Beyond the Basics: Patient Education for Head Lice
Did you wake up with an itchy scalp even though you didn’t use your sister’s lice-infested bedsheets? These pesky creatures can be tricky to avoid and even trickier to get rid of!
Take a look at some of these effective, top-of-the-line preventive measures to keep the lice at bay without any hassle.
Avoid sharing items that are worn on the head
Lice can get dislodged from hair follicles and grab onto certain items like hats, caps, headscarves, hairbrushes, hair clips, towels, and headsets. This gives them up to 24 hours to find another host. So, unless you want to welcome lice to your scalp, the best way to stay away from an infestation is to stop sharing head-worn items with someone who already has a lice infestation.Minimize head-to-head contact
Head-to-head contact is one of the most common ways through which you can contract lice. One day, you placed your head on a friend’s shoulder in the bus and the next thing you know, you have an itchy scalp and red bumps all over your neck. Develop a habit to avoid placing your head closer to others. You can also avoid playing games that require head-to-head contact, such as Twister. Additionally, you can keep your hair tied up in a bun or ponytail.Don’t share personal belongings
While head lice may not have the ability to hold onto the fibers on clothes, they still can maneuver through the fabric with their claws. Keeping this in mind, you should avoid sharing personal belongings such as scarves, clothes and hair accessories with someone who has a head lice infestation. Even hanging your coat on the same hook as an infected coat can lead to a lice outbreak.Avoid comfy couches and chairs in public spaces
Whether you visit the library, the doctor’s office or a movie theater, there’s a possibility that the person seated on the sofa before you had lice. You can easily contract lice by sitting and leaning on the same surface as an infected person, especially if the lice fell off their scalp less than 24 hours ago.
