A lot depends on hygiene when it comes to a child’s health. A problem that is identified with children, especially school going children is the problem of hair lice. Constant hair itching can cause redness on the child’s head and also it can distract the child and make her uncomfortable.
While a parent doesn’t have control on the environment the child is in contact with when he is in school or outside with friend, she can always take some precautions and care to ensure that the child does not get infected with head lice or if he does, then that the problem does not persist for too long. By following some measures, you can ensure that your child remains free from head lice.
Here are some tips on getting rid of head lice from your child’s hair:
- Know the symptoms: The most visible sign of head lice is itching of hair. If the child is found scratching her head for a long time, do check the child’s hair for lice and nits.
- How to check: Check the child’s hair for lice. Make her sit outside the house during bright sunlight and part the hair and check each strands for lice and nits. If you find yellowish specks attached to hair, then they are the nits and if the hair is not got rid of these nits on time, they can grow to be lice and pose a bigger problem.
Treating head lice:
- Applying medicine on hair:You get medicines for head lice from chemists. Though most of these head lice medicines are safe for children, if you have any doubt, consult a doctor. Follow what is written on the package carefully. Never let the children handle the head lice medicine. Sometimes, just a one-time use is enough to get rid of all the lice in the hair. If not, then you can apply it after a period of a week or so.
- Avoid sharing: Do not allow children to share other’s combs, hats or towels. If the child is out on a trip with friends, advise children that they should use their own pillows, combs, towels, etc. It is the sharing of these things that often to lead to transmission of head lice.
- Check your child’s hair: Check your child’s hair for lice or nits every weekend. Even if you find any, you can take appropriate measures so that the child is ready to go to school on Monday.
- Ensuring hair hygiene: Ensure that your child’s hair is clean daily. Sometimes, if the child is taking bath on his or her own, they might not wash their hair well. So, ensure that you check your child’s hair daily to check if the hair scalp is cleaned well.
- Teach your children steps to avoid lice: Teach your children tips on how to avoid lice as mentioned above like not sharing combs, etc and also not to mix their things with other children’s like coats and hats. Simple habits like these can go a long way in preventing head lice.
