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How do I know if my child has Head Lice?
Most people do not suffer from any obvious symptoms when they have lice, so regular inspection combing is essential.
However, approximately one in five do suffer from symptoms. The usual signs of lice are an itchy scalp and a rash at the nape of the neck or behind the ears. The itching and irritation of the scalp is caused by the body’s reaction to the saliva from the lice as they feed. The rash is caused by the body’s reaction to the lice droppings.
The only certain way to know whether your child has head lice is by actually finding a live louse. This requires checking through the child’s hair by wet combing . If you don’t find any lice but you do find nits close to your child’s head, there is a high possibility that there is a current infestation present. On the other hand, if you find nits further than 5mm from the scalp, it is more likely to be an old infestation that has cleared up. Remove the nits and re-check after a few days to check there are no new eggs present.
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