The Facts of Lice, part 2

How do I know if I have lice?

• Intense itching of the scalp and tiny white specks (eggs/nits) on the hair close to the scalp that are hard to remove.
• Look closely at the person's head under a bright light. Full sun or the brightest lights in your home works best.
• Lice on the scalp and clothing may be difficult to see, unless the infestation is heavy. If you see something moving, it is probably a louse.
• Lice prefer clean loose hair, it is easier for them to move about and attach their eggs. You can pick up lice in any setting - movie theaters, baseball helmets, church, friends house etc. Lice do not fly or jump, they only crawl. 

Head Lice Treatments                                                                                                                                                                       

•  Treatment is recommended if even one egg is found.
• Over the Counter lice treatments, such as Nix® and Rid® will kill lice, but not necessary the contents of the nits. Because they are pesticides, it is important to not overuse them and follow the directions exactly as printed with each product.  
• Other treatments that may be helpful for removing lice are mayonnaise and oil (vegetable, olive or mineral). However several parents have commented that there children were never able to eat anything with mayonnaise again after wearing it on there head for over 4 hours.
• Lice can live for 4 hours without air; therefore, when applying mayonnaise or oil, be sure to leave the treatment on for at least 4 hours.      
• Regardless of the treatment; the key to prevent reoccurrence of lice is to kill the lice and remove the eggs (nits). Thorough combing and individual "nit picking" is absolutely necessary in order to prevent reoccurrence of the lice.  
• You may continue to find and remove nits for days after treatment. However, if you find live lice or new nits close to the scalp after treatment, then it is likely that you did not thoroughly remove the nits and additional treatment will be needed.

What does the school do about head lice?

• A student should not miss more than one to two days from school because of head lice.
• Students are allowed to return to school after treatment and clearance from the school nurse.   The Nits (eggs) need to be removed; however, only live lice will exclude the student from attending school.
• Students that have had lice will be checked weekly until at least 4 consecutive checks show no evidence of head lice. Empty nits are acceptable.
• As a preventative measure, classmates, bus mates and siblings of the identified student may also be checked.  
• The School nurse is always available to work with the parent in anyway necessary to help with this frustrating condition. The school social worker and the Heath department are also available for assistance with stubborn infestations.
• If live lice are found on a student's head, they are not allowed to stay at school or ride the bus until they have received treatment and been cleared by the nurse.