Treating head lice

Essentially, parents and carers need to regularly check their children’s hair, looking for small insects which can be of any size from that of a full-stop on a printed page to the size of a sesame seed.

• Hair should be checked regularly, ideally once a week – a good way to remember this is once a week, take a peek.
• The best way is to use a head lice detection comb every week rather than just looking through the hair. Choose a good quality plastic comb with rigid teeth no more than 0.3mm apart.
• Once the lice have hatched, the empty egg shells remain glued to the hair - they reflect light and stand out as white oval specks which can be felt when two fingers are run down the hair shaft. Finding nits in a child’s hair doesn’t mean they have an active infestation, only if you find actual lice do you need to think about treatment.
• A good time to check hair is after it has been washed, as lice tend to become inactive in water. Using conditioner can ease the combing process.
• Sit comfortably and make it fun, perhaps in front of a favourite TV programme or book. Special attention whilst combing should be given to the back of the neck, top of the head, under the fringe, behind the ears and close to the scalp.

Treat
Parents should take primary responsibility for dealing with head lice, but pre-schools and schools can support by quickly alerting other parents if there is an outbreak of lice, so they can be extra vigilant and prepared.
 
Complete
Head lice have been identified, treatment has been applied but there is one final step. It is time to repeat the checking process.
 

• Check that all head lice have gone within two to three days of the final application to complete the treatment.
• If the pack instructions specify that a second application is required, repeat the treatment for a second time, seven days after the first, to kill any lice that may hatch from eggs during that time.
• Continue to check for head lice on a regular, weekly basis.

 
Head lice can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety for parents. When choosing a product, parents are looking for reassurance that the product they choose will be effective, hassle-free and not daunting to use. Hedrin Treat & Go offers a convenient, easy to apply and easy to wash out solution, allowing parents to treat the problem effectively with no fuss.

Hedrin Treat & Go is a light and non-oily formula which spreads quickly and easily on the hair and is easily dried so there is no need to wash it out straight away. The treatment can then be left on during the day or over-night, with no need to combing and then simply rinsed out when convenient, leaving no residue on the hair.

Hedrin Treat & Go is available from pharmacies and leading retailers nationwide, priced from £5.49 for 50ml.