Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 2: How to Identify Symptoms and Avoid Carriers
• Method 2 of 2: Practical ways to keep head lice away
• Tips
• Warnings

Would you like to know how to protect yourself from head lice during a head lice epidemic? Don't want creepy crawling things in your head? While lice may sound scary to you, they are actually less dangerous than we tend to think. A few simple tips will help you protect yourself from lice so you don't have to deal with getting rid of lice after they have started in your hair.

Steps

Method 1 of 2: How to Identify Symptoms and Avoid Carriers

1. 1 Know the symptoms. As you probably know, lice are small in size and can be white, brown or dark gray in color. Most often they are located behind the ears and behind the neck and feed on human blood. They are best recognized on dark hair.
   • The most common symptom of head lice is itching of the head and neck.
   • In many children, the presence of lice does not appear until a few weeks or months after they appear in the hair. Therefore, in order to detect head lice early, it is important to regularly check your hair for lice by combing it with a fine-toothed comb.
   • Doctors recommend combing the hair to check for lice after the child has taken a shower and his hair is wet.
2. 2 Tell your child that it is important not to share certain household items with other people. Since lice are often epidemic among schoolchildren, you need to be careful in situations where schoolchildren may share certain items. While you are likely teaching your children to share, you should teach them not to share the following subjects:
   • Hats
   • Hair hoops
   • Hair accessories
   • Cushions
   • Combs
   • Any other items that involve direct contact between a carrier of the disease and a potential carrier.
3. 3 Find out who has lice. Although lice are unpleasant, they are not infectious. However, you need to know who has or has had lice. Knowledge is power.
   • If someone has had lice and has been treated, but it has not been more than two weeks since treatment, try to avoid contact with their clothing. You don't need to be afraid of them, but just try to avoid direct contact with them, especially contact with their hair.
4. 4 Check your hair for lice. Lice are common in schools and summer camps. If your school or camp does not have regular checks, ask your nurse to check your hair for lice from time to time. If there is no nurse available, schedule a queue for the doctor to check your child's hair for lice.

Method 2 of 2: Practical ways to keep head lice away

1. 1 Do not use sprays containing fumigants or other chemicals. These sprays are not guaranteed to get rid of lice and may do more harm than good if inhaled or swallowed.
2. 2 Wash the clothes your child is wearing regularly if you suspect your child may have been in contact with someone who has lice.
   • Wash sheets in hot water
   • Wash all items your child has worn in the past 48 hours
   • Tumble dry all soft toys your child has slept with for 20 minutes
3. 3 Soak all hair accessories in warm water, isopropyl alcohol, or medicated shampoo. To protect against lice, hair accessories such as combs, hair bands, hair hoops and headbands, etc. should be soaked regularly. Better to play it safe than to regret what was not done later.
4. 4 Use the right hair products to help keep head lice away. Due to a certain smell or reverse chemical reaction, lice are deterred by:
   • Tea tree oil. To keep out lice, you can use a shampoo or conditioner with this ingredient.
   • Coconut oil. Coconut oil is famous for repelling lice.
   • Menthol, eucalyptus oil, lavender oil and rosemary oil. Lice are likely to be deterred by the strong smell of these oils.
   • There are also special hair products designed to protect against lice. Use a lice-killing shampoo only if you have lice, otherwise it may have a bad effect on your hair.
5. 5 Vacuum floors and upholstery, which can become a habitat for a large number of lice. Once a month, vacuum and knock out carpets and upholstery where lice can breed and wait for human contact.
6. 6 Enjoy life! Don't live in fear trying to protect yourself from what may never happen to you. Don't worry about getting lice before actually getting them.

Tips

• During the school year, avoid using scented shampoos or conditioners (such as those with a cherry scent). This can attract lice. Use unscented shampoo on days when you have school, and on weekends, you can wash your hair with scented shampoo. The only exception is coconut-scented shampoo.
• Apply a generous amount of hair spray to your hair. Lice don't like sticky hair.
• Does your head itch? Take a close look at your hair in the mirror. If you think you have lice, talk to your doctor!
  • If you find you have lice, use an anti-dandruff shampoo and conditioner. You can also find a lice-killing shampoo at any pharmacy. Children should not use Head & Shoulders Shampoo as it contains chemicals that are not suitable for children. Adults can use Head & Shoulders Shampoo.
• Thinking that you have lice can make your scalp itchy, so don't assume that if you have an itchy head, you are bound to have lice. It might just be a game of your imagination.
• If you know someone has lice, you don't need to completely avoid that person. You can date him, just avoid contact with his hair / head.
• Lice are common in the seats of airplanes, movie theaters and buses. Remove your jacket and place it on the seat before sitting down.
• After you have completed your lice treatment, be sure to repeat it two weeks later. This is to get rid of dead lice and nits. If you don't, the lice will reappear.

Warnings

• If someone in your school or camp has lice, don't use scented shampoo!