I was fortunate to never have head lice as a child. I dreaded and feared that above everything else. My parents scared me by telling me that if I contracted head lice I would have to be shaved bald and that led to the fear. My hair was below my knees and the thought of losing my mane was terrifying. I did everything I could to stay away from people I knew who had lice and maintained minimal contact with them.

Public places like schools, day care and camps are breeding grounds for these creepy crawlies. The best thing you can do is to check your children for head lice once a week. Use a topical shampoo to get rid of these mites. You can also choose to use the shampoo even before the lice strike. It is a good preventive measure. If you have used the shampoo and there is no relief then consult your doctor for prescriptive medication.

Lice do not spread any diseases and therefore are not dangerous. However they cause irritation as they keep biting your scalp and can cause you to itch your skin which can be very embarrassing.

A simple way to prevent spreading the lice within the house is to avoid sharing personal grooming items like combs and hair dryers. Hats and caps tend to be carriers as well so avoid using these items either.

If you have a case of head lice in the house then chances are that they have spread to areas like your couch, the living room carpet and your clothes. Wash your clothes in hot water. The hot water will kill all traces of the mites in case they have crawled on to them. Vacuum the couch and carets daily to avoid the lice spreading to everyone in the family.

Caution: If you are pregnant or breast feeding your baby then refrain from using oils and shampoos that get rid of lice. Consult your doctor before administering these as they may cause harm to the baby.