Tips to Lower Your Odds Of Catching Lice

If you got head lice growing up, you’re not alone. In the United States alone, there are an estimated 6-12 million children between the ages of 3 and 11 that get head lice every year. When large groups of people come together, the risk of bumping heads with someone that has lice is significantly higher. Between the crowded space and the multitude of people between the ages of 3 and 11, it is clear why public schools make a great breeding ground for these parasites. Most doctors and parents take a reactionary approach to lice, only dealing with them once they are forced to, but there are a few proactive preventative measures that could help you prevent head lice. If you are worried about the transmission of head lice, here are some tips to lower your odds of catching lice:

Watch Your Head-to-Head Contact

One of the most popular misconceptions regarding head lice is that they can jump or fly from head to head. Thankfully for us, the only way that these parasites can travel is by crawling. That’s why keeping your head to yourself and away from others is the first step in lice prevention. Something as little as resting your head on someone’s shoulder can provide the head lice with the opportunity they need to spread.

Keep Your Hair Pulled Out of the Way

Having loose strands of hair makes head-to-head contact more likely. By putting your hair up and tucked away, you can lower your risk of tangling hairs with the wrong person. A simple braid, a bun, or even a ponytail could make all the difference when you are near a lot of people.

Do Not Use Fumigation

Discovering that you or someone in your house has head lice can be quite unsettling. Many people jump straight to the most extreme option, hoping for a quick solution. Fumigation is used as both a preventative and reactionary measure to eliminate pests in the home using a chemical fog. Not only is this method highly toxic, but it is not an effective solution to head lice. Lice cannot survive outside of the hair, so fumigation an entire house is overkill. There are simpler and less dangerous options to prevent and treat lice that do not involve gas bombing your own home.

Learn the Signs and Symptoms

One of the best ways to prevent the spread of head lice is by teaching your family about them. Knowing the signs and symptoms of head lice, as well as how they spread, is a huge part of preventing head lice from spreading to others. In some situations, the itching that alerts most people to their head lice is delayed or never starts, so it is important to be able to recognize other signs that you might have lice.

Lice Treatment in Green Bay Today!

Getting head lice is never fun, but there are a lot of ways that you can help prevent the spread of head lice. Here at Lice Clinics America, we work hard to both prevent and remove head lice. If you want to learn more or schedule an appointment visit us at our lice removal clinic in Green Bay or click the link at the top of the page.