Watch Out For These 7 Signs Of Head Lice In Your Child

You just got notified of a lice outbreak at your child’s school. You suddenly start seeing head lice everywhere. That little speck on your child’s jumper looks like lice. That little ant on their school bag also looks like lice. That nagging feeling of head lice creeping about your child and in your home is a feeling all too familiar for parents around the globe. Getting head lice is nothing too uncommon, it happens to every child at least once in their life. A report by American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) approximates that nearly 11 million children get head lice on an annual basis. Due to the increasing use of permethrin-based “lice killer” chemicals, head lice are now developing increasing resistance against topical treatments. They are becoming much harder to control, thus frustrating parents to no end. Even though your child’s school has had an outbreak of critters, you child may still be safe. The only way to be sure is to look for indications of lice in their hair. Keep an eye out for these signs:

1. Scalp Itchiness

The foremost symptom of a head lice infestation is an itchy scalp. When lice break through the skin to suck blood, they deposit saliva over the target area. Humans are typically allergic to louse saliva, hence the constant itching. If your child is scratching his/her head, it may be a sure sign of head lice. Of course, many people are not allergic to louse saliva, and may not experience any type of itching whatsoever despite having lice.

2. Presence Of Redness

The scalp’s skin can become red and slightly bumpy due to lice bites. This redness is typically found towards the lower half of the back of a lice-victim’s head and the upper neck.

3. A Crawling Sensation

Did your child tell you that they felt something moving in their head? It may be lice. Lice can create an eerie feeling, usually at the top or back of the scalp, when they crawl around.

4. Trouble Sleeping

When in repose, you are almost absolutely still. Lice take advantage of the stillness, and can crawl and bite around with ease. If your child keeps waking up in the middle of the night, it may be due to lice.

5. Unusual Irritability

The constant itching, lack of sleep and its resulting tiredness can make your child “act out”. If they appear consistently cranky for no reason, they might be troubled by head lice.

6. Scattered Nits

Nits (lice eggs) look very similar to dandruff, and are almost invisible against lighter shades of hair. If your child has had a lice infestation for a while, they are likely to have nits as well. Nits are typically present near the roots of hair. These are very clingy; unlike dandruff, they cannot be shaken off, only pulled.

7. Other Family Member Has Lice

It is quite possible that you may not immediately see any of these signs of head lice in your child, but you may start experiencing or seeing them on yourself or another member of the family. A natural lice removal is your safest option for freeing your child of their head lice. The lice doctors at Lice Troopers offer pesticide free lice removal expertise. The specialists are exceptionally considerate in their lice treatments, and make use of pesticide free hair products and combing to eradicate lice. We also provide lice removal service Miami Beach for schools and camps. Call us today at 800-403-5423, and let us help you make an efficient process of removing your child’s head lice!