The Nitty-Gritty: Getting Rid of Head Lice

It's a shock for parents when they realise that their child has head lice for the first time. Sometimes the news arrives in a letter from school, while, in other cases, suspicion is aroused by the youngster's constant head-scratching. Either way, when you check their head and find the sticky white eggs, or even a live louse, you have to face the unpalatable fact that your child is harbouring nits.

Flying into hysteria at the discovery is all too easy, but there's no need for this reaction. Head lice spread very easily between children, and, contrary to popular belief, they are equally attracted by both clean and dirty hair. In the UK, the NHS estimates that around 30% of children aged from four to 11 are likely to fall victim to the bugs at some stage during the year, so there is no call to be embarrassed if your child is among them.

The real question is how best to treat the bugs. After a child contracts nits for the first time, many parents rush straight to the chemist to buy a medicated lotion. The advantage of this type of preparation is that it should get rid of both lice and nits in one fell swoop. However, none of the chemicals can be guaranteed to be completely effective. They also have a strong smell, which can cause upset to children and the whole family.

An alternative method preferred by some parents is bug busting. This involves applying a thick conditioner to the hair and then wet combing, first with a wide-toothed comb and then with a fine-toothed comb. If you do this every three days, all the lice should in theory be gone within two weeks, although in practice it can take longer.

Electric combs are yet another means of detecting and getting rid of head lice, with the advantage that they can be used on dry hair. However, whichever method you decide on, it is essential that the whole family is checked, as the pesky bugs can spread very quickly. Often parents may have caught nits from their offspring without realising.

It is important to let your children's school know, so that staff can pass on the word to other parents. You must also remember to check the whole family's heads regularly in case the bugs return. The most essential thing is not to panic, because this is just a stage, and, as your children grow older, nits will become a thing of the past.