Head lice are small insects that have the ability to reside in human hair, feed on blood, and multiply quickly within the hair. If your child or someone you know has been exposed to head lice, you must act quickly to reduce how much the lice will affect his or her hair. You will mainly find that head lice is more common in children between the ages of 3 and 12, and among girls because they normally have more hair.
If you are unsure whether or not your child has been exposed to lice see a doctor as soon as possible and request that he prescribe a lice-killing lotion or shampoo. After using a medicated shampoo it often kills the lice soon after it has been used. This is a good way to stop the lice so they are unable to reproduce and get bigger which than becomes a problem. Make sure to follow the directions on the shampoo label as printed, because the shampoos include insecticides, in which using too much of it or using too often of it can be dangerous.
If you prefer to use natural techniques to help prevent the spread of lice after a child has been exposed to them, consider the following tip. Once you are aware of the lice exposure immediately wet the child’s hair and begin to comb through the hair with a fine-tooth comb while removing any lice you see manually. It is extremely important to take action right away to keep the lice from moving deep in the hair and spreading quickly.
You also have the option of using petroleum jelly, mayonnaise or olive oil to wet the hair as an alternative to using water. It is believed that these substances have the ability to prevent lice after exposure, because the chemicals in them help suffocate the lice.
