Yes, head lice do infect a handful of students at Peirce Elementary School, some years more than others.The PTO asks ALL parents to periodically check their children, in order to identify any cases early, before it can spread to other children.
The following information was compiled “by parents for parents” as tips, as well as information gathered from a professional nitpicker, in order to help share experiences in identifying and getting rid of head lice. Plus we have a link to view a great Video detailing a 5 step process to get rid of head lice. A copy of the DVD is in the Peirce School Library “parenting resources” section if you cannot view this free link on your computer.
HOW DO I KNOW IF MY CHILD HAS HEAD LICE?
Many head lice infections cause no symptoms, and probably less than half cause itch. So you have to LOOK to find out if your child has head lice. Do not rely on itching and scratching.
NITS
The nits (lice eggs) are white and about the size of a grain of sand. You may find them attached to the hair shaft, about an inch or so from the scalp. Look behind the ears, nape of neck, and crown of head. If you blow on it, or flick it - it will not move if it is a nit. It must be removed by grasping between your fingernails and sliding off. Many parents over 40 have a difficult time seeing them without magnification. It is best to look during the day, in natural sun light.
LICE
Lice are small insects, about the size of a sesame seed. Finding live lice can be difficult since the climbers move away quickly from disturbances in the hair. They run very fast, and do not like being exposed to the light. It can be very difficult to see live lice by looking thru dry hair.
FINDING LICE: CONDITIONER COMB OUT technique
Lice hold onto hairs with their six claws and, when they are alive, they are usually not dislodged by the typical plastic fine tooth comb. However, if the hair is wet, or, better still, coated with conditioner, lice seem unable to hold on as strongly as on dry hair. Conditioner makes it hard for the lice to grip the hair shafts.
The metal lice combs are stronger and better capable of extracting the live lice. Use a “metal” lice or nit comb and comb thru sections of your child’s hair while it has conditioner in it.
Some parents have also found that olive oil works to slow the lice down, and effectively comb them out. It may be a bit messier to deal with, but the lice are easier to see, since the oil is clear.
Click Here FOR INSTRUCTIONS USING THE CONDITIONER COMB OUT TECHNIQUE (Appendix A)
If your child has been exposed to other children who have had lice - and you do not find any live lice on your child, you still may want to repeat this process a couple of times over the next 10-14 days, when nits can hatch.
METAL LICE AND NIT COMBS
It is more effective to purchase a metal LICE and/or NIT comb to use for both detection, and/or treatment. Metal combs, with stiff tines (teeth) and narrow slots, will effectively remove live lice, and remove or crush nits.Typical plastic fine tooth combs "skip over" nits and are not as effective. Plastic combs should be used to untangle long hair before nit-combing with a metal comb.
Metal head lice combs are getting easier to find these days. CVS and many area drug stores carry a variety. Some combs come in a pack of two: A LICE comb with longer metal tines, and a NIT comb with smaller, tighter tines. Ask the pharmacist if you cannot locate lice combs with other lice products in the shampoo aisle.
Two metal combs recommended by professional nitpickers include:
“Nit Free Terminator Comb” - available by a variety of distributors via the internet, or you can pick one up from NitWits in Cambridge: www.liceinfo.net
LiceMeister® - available at www.headlice.org
The nitpickers prefer these combs over the ones found at the drug stores.
PREVENTION:
The nitpickers recommend parents do a Conditioner Comb Out once a month.Using a good metal lice/nit comb, you will be able to detect quickly if your child has been infected.This will only take a short time, especially if you can do it after the child has had a bath/shower. Have the child apply and leave in the conditioner. Follow the comb out method instructions, and then rinse hair. The early you can detect an infection, the easier it is to remove the lice and nits, and you will prevent it from spreading to other friends and family members.
Also, it is a good idea to keep children’s hair short, or up in a hair tie.
SELF DIAGNOSIS
How does a parent determine if you are infected with lice as well? Statistics show that 20% of parents, whose children have lice, are also infected. If you do not have a friend or family member to help: Follow the instructions for the Conditioner Comb Out. When your hair has the conditioner in it, tip your head over, and comb out your hair from the nap of the neck, down. Also start just above your ears, and comb down. First do this with a regular comb to get all the snarls out, and then proceed with the metal LICE comb. Make sure to lightly drag the metal comb against the scalp before proceeding down the hair shaft. This will insure you don’t miss any potential live lice.
HELP - I HAVE FOUND LICE!
Please do not panic. You can get rid of them. They will not harm your child. The process to get rid of them may be time consuming, and annoying, but you will get rid of them.
If you find live lice, please make sure you contact the school nurse. You must follow the school’s Head Lice policy before allowing your child back to school. She will also help you with information and questions as well. The nurse will discreetly send information asking other parents in class to check their children.
http://www2.newton.k12.ma.us/~Becky_Brooker/Head%20Lice%20Info
VIDEO - Please watch the video for the five step treatment plan. It is a valuable resource of information, and is also helpful for the kids to watch as well. You can find the link for the video at the PTO - Health website: http://www.peircepto.com/Health/LiceVideo.html A DVD copy is also available in the Peirce School library, parent’s resources section.
TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR LIVE LICE:
There are two steps that must be taken to get rid of head lice.
1. Get rid of the live lice
2. Get rid of the nits
GETTING RID OF THE LIVE LICE
There are two methods that are recommended. One is using a chemical shampoo; the other is non-chemical using olive oil. Both methods get rid of the live lice, but keep in mind that neither will kill the eggs (nits). The nits will hatch over the next several days. So even though you have gotten rid of the live lice, it is important that you proceed to get rid of the nits as well.
CHEMICAL TREATMENT
Over the counter chemical shampoos are available at the drugstore. Most all head lice products contain pesticides and most work by attacking the nervous system of the lice. They typically contain Permethrin or Pyrethrum.
Follow the instructions very carefully: some products you must use on wet hair, and some on dry.
When asked to leave on for a length of time, make sure you set a timer and do not leave the product in longer than instructed.
Call your pediatrician to confirm use on your child. Do not use the shampoo regularly. Follow the directions carefully: over treatment with lice treatment shampoos is more serious than the head lice.
Do not use on children who do not have live lice – the shampoo will not prevent them. The chemical shampoos do not “always” work – some lice are resistant to Permethrin or Pyrethrum. You must check your child’s head carefully after treatment to make sure there are no live lice.
Do Not Use Malathion or Lindane based products: they have been proven to be dangerous for children, and most pediatricians will not write a prescription for them.
RESISTANCE:
Please be aware that pediculicides may no longer be 100% effective.
If you use a lice shampoo, please make sure to comb thru with a metal lice comb, after you washed out the product to make sure all the live lice have been killed and removed from your child’s hair. If you still find live lice, you may want to consider an alternative treatment.
If you have used a pediculicide that does not work – get your money back. Either from the manufacturer, or the pharmacy – this way the manufacturer will realize they are selling products that don’t work.
Again - Do Not Use Malathion or Lindane based products = they are very dangerous for children, and most pediatricians will not write a prescription for them.
TREATMENT WITHOUT CHEMICALS
Olive oil has been successful with many parents, and recommended by professional nitpickers.
Olive oil smothers or slows down lice if left on for 8 hours or more, enough to comb them out easily. Other oils “may” work but olive oil is the easiest to apply, non toxic, and accessible at the supermarket. Petroleum jelly and/or mayonnaise are not recommended.
Click Here FOR INSTRUCTIONS ON THE OLIVE OIL TREATMENT (appendix B)
HOW TO GET RID OF THE NITS:
No product is currently available that kills all the eggs.
Once you have removed all the live lice via chemical shampoo or olive oil, you must realize that the embryos that are in the eggs (nits) will hatch and emerge to live on the head. The nymphs will feed and grow, unless they are also removed.
It is important to “nitpick” to get rid of the nits. To nitpick, you can look thru dry hair preferably in natural sunlight. Take very small sections of hair at a time, and use a lighted magnifying glass if necessary to detect the nits. Pull the nits out between your finger nails, and deposit on sticky tape, or a lint roll. You must do this regularly for three weeks, until you are sure all the nits are out, and no new nymphs have hatched.
The Nitpickers strongly recommend you use the olive oil treatment every four days as instructed to make sure you have killed any nymphs that may have hatched. (Click Here for CALENDAR Appendix D).
If you have a “real good” metal nit comb (i.e. the nit free terminator comb), you can use the conditioner comb out technique (Appendix A) instead of nitpicking. You need to comb thru small sections of hair, 5-6 times each, with the metal nit comb. The use of the conditioner and metal comb will help to dislodge the nits. Please see the calendar to determine the best days to do this, during the three week period. It is also recommended, if you use the conditioner comb out method, you follow the olive oil treatment on the weekends, during the three week period. (Click Here for CALENDAR Appendix D).
CLEANING THE ENVIRONMENT
Don’t go crazy! Lice cannot live off the scalp for very long (maybe a day or two).
The motto is to “follow the head”, i.e. clean where the child’s head has been.
Wash bedding where the child has slept.
You may choose to rewash just the pillow case every few days while you are nitpicking.
Put pillows, or comforters in the dryer on hot for 20 minutes (the heat will kill them).
Vacuum or use a lint roller on upholstery, backpacks, athletic equipment, and car seats where the child’s head may have been in contact.
Vacuum the rug in an area where the child may lay down to play, or watch television.
Vacuum or use a lint roller on any stuffed animals or toys that the child sleeps with.
Put hats, coats, or sweaters into the dryer on hot for 20 minutes
Clean brushes, combs, and hair clips in very hot water.
The ability for the lice to survive off the head for very long is so slim, it is not necessary to make yourself crazy. One sweep thru the environment is enough. Focus your time on getting rid of the nits on your child’s head and not on cleaning your house.
WILL THEY COME BACK?
If even “one” nit is left on a child’s head, it could hatch, and become a full grown louse, laying more eggs and reproducing. It will take about a month before you will see evidence of a reoccurring lice infestation. It is very important that you get rid of all nits.
LIFE CYCLE OF THE LICE
CLICK HERE TO SEE A PICTURE OF THE LIFE CYCLE OF LICE. (Appendix C)
NITPICKER REFERENCES:
There are a couple of people in the area who will help to get the nits out and assist with the treatment plan. They can charge somewhere between $75-$120 an hour.
NitWits - Professional Lice and Nitpicking Service
www.liceinfo.net
617-816-9487
Three women who run an office in Cambridge. You go into their office for their nitpicking services. They also have the Nit Free Terminator Comb available (for sale) from their office.
The Nit Picker
www.thenit-picker.com
781-449-2283
Based in Needham, the Nit Picker will come to your house to help eliminate the nits. She also offers a call in service for advice over the phone.
RESOURCES
One of the best resources is the school nurse. She has dealt with many families who have experienced problems with lice. She can do a check on your child, or show you how to check your child if you are unclear. She will also check any parents heads if they request it. She can also give you names of other parents who have had head lice in their family, have gotten rid of them, and are willing to share their experience!
Here is a list of PTO Moms who have lived thru the head lice experience and survived. They are willing to help, and answer questions confidentially. Please feel free to call any one of them, it is important we support each other and get useful information out to other parents as quickly as possible.
Janice Copley 617-928-3478
Karen O’Reilly 617-965-0112
Karen Fisher 617-840-7863
PTO LICE KIT
The PTO has put together several packets for families who have discovered they have lice and need a metal comb and info immediately. The packet includes a Nit Free Terminator Comb, a Head magnifier with light (like the professional nitpickers use), the book “Head Lice to Dead Lice”, and several informational hand outs, which we feel will help battle the bugs!! The PTO is happy to give these to people to borrow. Please contact one of the above resources if you need one, we have them at our homes, and can get them to you anytime.
SPREAD THE WORD
Although it may seem difficult to let other people know your family is battling head lice. Isn’t it worse to finally win the battle, only to send your child back into a play date, or class environment where other children are still infected, and may not know it! PLEASE, notify the nurse about the head lice, so she can discreetly send information asking other parents in class to check their kid. Also, call play dates families so they can check their children as well.
Many Peirce families have been thru this experience already. It is important we all work together to help each other to get rid of the bugs, and keep them from spreading!
BE CAREFUL OF BAD INFORMATION
Be careful of information on the Web. Several web sites give conflicting information, even contradicting each other. This makes addressing the head lice problem even more confusing. Some web sites offer great information, but are mainly touting their products. Although there is no “quick fix” for getting rid of the lice, we hope this information can help focus your efforts in the right direction.
