Worried About Head Lice?

What are head lice?
Head lice are small, grayish-white insects that are 1/16 th to 1/8 th inches long. They have no wings, but have strong legs to help them crawl. One insect is called a louse. Many insects are lice.

What are nits?
Nits are head lice eggs. They are grayish-white and shaped like a tear-drop. The female attaches the egg to the hair with a very strong, water-proof glue about 1/4 th inch from the scalp. Each female can lay from 50-100 eggs. They can be seen anywhere in the hair, but usually they are found behind the ears and around the neck.

Where do head lice live?
Head lice live on people's scalps and feed on human blood, just like a female mosquito. They eat every 3-4 hours.

How do you get lice?
Lice crawl from one person to another. You have to be very close or touching to get lice because lice do not jump or fly. You can also get lice from sharing a comb, brush, hat, or anything else you put on your head. Lice can live for 2 days away from the human body.

Can lice make you sick?
No, but they do make you itch and can make the skin very red and sore.

How do I know if I have lice?
Itching is usually the first sign, but you may not itch if you have only a few insects.

How can I kill the lice and their eggs?
Buy a safe, lice-killing shampoo from the store. Everyone who lives in your house must wash their hair on the same day, even if they do not have lice. Everyone must wash their hair 7-10 days later because the shampoo does not kill all the eggs . Some eggs will live and hatch into new lice, and you will have to start all over again.

Do I only have to wash my hair?
No, you must wash all clothes and bedding used during the past 2 days with very hot (120 o ). Most people's water heater can make water that hot. Any clothes, pillows, or stuffed toys that cannot be washed must be sent to the dry cleaners or put in plastic bags for 2 weeks. All combs and hairbrushes must be soaked for 1 hour in water with lice-killing shampoo or put in a pan of very hot water (120 o ), for 5-10 minutes. Vacuum all carpets and throw the vacuum bag away afterwards. Use a lice-killing spray to kill lice on couches, chairs and the car upholstery.

I wash my hair everyday and use a hair dryer, so I can't get lice!
WRONG!….frequent hair washing does not keep a head louse from crawling on you, and regular shampoo does not kill lice once they are on your head. Also, a hair dryer is not hot enough to kill them.

Does oil on my hair keep the nits from sticking?
No, the female can still attach her eggs to hair with oil on it.

Can I use vinegar to remove the nits?
No, it will not loosen the glue the female uses to attach her eggs. A special comb and hair rinse to be used after treatment
with a lice-killing shampoo can be used to help remove the nits, but even this not completely effective.

Should I cut my hair?
Short hair can get lice just as easily as long hair. People with long hair might need to use more lice-killing shampoo.

How can I keep from getting lice again?
Do not share combs, brushes or clothes.

What does the school do to help prevent lice from spreading?
The Mesquite ISD school nurses have developed educational material for children, their parents and teachers. Students found with head lice (live lice or nits with 1/4 th inch from the scalp) will be excluded from school. All students in the infected classroom will be screened. The parents of the affected child will be contacted and the student will be sent home. Siblings of the affected student will also be screened. Students excluded because of head lice are to receive two treatments 7-10 days apart with either prescription or over-the-counter head lice shampoo. Students will be permitted to return to school after the initial treatment and a letter signed by the parent that treatment has begun using a lice shampoo. Between 7-10 days after the initial treatment, the student must be re-treated and checked in through the office with another letter from the parent that a second treatment has been completed. The district reserves the right to enforce a nit free policy for those students that have excessive cases of head lice.

Resources:
Worried About Lice? An educational pamphlet prepared by your MISD School Nurses MISD Health Services Clinic Management, October 2004