Have you been dealing with the frustrating problem of lice infestations in your child and you’ve done everything you can to get rid of them?
You have tried everything from combing out the nits to washing all your bedding and clothes, but those pesky mites just keep coming back. I know this could be really frustrating as a parent.
Moreover, it’s frustrating for your child as well. It might lead to teasing or bullying thereby leading the child to feel ashamed and embarrassed.
It is very important that you help your child get rid of lice and save him/her from all that embarrassment, and in this article we sure will get through a number of methods to achieve that, but before that it’s also significant to know what causes lice infection, as you must have heard that prevention is better than cure.
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What Causes Lice Infection In Children?
Head lice don’t dwell on ground or just pop out of the air to get into your child’s head. Lice are human parasites that have likely existed since ancient times.
Evidence of desiccated head lice and their eggs, known as nits, has been discovered on the hair and scalps of Egyptian mummies.
If your child has head lice, chances are strong that he/she got it from an head-to-head contact with an already infested individual.
Such head to head contact is very common in school, during the play time or other activities.
What Keeps Lice Away From Hair?
Lice are pesky little insects that like to live in hair and can spread from person to person. The best way to prevent them is to keep your child’s hair clean by regularly washing it with shampoo and conditioner.
Lice lay their eggs on clean hair close to the scalp, so keeping hair clean can reduce the risk of infestation.
It’s also important that your child avoids sharing personal items like combs, brushes, hats, and hair ties because lice can spread through direct contact with infested hair or personal items.
Tying your daughter’s hair up in a bun or ponytail can also help minimize contact with other people’s hair.
Using lice repellent products like sprays and shampoos can help prevent infestations, and regularly checking for lice, especially after close contact with someone who has lice, can help identify an infestation early and prevent it from spreading.
If you have a guest in house, it’s advisable to wash bedding and other items that may have come in contact with an infested person’s hair or scalp to help prevent the spread of lice.
Head lice are primarily found in human hair and scalp, and they need human blood to survive.
While it is possible for head lice to move onto pillows, sheets, or other bedding, they cannot live on these surfaces for long without a host.
Lice typically die within 24-48 hours without a host to feed on, so the risk of getting head lice from shared bedding is relatively low.
How To Get Rid Of Lice Infestation Permanently?
Getting rid of lice from hair is a difficult task, but it can be done permanently with the right approach and perseverance.
One effective way to remove lice from hair permanently is to use a lice treatment product.
These products contain insecticides that kill lice and nits. Follow the instructions carefully and ensure that the product is applied thoroughly to the entire scalp and hair.
After using the lice treatment product, comb out the dead lice and nits from the hair using a fine-toothed comb or a special lice comb.
This process should be repeated every few days to remove any newly hatched lice. In addition, it’s important to wash all clothing, bedding, and towels that may have come into contact with infested hair in hot water and dry them on high heat to prevent reinfestation.
To ensure that all remaining lice or nits are eliminated, it’s also important to vacuum your home thoroughly.
Finally, be patient and persistent in your efforts to eliminate lice, as multiple treatments may be needed to completely eradicate them from the hair.
Monitor the hair for any signs of lice or nits and repeat the treatment as needed.
Is Your Child Getting Lice Again And Again
Have you tried like hundreds of methods but your child just keeps getting the lice infestation after a brief period of relief?
Well, there are actually a couple of reasons why this might be happening.
Firstly, the lice treatment you used may not have been effective. Studies have shown that some types of lice can be resistant to certain pesticide treatments.
Studies have shown that lice can develop resistance to certain treatments due to genetic mutations that allow them to survive exposure to the chemicals in those treatments.
Let’s not forget that fact that lice have been there with humans for since millions of years ago and the present ones are highly modified lineage.
Additionally, lice lay a lot of eggs, which can be hard to catch and kill with just one treatment.
That’s why it’s important to follow up with a second treatment about a week later and to comb through your hair regularly for a couple of weeks to make sure you’ve gotten rid of all the lice and nits.
Secondly, it’s possible that you or someone in your family has come into contact with lice again, which can happen easily at places like daycare, school, or the gym.
To prevent this, avoid head-to-head contact and sharing items like hats, combs, and towels.
If you’ve already had a lice outbreak, you don’t need to go crazy cleaning your house, but washing your bedding and clothes in hot water and vacuuming your furniture and rugs can help.
If you’ve tried everything but still can’t get rid of your child’s lice infestations, it’s worth talking to a doctor to explore other treatment options and to figure out the exact source of the problem. Just remember not to blame your furry friends – pets don’t spread head lice!