Head lice are contagious and easily spread from head to head, but if your child has only just caught them, they won’t be showing any obvious symptoms.
Particularly common in children aged 4 to 11 years, head lice are tiny insects that live in hair. They are dark in colour and are usually around the size of a sesame seed when fully grown.
Head lice eggs are miniscule white flecks that can easily be mistaken for dandruff, but are very difficult to remove from the hair shaft.
Signs of having head lice include:
You can effectively treat head lice with lotions and sprays designed to kill them or by wet combing using a specially designed head lice comb.
Wet combing can be used without lotions or sprays, but it needs to be done regularly and can take a long time to do thoroughly.
Lotions or sprays can be used as an alternative.
Every member of the family should be checked thoroughly for head lice, not just those believed to be infected.
If you require more information, we advise that you speak to your local pharmacist and remember even after you have busted the bugs, you still need to check again.
