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Parents

You've just been informed that your child has head lice. What do you do?

1. Do NOT panic. While the thought of head lice on the head of your loved one may be upsetting, it's not uncommon. Rest assured that head lice are NOT the result of an unclean home, unkempt pets or unwashed children.

2. Check your other children for head lice. Most head lice are transmitted from person-to-person by head-to-head contact. If one person in the household is infected, other members of the household may be infected as well.

3. What you are looking for:

   •  Head lice are 1/16th to 1/8th of an inch in size. (About the size of a sesame seed.)
   • Head lice can be light brown to black.
   • They move quickly when touched.
   • Head lice lay lots of eggs. (Also known as nits.)
   • Nits are grayish-white in color.
   • Click here to view pictures of head lice

4. Select a treatment. There are many head lice treatments, including over-the-counter and pharmaceutical treatments. For detailed information on the available products, please go to www.MyHeadliceTreatment.com. ALWAYS consult a health care professional for advice on a treatment that's best for you child.

5. Prevent re-infestation after treatment. Some treatments will not kill nits. The nits will hatch and the cycle will repeat. The most effective way to prevent re-infestation is to comb all lice and nits from your child's hair using a lice comb. While this is a time-consuming task, it is very effective.

6. Clean all items that may have been in contact with your child's head. Most head lice are too weak to re-attach themselves to the hair after only a few hours, but they can survive for up to 48 hours off of the human head.

7. Contact other parents and caregivers. Please make sure the parents and caregivers of children that may have been in contact with your child are aware of the situation.

Dr. Itchy Can Help

Dr. Itchy was created to help you and your children have a better understanding of head lice. From prevention to treatment, Dr. Itchy explains head lice with a fun and easy-to-understand approach, engaging children with interactive tools and resources.

Explore Dr. Itchy’s resources for parents