The beginning of the school year is a traditional time for a lice infestation. Despite the fact that better pesticides against lice are coming onto the market, the number of head lice infestations in the Netherlands is not decreasing.
Did you know…
Every year, about 10 percent of primary school children get lice.
You can do a number of things to reduce the risk of lice, but you can never guarantee that you will escape the lice infestation; lice easily overflow.
1. Do not hang the jacket against other jackets on the coat rack
When coats hang together, lice can easily overflow. Therefore, do not hang coats on the coat rack at school. There are special lice capes and bags available that you can put around your coat for protection.
2. Try to let small children play with their heads close together as little as possible
See how to get that done.
3. You really don't have to wash the hair extra often It is a persistent myth that lice come to dirty hair. Lice have nothing to do with hygiene. So save yourself the time and effort.
4. Use hairspray and/or gel
According to the RIVM, children who use gel or hairspray in their hair are slightly less likely to have lice.
5. See if it prevails
On the Luizenradar website you can check how many infections have been reported in your area.
6. Do not share hair items
Do not share hairbrushes, hair bows or towels with each other.
7. Do a lice check regularly
Lice multiply quickly. By doing a check every day, you discover it early and that makes it easier to get rid of lice. Lice like warm and moist places, so look behind the ears, under the fringe, on the crown and on the nape of the neck. They are the favorite places of lice.
An efficient way to see if someone has lice is to comb with a nit comb. Hang head over white towel or over white paper. In this way, existing lice (grey-blue or red-brown in color) fall on the white background and you can immediately see them. In addition to lice, there can also be eggs (nits) in the hair. They look like small, grey-white dots and are firmly attached to the hair, close to the hair root.
Is it too late and is your child infected? Don't panic, you should do this if someone has lice.
