Head lice are common in children, but can affect anyone of any age. They are not a sign of dirty hair or poor hygiene.
Close ‘hair to hair’ contact is usually needed to pass lice on. Head lice cannot jump or fly, but walk from one head to another. They soon die when away from hair, and do not live in clothes, bedding, etc.
Most head lice infections are caught from family or close friends who are not aware that they have head lice.
Currently, there are three main ways of clearing head lice:
- Using an insecticide lotion.
- Using dimeticone lotion, a lotion that works in a different way to insecticides.
- Wet combing treatment (often called ‘bug-busting’).
The method you use to treat the lice is often a personal preference. Each method has a good chance of success, but no method is 100% certain of clearing lice.
