Lice are very small insects. They are parasites, which means they live on other living things to get food and shelter. Lice need blood to survive. So, they like to stay on people’s scalps to get blood and lay eggs in their hair. Lice move from someone else’s head to yours—you do not necessarily have to touch your hair to the hair of someone with head lice. The lice can go from hair to pillows, headbands, headphones, hairbrushes or hats. So, if you use one of these items after someone with head lice has used it, you could get head lice too.

• Who gets lice?
• What do lice look like?
• How can you avoid getting lice?
• What should you do if you think you have lice?
• What should you do during and after the shampoo treatment?

Who gets lice?

• Lice can get on anyone's head, whether that person is clean, dirty or in any grade at school. Lice spread in classrooms and schools because kids play together closely and often share things than adults do.
  
• Approximately 6-12 million people get lice every year-most of them are kids.

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What do lice look like?

You might not notice it at first if you have lice. Lice are brown and gray and about the size of a sesame seed. If there's a louse (the word for just one bug) on your head, it will first lay eggs, called nits. Nits take about two weeks to hatch. After the nits hatch they will attach themselves to your hair and bite your scalp for blood. Louse bites do not hurt because they are so small, but they are very itchy.


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How can you avoid getting lice?

• Don't share pillows, hairbrushes, headbands, hats or headphones.
  
• You may not be able to avoid lice completely, especially if lots of kids at your school have them. But don't worry, lice is treatable.

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What should you do if you think you have lice?

If you have a very itchy head, tell your parents. Often parents can recognize lice just by looking for nits in the hair. If you have lice, your parent will need to buy a special medicated shampoo, cream or lotion that kills lice. The shampoo, cream or lotion usually kills the lice right away. Once the nits are killed, you will need a grown up to use a comb to get rid of the nits in your hair. The itching should go away within a few days, but treatment may need to be repeated in 7 to 10 days to kill any new lice that may have hatched since the first treatment. Note: Do not use a hair dryer on your hair after washing with the medicated shampoo, lotion or cream because they can contain flammable ingredients. You don't want your hair catching on fire.



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What should you do during and after the shampoo treatment?

If you or a family member has head lice it is a good idea to vacuum the carpets and all furniture that has cloth on it because lice could be living on them. Wash all of your pillows and sheets. Put blankets and stuffed animals in plastic bags (airtight) for at least 10 days to kill the lice. Wash any hair accessories or hairbrushes with hot water or anti-louse shampoo or throw them away.
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