The Little Travellers are here!

I have been quite relaxed when I see the Head Lice posters and letters coming back from school as we have been Head Lice free for as long as I can remember.

I do remember that getting rid of the critters was a nightmare and when Abbey was small she detested me coming through her hair with a nit comb.

Last year, when Eliza started playgroup, we were sent some Hedrin Protect and Go to review and I can honestly say it is brilliant.  Despite numerous letters home to say they had found headline on some of the pupils, Eliza stayed clear.  Hedrin’s Protect & Go is a mango and orange scented conditioning spray which, when used twice a week, protects children against lice, breaking the life cycle and killing them before an infestation can be established.

I have continued to use it since she started school and she is still Head Lice free, so why oh why did I not treat Isaacs’s hair at the same time?

He is really short hair – a grade 2 around the back and sides and a bit longer on top and has never caught Head Lice before, so I just assumed his hair was too short.  A couple of weeks his teacher mentioned that he had been complaining of an itchy head and it was distracting him………after a brief investigation I found the little travellers and there were quite a few.

Thankfully, Hedrin contacted me at exactly the right time and sent me some Hedrin Treat & Go to review and we are Head Lice free again.

How do you beat Head Lice?

Christine Brown, ex-school nurse and consultant to the Medical Entomology Centre gives her tips on how to beat the school bug bullies; head lice.  

What ARE head lice? “Head lice are small wingless insects that live on the scalp, feeding from the blood. Baby lice are extremely small but mature within 10 days and only after that are they able to reproduce, with numbers growing more slowly than most people think. Females lay several viable eggs a day and adult lice can live for as long as a month.”

How do they spread? “Lice are spread only by head-to-head contact, so sleepovers, after school activities, playing with friends and visiting family are the most common places for children to pick them up and pass them on.”

How do you know if you’ve got them (as the child and as the parent looking)?  “Although the best known symptom is the itching, although only about 30% are aware of it – the only true way of knowing is by regular checks with a head lice detection comb. Head lice can be uncomfortable, can prevent sleep and concentration, and can cause bullying. It’s best for parents to check for head lice using a comb made for the purpose – ideally white, so that lice can be easily seen and with teeth no more than 0.3mm apart. Research has shown that detection combing is nearly four times more effective than visual inspection for finding live lice. Lice are around 2-4mm long but immature lice are even smaller, living close to the scalp. Nits are dead or empty shells, which can be removed by hand or by combing.”

Can we prevent head lice? “Avoiding will not stop you from catching head lice! Hedrinlaunched a clinically proven head lice protection spray called Protect & Go. It’s a mango and orange scented conditioning spray which should be used at least twice a week. It protects children from the parasites by breaking the life cycle and killing lice before an infestation can be established. The spray is also kind to children’s hair and should be used as part of the regular cleaning regime, much the same as cleaning teeth or using shampoo.”

If you’ve got them, what should you do? “If you find live lice, firstly, don’t worry. Head lice are a normal part of life and there is nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about. Research suggests lice have become resistant to pesticide treatments, so pick a non pesticide treatment which will work by smothering the lice and either stripping them of their waxy coating, causing them to dehydrate or blocking the openings to their air tubes, disrupting their ability to manage water. These physical modes of action mean there is theoretically no chance for the head lice to build up a resistance. Try a treatment containing dimeticone or octanediol. If you’re unsure about treatment options, speak to your pharmacist.”

Does the ‘nit nurse’ still exist in schools? “No! Employing a nit nurse is not an effective method of controlling head lice. To adhere to best practice, each of the 5.5 million primary school children in the UK would need to be checked by the nit nurse once every week! So the likelihood of each child receiving a thorough check is minimal at best. Even if the nit nurse checked and found lice it would still be up to the parents to choose and use a treatment. Parents need to feel empowered to check for head lice regularly and feel confident about using an appropriate treatment when an infestation is found. The website www.onceaweektakeapeek.co.uk has some great advice for parents on managing and treating head lice.”

Hedrin are giving the chance for one of my readers to win a Head Lice Management Pack containing 2x Protect & Go and 1x Hedrin Treat & Go, plus a £10 Mothercare voucher.

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