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Head Lice - Tooele County Health Department

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Head Lice Treatment
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Head Lice are insects which live in human hair.  A case of head lice is highly contagious and spreads swiftly from person to person.  They do not fly or hop, but the can crawl amazingly fast. Head Lice Therefore, the Tooele County School District has a "No Nit Policy" and if your child does get a case of head lice, he/she will be excluded from school until they are treated and ALL head lice and nits are removed by the parent or caregiver.  Treating the child and removing all lice and nits isn't difficult if parents and/or caregivers are prepared.  It is not the responsibility of the school, health care provider, or local health department to remove the lice and nits.  Parent preparedness includes:

Head Lice Recognize head lice and nits look like the size of a grain of rice
Head Lice Using a safe and effective treatment method
Head Lice Use special metal comb (Regular or plastic combs will not work)
Head Lice  Cleaning your home and furnishings effectively after head lice treatment
Head Lice Washing all family combs, brushes, and hair accessories
Head Lice Don't use ineffective methods or aerosol or fumigant sprays
Head Lice Understand why you should inspect the entire family for contagious head lice and nits, but treat ONLY the infected person; not the entire family


  Realize shaving the head of the infected family member is an ineffective treatment method.   Shaving the head will not remove the lice and nits which are in the family members clothing, brushes, combs, etc, or in the home furniture and personal belongings. If head lice are present on a family member, they will also be in their bedding, and in your home furniture, especially upholstered pieces.  You probably won't be able to see them.  They are tiny, and not easy to spot with the eye. 

 

 

 

Adult and immature louse look similar. Head lice
Adults are 1/10th to 1/8 inch long.  They
vary in color from white to a grey-white tan.  Nits are lice eggs.  They are white or tan in color when they are first laid by the adult female louse.  First the female louse deposits a "glue" type substance, then the nit.  The nit is embedded into the glue type substance on the hair shaft approximately 1/2 inch from where the hair strand is attached to the head of the infected person. This glue is so strong nits cannot be removed by using regular shampoo or rinsed in plain water. They must be destroyed. Head Lice and Nits derive nutrients to keepHead Lice
them alive from a "blood feeding" from the human scalp.  They cannot survive for more than a day or two without human blood.  Unlike mosquitos, you cannot feel a bite or see a louse when it feeds.

 

 

 

Head Lice - Examine the headDon't wait for signs of your family member scratching their heads to examine them for head lice.  They should be examined weekly, especially if you are aware cases of head lice are occurring in the neighborhood you live in. Be sure to examine every member of the family, but treat only the infected person.  The entire scalp should be examined under a bright light looking for nits stuck to the hair shaft, as well as an adult louse moving around on the scalp or hair.  (They may be very tiny in size.)  Pay particular attention to the area around the ears and the nape of the neck.  The nits are very small, so the use of a magnifying glass is helpful.  You may download our brochure for more information and helpful hints.

 

 
Head Lice
 

Once your child has been treated and is back in school, it is time to wash clothes, bedding, and recently worn clothing including  jackets, sweaters even winter clothes and mittens.  Do this as soon as you have treated your family member.  It doesn't have to be done daily.  You only have to do it once, but it must be a thorough cleaning, or all lice and nits may not be eliminated, thus re-infesting your family member.  Wash items in hot, soapy water in a washing machine.  Drying in a 140°F dryer will destroy both lice and nits.  Items like stuffed animals, pillows, hats, headphones, bike helmets, etc. which cannot be washed may be stored in a tightly sealed plastic bag.  (Using a bag which is 3mm  thick will help make sure no  items puncture the plastic bag.)  Store the plastic bag for at least 2 weeks.  Your home will also have to be vacuumed thoroughly.  Carpets, pillows, mattresses, and overstuffed furniture must be vacuumed thoroughly.  Be sure to clean front, back, and sides of all couch and chair pads.  Vacuum between the crevices on all stuffed furniture.  Bean bag type furniture must be vacuumed even if they are made out of vinyl.  Be sure to vacuum the family vehicle, including car seats, booster seats, and even seat belt straps.  It seems like an overwhelming task, but it is the ONLY way to break the lice/nit cycle.

Don't forget to place the used vacuum cleaner bag in a sealed plastic bag and store for 2 weeks, then place in the garbage can.  If a bagless vacuum cleaner is used, be sure to empty the container in a plastic bag.  Then place the container (filter) in a sealed bag for 2 weeks.  By denying lice access to human hair (which they use to feed on) you will be destroying their life cycle. 

Bagless vacuums contain a filter which traps dirt and debris. Lice and nits may cling to the filter during vacuuming. To empty and clean the filter, place the plastic bag near a hard surface. Place the filter inside the plastic bag and tap against the hard surface to free all dirt and debris which may cling to the filter.  Seal the bag and store for 2 weeks, then place in the garbage can.

Having head lice has nothing to do with hygiene or un- cleanliness.

No one or no family can escape a case of head lice no matter how often they bathe or clean their homes.

Head Lice - Anyone can get head lice

People of all socio economic groups get head lice. 

It has nothing to do with how much money a family has, or how often they see their health care provider. Even health care providers can get head lice.

 

 

 

Do not use aerosol or fumigant sprays to eliminate head lice.  They can be harmful to people and pets.  They have not shown to be an effective way to kill lice and nits.

 

 


 
Email the WebMaster
Email the Web Master

Tooele County Health Department School and Family Health
151 North Main Street   Tooele Utah 84074
(435) 277 - 2310 Fax (435) 277-2304