A Guide for Parents: HEAD LICE
A case of head lice has been reported in your child’s classroom. Please check your child’s hair daily for two
weeks for any evidence of head lice. Contact the school nurse or health assistant if you have any questions, or
if your child has head lice.
What are head lice?
Head lice are small, wingless, insects. They live in the hair on a person’s head and feed
off the blood from the scalp. A louse (a single adult) is about the size of a sesame seed.
Nits (louse egg) are the small, oval-shaped eggs of head lice. Lice lay their eggs very close
to the scalp, and the eggs hatch within a week. Nits need to be combed out of the hair
section by section using a fine tooth nit comb. Lice are highly contagious and can spread
quickly from person to person, especially in group settings (schools, childcare centers,
slumber parties, sports activities, and camps). The first clue that a child has head lice is
frequent scratching of the scalp.
How do they spread?
The spread of head lice is mainly by direct head to head contact with the hair of an
infested person. Also, encourage your children to not share combs, brushes, hats,
scarves, bandanas, ribbons, barrettes, hair ties or bands, towels, helmets, or other
personal care items with anyone else, whether they may have lice or not. This will
help lower the risk of repeated outbreaks and help prevent your child from getting
head lice.
What to do if your child has head lice:
1. Check every member of the family for lice
Look for lice and tiny white eggs (nits) on your family member’s hair shafts. Any family member with
lice or nits must be treated. Lice shampoo WILL NOT prevent head
lice; it should only be used if a person has a case of head lice.
2. Use an effective head lice treatment
Over-the-counter treatments such as Rid and Nix are commonly used to
treat lice. There are also alternative options such as the use of
Mayonnaise and olive oil that can be used as an additional treatment.
Whatever treatment you choose, follow the instructions carefully
and use as recommended!
Rid and Nix: Follow the package directions carefully! In general, you
should wash and dry your child's hair and then apply the lice shampoo (to dry
hair) until your child's hair and scalp is saturated and thoroughly wet. Leave the
shampoo on for ten minutes and then rinse it out. You will usually need to apply a
second lice shampoo treatment in 7-10 days to kill newly hatched lice.
Real Mayonnaise (do not use “light,” “non-fat,” or “salad dressing.”): Can be
used along with Rid or Nix --between treatments. Apply generously to hair and
scalp. Cover with tight fitting shower cap and leave cap on for AT LEAST 4 hours
and up to 8 hours (overnight). Afterwards, shampoo hair with Dawn dish soap to remove the mayonnaise.
Remove nits using a nit comb. Repeat every 2-3 days until no lice or nits are found. The oil seems to soften
the nits
Olive oil: Can be used along with Rid or Nix --between treatments. Apply oil generously to hair and
scalp. Cover with tight fitting shower cap and leave cap on for AT LEAST 4 hours and up to 8 hours
(overnight). Shampoo with Dawn dish soap to remove the olive oil. Afterwards, comb out nits with nit comb.
Repeat every 2-3 days until no lice or nits are found. The oil seems to soften the nits.
3. Remove all nits
The key to getting rid of head lice is to remove all of the nits in your
child's hair. You can use the plastic comb that came with your lice
shampoo, or for better results, consider buying a fine toothed metal
comb (such as the LiceMeister). Parting the hair in small sections makes
combing easier and more efficient.
4. Wash clothes, bed linens, and towels
Wash all bedding and recently worn clothing in hot water (130 degrees)
and dry in a hot dryer. All items not machine washable should be dry
cleaned or stored in tightly sealed plastic bags for 10 days (i.e. stuffed
animals, helmets, or hats).
5. Soak combs, brushes, etc. in hot water
Soak combs/brushes in hot water (130 degrees) for at least 10 minutes.
6. Vacuum everywhere child has been or had contact with
Vacuum to remove all lice and hairs with attached nits from carpet,
furniture, mattresses, and car seats. Spraying with an insecticide is not
recommended! Do a thorough job and discard the vacuum bag promptly.
7. When can my child return to school?
They may return to school after being treated and no live lice are present. Please ask your child to
stop in the health office to be checked before returning to class after being treated. There may be
some nits that remain in the hair. If nits are still present, continue combing daily until all nits are
removed.