No child wants to find out that they have lice, and no parent wants to find out that their child has lice. However, it is very common—the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that as many as 12 million children suffer from lice every year. If you want to reduce the chances of getting lice, here are a few things that you can do.

Tip #1: Teach Children To Avoid Sharing Their Clothes/Hair Items

Generally, children are taught that they should share. However, when it comes to hair items like scrunchies and brushes as well as clothing, children should not share. Instead, these items should be kept tucked away safely in a locker, cubby, or other safe space so that they always know where they are and never need to borrow one from anyone else. Lice can live on these items for several days at a time, which means that kids are able to spread lice before they are even aware that they have lice.

Tip #2: Check for Lice in Your Child's Hair Once Weekly

Your children are likely more at risk to get lice or spread lice during the winter when hats, scarves, and jackets are thrown all around and on top of each other. To ensure that you spot an infestation as early as possible, check your child's hair and scalp once a week. You will want to be on the lookout for white eggs close to the hair roots as well as brown nymphs and mature lice on the scalp. The areas that you should pay the closest attention to are the nape of the neck, the back of the head, and behind the ears since lice prefer these areas. While winter may be an easy time for lice to spread, it doesn't mean that you shouldn't check your child at all times of the year.

Tip #3: Keep All Fabric Items Clean

If you want to manage these tiny and annoying pests, it's critical that you frequently clean fabric items. Wash everyone's clothes, bedsheets, cold weather accessories, and any other fabric items that can be washed once a week, and don't forget to soak brushes and combs in a shampoo and water mixture regularly to remove any excess hair. If your child goes to a friend's house for a sleepover, have them take their own pillow and sleeping bag. If your child is having a friend come over, encourage the friend to do the same.

If you find that your child has lice despite your precautions, seek out a lice treatment from a place like Hair Butterfly's Lice and Nit Removal Salon. 

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