Head lice: just the mention of these little critters is enough to make anyone’s scalp itchy! At some stage most of us will have to deal with our children bringing head lice home for a visit. And we’re here to help make it’s a short one.

First things first, head lice aren’t dangerous and they don’t carry any diseases. Phew! But they are irritating and can be distressing for kids who aren’t quite sure what’s going on. Kids love to tell each other horror stories about lice – and there are plenty of untruths floating around about these insects.

But there’s really no need to spiral into worry – once you know what head lice are and how to treat them, you’ll have them under control in no time. Our No-Panic Guide To Head Lice has everything you need to know – from how they’re transmitted to whether you need to wash all the sheets and pillows and how to painlessly remove them from your kids.

What Are Head Lice?

Head lice are actually fascinating creatures. Annoying, yes, but intriguing! These little, wingless insects have been around for thousands of years and they live their lives on humans. They live, reproduce and feed on our scalps – they actually need to feed from human scalps several times a day. They’re not at all dangerous and don’t have anything to do with whether you’re clean or dirty.

A female louse is able to lay between three and eight eggs a day, with the eggs attaching to the hair. They need the warmth from a scalp to hatch

Kids can be pretty scared or upset when they’re told they have lice. But there’s nothing to be ashamed of, they’re super common among kids. They don’t spread any diseases, but their bites can make the scalp itchy and irritated.

Are Head Lice And Nits The Same?

Nits are actually the eggs that are laid by lice. They are attached to the hair and can’t just be flicked off – they need to be individually removed with your fingernails (very time consuming!), or a specially-designed comb.

What Do Head Lice Eggs Look Like?

It’s more likely that you’ll spot the nits (eggs) rather than the lice themselves in your child’s hair, because they’re white. You may mistake the eggs for dandruff initially.

What Do Head Lice Look Like?

Head lice are small. You’re looking for something that’s about the size of a sesame seed and look like brown dots – which can be tricky to spot in dark hair.

How Do I Know If My Child Has Head Lice?

Your kiddo might say they’ve got an itchy scalp, or you may notice them itching their scalp more than usual. And the more they scratch the more irritated their skin becomes.

You’ll be able to see the lice or eggs just by inspecting their hair and scalp. The eggs might look like dandruff, and they’ll be gripping onto the hair. You won’t be able to simply flick them off the hair.

Head Lice Treatment

This is where it may become overwhelming, but there is a really simple, chemical-free solution for getting rid of head lice. And all it involves is combing the kids’ hair.

The first of its kind Licetec V-COMB A1 is a really convenient and more-importantly effective way of combating head lice. There are no funky smells, no mixing chemicals. Just comb the hair with the V-Comb and the stainless-steel teeth gently comb out head lice and eggs, extracting them into disposable capture filters using suction power. Easy peasy.

The lice are trapped and can be disposed of without needing to handle them at all. For the kids, there’s the instant satisfaction and relief of seeing the lice tapped in the LED-illuminated chamber.

Are Head Lice Becoming Resistant To Chemicals?

There is some recent research that suggest ‘super nits’ are becoming resistant to common chemical treatments. Scientists analysed head lice across 48 states in the US and they found that 98 per cent of head lice were not susceptible to the current insecticide treatments available. And Australian authorities have also indicated that insecticide resistance is common in head lice.

It makes the the Licetec V-Comb A1 the perfect solution for ridding your family of insecticide-resistant lice.

Can Head Lice Live On Pillows And Sheets?

For a little while. Lice can’t actually survive for more than 24 to 48 hours once they’re off a human scalp, so unless your child has specifically touched something in the house, it’s safe to say there aren’t any lice on it.

But sheets, pillows and clothing and anything else that has come in contact or been close to their head and scalp do need to be washed in water that’s hotter than 55°C. Sometimes there are things that can’t be washed, just pop whatever it is into a plastic bag for a couple of days.

Can Head Lice Jump?

Head lice are wingless, so they certainly can’t fly. The way the travel from person to person is from direct contact. Basically they’ll just crawl from one child’s scalp onto the next. They don’t really care if their hair is clean or dirty. It’s all the same to them!

In fact, lice don’t actually spread that easily. They want to stay put on the scalp, it’s where all their food is.

How To Prevent Head Lice

In all honesty, if your kids manage to make it through school without getting lice at least once, you’re a rare family indeed! But there are some ways to try and keep the little insects at bay, or at least reduce the amount of times they come knocking at your door:

• Make sure your kids don’t share hair brushes, combs, hats or clothing with their classmates or friends.
• Talk to your kids about what you’ve learnt about head lice.
• Regularly check your kids’ hair. It’s handy to keep a Licetec V-Comb A1 at home to easily check for lice or nits.

Say Goodbye To Head Lice With The V-Comb

The V-Comb is an allergen- and chemical-free device that eliminates head lice and eggs with the ease of combing the hair. With its stainless-steel combing teeth and suction power, the V-Comb extracts head lice and eggs into a disposable capture filter which can be seen through the LED-illuminated compartment.

The V-Comb A1 ($72.99) is available at Licetec.