Lice - they are so gross!
It’s a fact of life. If your children go to school or camp, they will almost certainly end up with at least one case of head lice over the years. Although head lice pose no health threat, they can be an expensive, creepy nuisance. RRISD policy is that as long as there are no LIVE lice, your child may attend school once he/she has been treated.
When you consider that just about everyone goes through this, no matter how clean their houses or fancy their neighborhoods, you can focus your energy on lice control.
First - ​REMAIN CALM: A louse can live no longer than 24 hours without a host. So if it does migrate to bed or carpet, and doesn’t find another head to crawl onto, it will die soon. Note: We’re talking about human heads. The lice that gorge on people’s blood cannot survive on dogs or cats, so there is no need to worry about your pets serving as hosts.In the meantime, wash bed linens in hot water and dry at high heat for 20 minutes to kill any runaway lice. Throw stuffed animals, pillows and other textiles that have come in contact with the infected person’s head in the dryer. Thoroughly vacuum around the bed, but you don’t have to go crazy. REMEMBER: Lice will die in 24-48 hours without a human host.
If you’re uncomfortable using pesticides or if resistance is a problem, there are an abundance of natural remedies to choose from. Parents, professional nitpickers, some pediatricians and other experts have sworn by home remedies like applying mayonnaise, olive oil or conditioners to the hair overnight. The idea is to suffocate the live lice. You can ask your pediatrician for advice or look for a local lice removal group.
Lice are so gross
It’s a fact of life. If your children go to school or camp, they will each almost certainly end up with at least one case of head lice over the years. Although head lice pose no health threat, they can be an expensive, creepy nuisance. When you consider that just about everyone goes through this, no matter how clean their houses or fancy their neighborhoods, you can focus your energy on pest control. RRISD permits a child to return to the school setting after being treated. Please let your nurse know if your child has been determined to have live lice.
A lice can live no longer than 24 hours without a human host. So if it does migrate to bed or carpet, and doesn’t find another head to crawl onto, it will die soon. Note: We’re talking about human heads. The lice that gorge on people’s blood cannot survive on dogs or cats, so there is no need to worry about your pets serving as hosts. In the meantime, wash bed linens in hot water and dry at high heat for 20 minutes to kill any runaway lice. Place stuffed animals, pillows and other textiles that have come in contact with the infected person’s head in the dryer. High heat is a lice's worst enemy..well that and a very diligent parent! Thoroughly vacuum around the bed, couches, chairs, car, etc, but you don’t have to go crazy - just anywhere that hair will stick. Lice live on the hairshaft and have a really difficult time getting around. Any of these critters that have strayed far from a host aren’t long for this world and will pass on to the lice hereafter in about 24 hours.
If you’re uncomfortable using pesticides, there are an abundance of natural remedies to choose from. Parents, professional nitpickers, some pediatricians and other experts have sworn by home remedies like applying mayonnaise, olive oil or conditioners to the hair overnight. The idea is to suffocate the live lice. You can ask your pediatrician for advice, google it, or look into a lice removal company nearby. Any way you choose, you're gonna win!