A Head louse is perhaps the most common problem in young children. Contrary to what many believe, head lice does not indicate the hygiene practices followed by the child at home or by his or her parents. A bane for parents, head lice are tiny parasite insects that cling to the strands of hair and feed on the very little amount of blood they get from biting the scalp of the person. Lice are more common among young children particularly in girls. Just as common head lice are, head lice prevention is also a very simple practice.

Head lice and head lice nits though might not be dangerous nor cause any serious disease but they can definitely be very annoying and irritating. The bites by the lice will make the child’s scalp itchy. If no immediate action is taken, it might inflammation of the scalp too which can lead to infections. Head lice spread through direct contact. They are very contagious and spread among school going children who tend to get close while playing together. The head lice cannot fly or jump, they transfer to another person by walking over the hair strands that come in their contact. There are several head lice home remedies that you can follow to get rid of the lice. But head lice prevention is essential to avoid the lice to return back. Here are some natural head lice treatment methods that can help you prevent the lice from creating trouble in your hair.

• Mixing essential oils like the tea tree oil in your shampoo will create a strong smell that will repel the lice. You may either mix the oil in the shampoo or buy a shampoo that already contains tea tree extracts.
• Another good idea is to mix 10 drops of tea tree oil in a spray bottle with water. You can then spray this water over the hair of your child before school or playtime. This is a very good head lice prevention method.
• You can even mix tea tree oil with a leave-on conditioner or hair gel to get the same outcome.

Lice can only live on humans. Once they are removed from the human scalp, there is a very little time that they can survive. It is because of lack of hydration and food. Lice multiply very quickly. After the female louse mates, it lays eggs which hatch in about 7 days leaving an empty shiny eggshell (nit) which stays on the hair. Head lice prevention includes preventing lice and nits too.

It is very difficult to find lice in hair as they move very quickly and hide among the strands of hair. However, you can get a nit comb or a lice comb that is specially designed to detect lice. This fine-toothed comb of spacing less than 0.3 mm will pass through each strand making lice detection and removing them easier. If head lice home remedies don’t work, you can opt for some medical lotions and medical gels that can be applied over the hair and the scalp for effective head lice prevention.

General Head Lice Prevention Methods

Lice infestation is a common problem among school-aged children. You will know when your kids are suffering from it when you see them constantly scratching their heads or when you notice scalp rashes. Parents often take action because head lice cause disruptions in the sleep patterns of children as well as their other activities. Because this is highly contagious, you have to take appropriate actions once you see the first symptoms appear. Here is the proven head lice prevention that you can do at home.

Avoid Sharing your Personal Belongings

A head lice prevention technique that you have to observe is to avoid sharing your personal belongings with people infested with the parasite. Hairbrushes and accessories like caps and towels should be your own personal property. Each of your family members must have their own piece. If your children have the problem, tell them to separate their belongings from yours. If possible, separate your infected childrens bedding from yours too. If your children share the same room, treat them all for the infection.

Watch out for Crowded Areas

Crowded areas like parks and schools are risky sites for acquiring the infection. For head lice prevention, ask the school nurse about students that have the infection. Even a single child can cause a widespread problem. If you see one child with it, report it immediately to authorities. Lice treatment lies on prompt diagnosis.

Wash Clothing and Bedding Well

Head lice prevention can be done by washing your children’s clothing and beddings in hot water. The increased temperatures kill lice instantly. Aside from the water, the detergent affects them. Once you see them scratching their head, change their beddings and soak them in hot water. Include all clothes worn in the past weeks to accomplish complete lice removal. You can also use a dryer to increase lice removal.

Clean the House Well

Cleaning your house, like vacuuming and the use of bactericidal agents, helps achieve your goal in head lice prevention. Pay particular attention to resting places like the couch, carpets and chairs. Vacuum these parts well and wash them if possible.

Improve your Personal Hygiene

Another head lice prevention method is through improving your personal hygiene. Wash your hair with shampoo and massage the scalp slightly.  Dry it well and comb your hair with a regular brush. After drying, use a nit comb to catch possible lice. Place the nits in a solution of hot soapy water or vinegar to kill lice.

Use Home Remedies

If bug infestations have occurred, start the treatment as soon as possible to prevent it from spreading further. Use chemically formulated shampoos specific for lice remedies.

Check the Whole Family

Since the bugs are familial problems, check each person in the house for possible infestation. Start with the children, their roommates then the adults.

Lice do not choose their victim. Although it is more common among children, adults are not exempt from them. Head lice prevention is the key to reducing the risk of infection. By following these easy steps, you can free your kids and even yourself from the irritating bugs.

Head lice infestation is a societal problem. Although it often involves mostly children, the problem can affect the whole society. An infected individual can infect two or more people during the infection, and the two can again infect another two or more individuals. The infection goes on and on unless you start lice treatment. Because children and adults alike are susceptible to it, the whole community must take part in taking appropriate action to kill lice. If one person becomes uncooperative, then the lice remedies will become futile. Better head lice prevention will happen if you see combined efforts among the people. Here are the indispensable people needed to make lice removal possible.

Individual

Head lice prevention should always start from the person himself. Because lice remedies start with a good personal hygiene, you have to start the procedure with yourself. Practice taking a bath everyday and use nit comb at least once a week when you see someone in your household infected with lice. Avoid sharing your personal hygienic materials, like hairbrush and towels. If you share these items with others, the likelihood of spreading the bugs is higher. Therefore, lice removal becomes more difficult. In any infection, nothing beats excellent personal hygiene.

Family

Family effort is important in killing lice. The whole family, including all children and adults, must practice head lice prevention. Although children are the common victims, adults can suffer the same problem. Even just one child in the family can cause a widespread infection. Once you notice the first signs of the problem, inspect the heads of all members of the family. Most likely, more than one member is suffering from it. Wash the bedding’s in hot soapy water. Clean the most common resting areas, like the bed and couch. Vacuum the carpets, rugs and the couches. If you see the bugs, use a vinegar solution or hot soapy water to kill the lice.

Society

For lice removal, you will also need the cooperation of the whole community to be successful. Head lice prevention is only effective if it becomes a collective effort of the society. The most common sites considered as bug farms are the schools. Because of the contact of children with their playmates, they can easily transfer the lice to them. The key to reduce the risk of spreading the infection is by reporting a child with the problem. You can notify the school nurse about it for them take necessary actions. All parents must be cooperative in the case that their child has lice. In some

Head lice prevention involves a community effort. It starts from the individual, extends to the family and entails the cooperation of the whole community. If one of these becomes uncooperative, the steps you take can become useless since the lice will attack again. However, if every sector participates well and understands the need to stop the spread, you can win the battle against these pestering bugs.

Parents go crazy about head lice prevention. Because of the effects to their child’s daily activities and the possible outbreak in the family, they have to find effective lice remedies for even the earliest signs of infestation. The presence of the bugs in many cultures and its prevalence in history brought about many myths concerning lice treatment. If you are serious in controlling the problem, you have to distinguish the facts from the myths on lice removal. Only when you have the right knowledge can you take correct actions on head lice prevention. Here are the common myths associated with it.

Only Children Should Follow Precautions to Avoid Them

If you want to achieve successful head lice prevention, you have to include all family members in your treatment. It is not true that only children get the infection. Remember that lice do not choose their victim. Even adults can suffer from the infestation. Although children are the most common victims, adults can acquire the infection if they live with kids that are infected with it. To achieve better head lice prevention, make it a habit to inspect the heads of all members of the family regularly.

The Lice Comes from the Sun

One head lice prevention method that old folks give is to stay away from the sun. They say that lice come from the sun and it will transfer to your hair when you expose yourself too long under its heat. The truth about this suggestion of old folks is more on the effect of heat in the scalp. Exposure under the sun is more conducive for lice to thrive in. The sweat and accumulation of dirt becomes a fertile environment for the bugs. Therefore, as you increase your outside activities, your chances of attracting the lice are higher.

Nit Combs are Only for the Infested Individuals

Nit combs are not only for lice treatment. They are effective ways for head lice prevention. After taking a bath, dry your hair and use an ordinary comb to remove the tangles in the hair. Once the hair is free from tangles, use a nit comb to check if you have head lice. Doing it once a week is an effective way to diagnose early if you have had an infection with the bug.

Throw Away Everything in Contact with the Infected Child

If people tell you to throw away everything an infected child had used, do not follow their suggestion. It will only be a total waste of resources. Head lice prevention methods include the treatment of their personal belongings with hot soapy water.

Hair Treatment is the Only Prevention Possible

You can practice other head lice prevention aside from focusing on the hair. Some individuals say that you have to shave your hair to prevent the bug from infecting you. However, this is not the only way for lice removal. You can practice personal hygiene to kill lice without needing a haircut.

Head lice prevention has myths attached to it. If you do further reading before following hearsays, it will lead you to

For a natural safe head lice prevention and how to kill head lice quickly see this, Click Here