Be proactive
As I have stated before, school is back in session. Children will be outside for recess, using the same classroom utensils, and probably have their hair pulled on. It’s inevitable; they are children. Just because your child may not get lice, he/she may still be exposed to others who do have lice. However, a failure to plan is a plan to failure.
1. Be prepared and stock up now. Go out now and purchase a lice shampoo, and a nit comb. Have that ready in your medicine cabinet, so that you won’t have to worry about purchasing anything on that day, if your child does get lice.
2. If you don’t want to purchase the chemicals, there are Tea Tree Oil* Lice Treatments. This is an alternative herbal treatment, which has an anti-bacterial agent as the main ingredient. This is a great buy if you want to avoid the harsh remedies in your child’s head. The downfall of this product is that it kills lice, but not nits. As I have stated before, nits are the eggs of lice, and they hatch within the week. If you want to try this product, before watchful and aware when cleansing your child’s scalp.
3. Educate your child about keeping their hands to themselves. Of course this is a tough one, because children mouth the same things, eat on the same popsicle, and try on each other’s headbands*. However, try to inform your child not to swap clothes with friend, share each other’s brushes, and keep their hands to themselves. Keeping your personal space to yourself minimizes the transfer of lice.
4. Protective styling is a great way to prevent lice. Hair which is twisted and braided creates a difficult time for lice to get onto the scalp, because the hair is tightly bound together. Even the shrinkage of the Afro minimizes coming into contact with an infected person, or item. Long hair which hangs and sways can cause lice to spread easily.
5. Make sure the scalp is moisturized and sealed properly. Not only is this great for the child’s scalp, but slippery hair is difficult for lice to grasp onto and lay their eggs as well. You don’t need to go back to the Blue Grease, but moisturizing and sealing your hair properly provides a protective barrier around your child’s hair.
Being proactive will provide great result for everyone, lessen and eliminate any further spread for a while. Making the steps to prevent lice is much better than going through the symptoms and treatment processes to get rid of them.
Symptoms of Lice
Sometimes the preventative measures do not always work, so you need to know what to look for when you suspect lice. If there is a constant need to scratch the scalp, or it is so itchy that you and/or your child are creating scars in the scalp, it could be a sign of possible infestation. Scratching like crazy with no restraint, or complaining so much about the itching could be a cause for concern in checking for lice. Sure, this could just mean that a hair wash is needed, and there are no lice present. However, if those symptoms are prevalent, then it is important to check the scalp and hair out.
Jennifer Arlinsky Watson says
I shudder to think about having to deal with lice in my daughter’s 4c hair. Aaaiiieee!!!
Maria Sherman says
OMG NO.
Steen How says
Thank you for this article! It’s made me more aware