How to Tell if Your Child Has Head Lice and not FREAK out!

Are you itchy? Not to worry. Head lice can crawl onto anyone at any time and are very common with children.

Lice know no seasons. They can spread whenever children interact with each other or spend time with their family members.

It’s Not You, It’s THEM (the Lice)
One of the common misconceptions about head lice is that it only happens to people with poor hygiene or live in an unclean home. This is simply not true! Head lice are spread through direct, head-to-head contact. This can occur at home, in school, on the school bus, playground, sports/activities, camp, sleepovers, sharing a tablet, or wait for it… through selfies!

Phew, there are way too many opportunities for these bugs to crawl from head to head. Many families come to our clinic in a state of panic or with a cloud of shame and embarrassment over their heads, but we always assure them there is absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about. Would you be ashamed if someone in your family caught a common cold? Of course not! And what I like to tell parents and kids, someone gave lice to you, you did not ask for it, just like you did not ask to get a cold.

Signs That Your Child Might Have Lice
Do you suspect that you or your child has head lice? If you or a family member are experiencing any of the symptoms listed below, you will probably need to do a head check with a good lice comb (not the ones found Over-the-Counter lice kits).

• Itching that is out of the norm for your child, caused by an allergic reaction to the bites of the louse. However, it is important to note that only 50% of people are itchy when they have lice.
• You notice nits/eggs. Nits are teardrop-shaped specks ranging in color from white to tan.
• Look for the eggs around the nape of the neck, behind the ears, and at the crown of the head. If your child has dandruff, it will flake off the hair easily, lice eggs are glued onto the hair shaft by the louse.

· See something moving through the hair.

· Someone has called to let you know their child (who has spent time with yours) has head lice.

How Do I Do a Head Check?
Before you begin, you will need a fine-tooth comb (like our Lice Lifters Nit Comb) and seat your child in a well-lit area of your home. The best way to check the hair with a comb is with wet hair. After the bath or shower is a good time. Separate the hair into 2 or 4 sections and begin combing the hair with the nit comb. Start at the scalp and combing straight down the hair and pull straight through to the end of the hair. Swipe the comb against a paper towel and look for the tear shape nits.

For a visual check, look for the teardrop-shaped eggs (nits) glued to your child’s hair, If you see something that will not come off the hair, they likely have lice. Nits are often found within 1/2 inch of the scalp and are usually white to amber in color. They will not move without being pinched and pulled down the hair shaft with your fingernails and it will feel like a piece of sand. If your child has dandruff, it will not be stuck on the hair and will move if you brush or blow on it. It helps to have a bright light that you can shine directly on the scalp.

You can start by visually looking in small sections for brown insects that are about the size of a sesame seed moving around your child’s scalp, behind the ears and neckline (they move fast). However, if it is an early case of lice, it is almost impossible to find a louse. They scurry away from the light.

*Remember that a louse does not jump or fly, it only crawls, so your hair needs to be touching someone who has it in order to contract it. They also have a very keen sense of smell which is why they want to move from host to host following the smell of the blood they like to eat (gross, right?). A common misconception is that if you do not see a bug you do not have lice. There are more times than not, that you will not find a bug but there will be nits.*

If you are still unsure whether your child is infected with lice, we advise that you schedule an appointment at Lice Lifters Treatment Center for a head check. We are a treatment salon that specializes in fast, efficient, and non-toxic lice treatment that works. Our head lice removal technicians are always here to answer your questions about head lice — no matter the season. You can reach us by going to www.licelifters.com or our Corporate Office to find the closest Center near you (484) 368–0368.

Lice Lifters Treatment Center provides fast, safe, and effective treatment for head lice removal, delivered by our Corporate trained professionals. Our non-toxic treatment kills all live bugs and eliminates all nits. You’ll leave our treatment center lice-free. Click here to view the location nearest you. For more information visit www.licelifters.com.

COVID-19 Precautions
Our attention to preventing cross-contamination has always been top of mind at Lice Lifters Treatment Centers. Our lice treatment salons have always exceeded the recommended infection control guidelines, however, the COVID-19 pandemic has made it necessary for us to implement even greater infection control measures. At the time of publication, we are doing the following to keep your family and our team safe:

• We are by appointment only during this time and only allow one family in the Salon at a time.
• All clients older than 2 years old must wear masks while inside the salon.
• Covid exposure questionnaire is provided to clients via our virtual Intake Form. A Covid-19 waiver is available at the treatment center.
• All paperwork can be completed on your phone, so no need to touch any pens or clipboards in our office.
• We are performing enhanced disinfection routines between each appointment and will clean and disinfect all surfaces that our clients come into contact with, such as pens, clipboards, door handles, restroom handles, and all other common touch-points.
• Our Lice Lifters staff is scheduled to be vaccinated shortly.
• You will notice that our play areas will no longer offer toys since they are difficult to keep clean and disinfected.