Any child who attends school or other functions with children involved may develop a head lice infestation at any time. Performing a head lice check every week is a good way to keep a child from developing a serious lice infestation that will be hard to get rid of.

Disposable combs should be used when conducting a lice check. Keeping a few dozen plastic combs on hand will ensure that none of them will have to be reused on anyone else's head before they are disinfected. Large numbers of cheap combs can be bought on eBay and on specialty retail sites.

After using each comb, either throw the comb away or put it through a hot dishwasher cycle to kill any lice that are on it. Being exposed to the high temperatures for 30 minutes or more will kill the lice, and the comb can then be reused.

To perform a head lice check, use a comb to part the hair and look closely at the scalp. The lice will be attached to the scalp- not the hair. If you see any white, beige or tan spots on the scalp, those are most likely lice. To be sure, scrape away the items to see if they fall away from the hair. If they are difficult to get off the scalp, they are almost certainly lice. Each louse hooks it's claws into the scalp to hold on, and pulling them away takes effort and pressure. If the object falls off easily and then falls out of the hair completely, it is likely either sands, dandruff or crumbs.

If a child does have lice, the parents should be contacted, but avoid telling anyone else. Children can be ridiculed by other children, parents and even other teachers if they are identified as having a lice infestation.

Children should be kept at home while they are given lice treatments for killing lice. When all of the lice are dead, the child should be checked again to ensure that there are no small patches of lice or louse eggs still on the head.



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