In this post, I am going to help you understand more about head lice and recommend the best head lice treatment for kids. You might wonder why is head lice discussed on Junior Soccer Stars website. Well, soccer is a contact sport and it is one of the activities that help spread head lice and chances are your kids might already get it from their teammates.
What Is A Head Louse?
The head louse (singular for lice) is a tiny wingless insect that lives on the human scalp and feed on the host’s blood.
The egg of head louse is called a nit. Some also called the dead eggshell nit but that is another discussion.
While they do not carry any nasty diseases they are very annoying and can irritate your kids. You can check for head lice eggs at the back of the head and behind the ears, because this is the area they mostly favored. The life cycle of a louse is 30 days after which they die.
The louse feeds on human blood 4 to 5 times a day by biting the skin and inject its saliva which contains a blood thinner before sucking it. It then excreted the digested blood in the form of dark red frass. The louse does not any wings to fly nor it has the ability to jump, it uses its claw-like leg to move around.
Currently, about 6 -12 million adults and mostly 3 to 11-year-old kids are treated annually for head lice in the United States. In the UK almost two-thirds of children in primary school has at least one experience of head louse infestation.
What Are The Symptoms And Effects Of Head Lice?
The first noticeable sign that your kid has head lice is itching on the scalp. This is due to the allergic reaction to the saliva they produced when feeding on the blood.
The itching can cause kids to scratch their heads making it difficult to sleep and concentrate at school. The continuous scratch can lead to sores on the scalp and when it becomes infected it caused the glands to swell. This is when your kids began to get sick.
How Do Kids Get Head Lice?
Head lice pass from one kid to another from body contact when they play or sleep together. It can also pass through the sharing of personal items like comb, hairbrush, hat, sports headgear, and scarves.
Most likely places are the classroom, at home with family members, soccer training, birthday parties, sleepovers, and summer camps.
How To Prevent Head Lice
Preventing head lice can be a challenging task because the school or soccer club is actually not concerned about it. But as parents, if you consistently take preventative measures then you can keep the head lice at bay.
It is important that your kids do not share personal items such as brushes, combs, hair accessories, hats, scarves, and towels. Head lice can be trapped in these items and passed on to your kids.
Girls should keep their hair in braids, ponytails, or pinned down when playing soccer or any activities that they may come in contact with other kids.
Also, regularly check your kid’s hair for any signs of head lice or nits. Chances are if you find it in your kid’s hair then most likely it has been passed to other family members as well.
One effective method is to spray or wash your kid’s hair with lice repellent conditioner weekly or before they leave for soccer camp or training. This will repel head lice from transferring to your kid’s hair.
Home Treatment of Head Lice
One simple method to get rid of head lice is to wash your kid’s hair with a conditioner and methodically comb it using a fine-toothed nit comb. Starting at the bottom of the hair and run the comb until it reached the end.
This should be done 3 to 4 days for 2 weeks or until there are no signs of lice to be found. Apply the same method to anyone in the family who shows the symptoms of head lice as well.
Alternatively, I recommend using the Babo Botanicals Lice Prevention Gift Set. This product received a lot of positive reviews as being effective and they are made from all-natural ingredients that are clinically proven to be safe.
Babo Botanicals Lice Prevention Essentials Gift Set
The Babo Botanical Lice Prevention Essential Gift Set is basically designed to prevent head lice outbreak and it has been clinically proven to be 95% effective.
It comes with an 8oz Lice Repel Shampoo, an 8oz Lice Repel Conditioning Spray and a Terminator Lice Comb.
Lice Repel Shampoo
The shampoo contains repellent oils of rosemary, tea tree, and mint that not only repels lice but also purifies, smooths, and soften the hair and scalp.
It is recommended that you wash your kid’s hair with Lice Repel Shampoo every day. This is to ensure maximum protection from the head lice.
All the ingredients used in the shampoo are all natural including pure flower and plant extracts and created on a farm in the US.
Lice Repel Conditioning Spray
The Lice Repel Conditioning Spray also contains the same ingredients as the shampoo but it is used when your kids go to school or soccer training.
With the conditioner, you don’t have to moisten the hair before applying the spray. You can spray directly on your kid’s dry hair before he or she takes off.
This will Repel any head lice your kid might come in contact with and giving you peace of mind.
The shampoo and conditioner are safe to use on your baby and yourself because they contain essential oils from rosemary, tea tree, and mint. Your whole family will love the yummy smell as well so keep them out of reach from your kids.
Terminator Lice Comb
The Terminator Lice Comb is made of stainless steel with micro-grooved teeth that are gentle to the scalp and gets every nit out. It is recommended that you comb regularly to get rid of lice early.
To use the comb you can moisturize the hair with the Lice Repel Shampoo before running the comb through the hair. And make sure you untangle any hair knots by using a regular comb or brush.
As described earlier, you need to comb the entire hair systemically. You begin by separating hair into sections and then comb outwards from the bottom of the hair to the end.
Outbreak
During an outbreak check if all family members already have head lice. if they do then they all must be treated as well.
First of all lather the hair with the Lice Repel Shampoo and leave it for 3-5 minutes after which you rinse it with water. proceed on to spray the with the conditioning spray. Repeat this process every day.
Once or twice a week you need to use the Terminator Lice Comb to remove the head lice and its eggs. Apply the Lice Repel Conditioning Spray before and after combing.
Remember to spray the hair with the conditioning spray every morning as well.
Be tedious in your search for head lice and nits and continue these methods for at least 3 weeks. By sticking to it consistently you will remove the head lice effectively.
This is a great product to have at home for kids who are active in sports and activities that involve being in physical contact with others. The biggest advantage is it offers head lice prevention and treatment as well and best of all is its all-natural ingredients.
Help your kid enjoy playing soccer and having fun and not to be constantly irritated by this nasty head louse bug.
“This is the safest, most effective lice repellent we have used. I recommend it to anyone to have in their home in case there is a student outbreak at school or camp. It leaves the hair in great condition while doing the best job at preventing lice”
Barbara Gips, The Lice Patrol
Pros
- Only natural ingredients used
- Pleasant smell
- Safe for everyone in the family
- Offers prevention and treatment as well
Cons
- 8oz of shampoo and conditioner spray might not be enough for more than 1 kid
Price: $32.00
My Rating: 4.9 out of 5
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