Who gets head lice?
Unfortunately, the humidity created by sweat on the human head is the ideal environment for head lice to thrive in. They are most common in children aged between 4 and 12, and in girls more so than boys. This means that when you send your kids off to school, they could bring back more than just homework.
Head lice don't discriminate between short or long, or clean or dirty hair, so tying it back, cutting it short, or washing it often won't help to treat or prevent it. As long as there's a warm scalp and 3mm of hair, they could infest you or your family. If you have children, you should check regularly for head lice, and be prepared if there's an outbreak at your child's school.
How are they spread?
Live head lice cling onto the hair extremely tightly to ensure that they don't fall off, and will only move onto another warm, humid human head. If you find them on a hat, scarf, hairbrush or pillow, they will probably be dead or dying, and are unlikely to cause a new infestation.
Head lice move from person to person by walking from one human head to another. Because head-to-head contact is common when children play, head lice outbreaks often happen in schools. If you have a young child, there's a good chance that you may have to deal with head lice at some stage, unless you take precautions.
How can you tell if you have head lice?
Knowing whether someone in your family has head lice can be difficult. Most people don't have any symptoms, although the substance which head lice inject into scalp to stop the blood from clotting can cause itching in some people.
If you find small black specks on the pillowcase in the morning, it could be an indication of head lice. These black specks could be their skin or droppings. Live, pearly-white eggs will be close to the scalp, and can be hard to see. Empty egg cases (nits) are white and look a bit like dandruff. As the hair grows out, so the dead, brown eggs and empty egg cases grow out, making them simple to identify.
The best way of keeping head lice under control is to check for them every week. Lyclear have a range of expert solutions to help you clear head lice and their eggs, as well as expertise in how to check for them. We advise choosing a day and time every week to complete a head lice check, so that it becomes part of your routine. Checking for head lice is easy with Lyclear, whether you prefer using an effective comb or even wet combing to ensure maximum efficiency, Lyclear has a solution. Click on the links below to find out how to spot head lice and their eggs easily. Also make sure you know when your child's school has an outbreak, and if you hear about one, check your family's heads. And remember, if you find a live head louse, check the rest of your family the same day to make sure they haven't spread. If you find a live head louse, please see the treatment section of this website to find out what to do.