I’d love to hear your stories.

 

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post with Hedrin, written by me – but all copy and thoughts are my own.