Children at school are going to play and this may cause the spread of head lice. Nonetheless, you can take a few steps to prevent the head lice from spreading among children and adults. Now, read on this article to discover some best tips on how to prevent head lice naturally.
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How To Prevent Head Lice Naturally – Top 14 Tips
In this article, Healthy Guide will show you some of the best tips that can help you know how to reduce the risks of getting head lice and simultaneously prevent lice from spreading to others. So, if you want to know more about hair care and ways on how to prevent head lice naturally in adults and children, keep your eyes on this interesting article right now.
CONTENTS
I. Symptoms Of Head Lice
The fact is that it is not easy to determine who has lice and who does not have. According to a research about symptoms of head lice [1], in some cases, it can take up to 6 weeks for people who have head lice to experience their symptoms. The most common sign and symptom of head lice is itchiness. In some cases, head lice produce no symptom until a few weeks or even months after they have moved in.
Some people who have head lice never realize that they are infested. Nonetheless, there are a few signs that these tiny insects are present on the hair scalp. They include:
- A ticklish feeling on the neck or hair scalp
- Small red bumps on the neck, shoulders and hair scalp
- An itchy scalp
- The presence of head lice and their eggs on the hair scalp
- Difficulty sleeping and irritability
- Sores on the scalp caused by scratching
II. How To Prevent Head Lice
1. Know What Head Lice Look Like
This is the first one of the best ways on how to prevent head lice in adults that I want to mention in this article and want all of my readers to know and then apply for good!
Knowing what head lice look like is very important for preventing and treating them fast as well as preventing the lice from spreading to others. Actually, head lice are found in three main stages: the egg, the nymph as well as the adult lice. Eggs are very small and they often lie at the base of hair shafts, so you can find hard to see them. Also, eggs are often white or yellow in color and many people can confuse them with dandruff. Eggs often take more than a week to hatch. The nymph is considered as the immature louse that has hatched from an egg. According to a study [2], nymphs are much smaller than adult lice and grow into adult lice in 7 days from hatching. Finally, adult lice are often grayish-white in color, have six legs.
If you have never facing this little pet, then you need to do a research. You can search for the pictures of eggs and head lice on Google. You should become familiar with them and understand more about them. There is a fact that head lice need warmth and the nourishment from human blood to thrive and lay eggs, so you can find the best solutions to prevent and get rid of them.
If you want to know natural treatments for head lice that you can apply with ease at home, read on 23 Best Tips On How To Get Rid Of Head Lice Naturally
2. Check Often
After understanding about the head lice, you need to check your hair and your children’s hair at least once a week. If possible, you should check it in the morning. Also, remember to check the back of the head as well as behind the ears as they are their favorite shelters.
Symptoms of head lice are a sensation of something moving on the hair scalp, scratching, itching, sores on the head, irritability and difficulty sleeping. According to a study about head lice [3], they are most active at night. You can check for head lice and their eggs at home although you can find hard to see them. Otherwise, you can have your children checked by a school nurse, medical professional. Because lice are small and run quickly, professionals have to use a fine-toothed comb and a magnifying glass to check the head. It is the best to comb for head lice after the children have taken a shower or bath when their hair is still damp.
Read on Top 16 Most Common Hair Problems Are Revealed! to discover some of the common hair problems that you can experience at least once in your life
3. Wash Personal Items Regularly
This is another great way on how to prevent head lice in adults that you should not look down, yet try to apply for good. If you suspect that your children may have head lice, you need to wash their personal items regularly:
- Washing their sheets in hot water
- Washing the clothes your children may have recently worn
- Placing these personal items in the dryer for about 20 minutes
- Soak haircare products such as hair ties, brushes, combs, headbands, etc. in lukewarm water or medicated shampoo solution to kill any lice.
- Rugs and other non-washable items should be dry- cleaned
- Items that cannot be dry- cleaned or washed should be stored in airtight containers for a few weeks to make sure that lice and their nits are dead.
List of 24 Tips On How To Cleanse Your Body At Home will reveal some of the best tips that can help you cleanse the body naturally at home, so check it out!
4. Use Essential Oils
When it comes to ways on how to prevent head lice in adults, keep in mind that essential oils can be used to deter head lice. Simply, you just need to mix some essential oils with water and pour this solution into a clean spray bottle. Then, use it to spritz jackets, hats, and even the head to deter lice. Tea tree, lavender, eucalyptus, lemongrass, rosemary oils will all work as an added bonus.
To know some of the natural oils that are good for your hair health, read on Top 22 Natural Oils For Hair
5. Use The Correct Haircare Products
Another effective way on how to prevent head lice in adults that you should try is to use correct hair care products. You can repel head lice by using haircare products that contain:
- Tea tree oil: A shampoo or conditioner that contains tea tree oil can help repel lice.
- Menthol, lavender oil, eucalyptus oil, lemongrass, citronella and rosemary oil: Generally, head lice hate the smell of strong essential oils.
- Coconut oil: This oil can be used to deter head lice.
Nowadays, there are hair care products designed to deter head lice. However, you do not use lice killing products unless you actually have head lice. These products are not good for your hair.
Read More: Top 19 Natural Masks For Hair Care
6. Avoid Sharing Head-touching Items
According to a study about head lice prevention [4], to reduce the risk of catching head lice, you should not share head-touching items with others. It may be tempting for kids to share their personal items, but head lice can crawl from an item to the head. So, you should avoid sharing the following items if you are looking for a natural way on how to prevent head lice naturally in children:
- Brushes and combs
- hats and helmets
- hair clips and accessories
- towels
- scarves and coats
- earbuds and headsets
When people, especially kids have close contact or share personal items, head lice can pass from an infected person to another with ease. Therefore, you need to teach your children good hygiene and take some precautions in order to prevent your children from spreading head lice.
7. Separate Personal Items
Shared spaces as well as shared items can lead to the spread of head lice. Lockers, closets, drawers as well as clothes hooks can help head lice pass from one person’s items to another’s. So, if you are looking for a way on how to prevent head lice in children, you should ask your children to keep their personal items, especially coats, hats, scarves as well as other clothing out of shared spaces. For the same effects, adults should take these similar precautions as well.
There are other effective ways on how to prevent head lice in adults and children in this entire article. Continue discovering these ways by reading the rest of this article right now!
8. Avoid Head-to-head Contact
When children play games, they may tend to keep their heads close together. However, if one of them has head lice, other children may also come home with it. Therefore, if you want to know how to prevent head lice in children, you should ask your child to avoid activities and games that have head-to-head contact with other friends. Similarly, adults should follow the same principle as well.
In fact, avoiding head-to-head contact is known as one of the best ways on how to prevent head lice in children that you and your children should know and then try to follow as soon as possible, especially if your children have been exposed to head lice.
9. Take Early Actions
When your child’s schools report a lice infestation, parents should take preventive measures as soon as possible. You should look in your children’s hair and check their clothes, especially hats, coats, scarves and shirts that have recently been worn to look for lice and eggs. Other early actions that you should take when you are looking for natural ways on how to prevent head lice in children:
- Check household items such as bedding, towels and rugs that may be the shelters of lice and their eggs.
- Let your children know the importance of not sharing their personal items that touch the ears and head with others.
- Let your children know what head lice are and why they should minimize the head-to-head contact with others,
10. Be Aware Of Head Lice Carriers
Head lice are an infectious disease, so you do not need to be afraid of those who have had head lice. Instead, be aware of them and avoid contact with their personal items and situations which need head-to-head contact with them. Actually, being aware of head lice carriers is a great way on how to prevent head lice naturally and effectively.
11. Vacuum The Floor And Upholstery
When it comes to ways on how to prevent head lice in adults, you should give this tip a try. You need to vacuum the floor and upholstery that may support head lice. At least once a month, you do a vacuum on carpeted areas or upholstery where head lice may be waiting for human contact. Also, check household items, which may get infested with head lice and their eggs, such as rugs, bedding, and towels. Also, you should avoid lying on couches, beds, carpets, pillows, or stuffed animals that have contact with an infected person.
12. Spritz The Clothes With Lice Protection Spray
Using the peppermint-scented spray can be effective in killing head lice and nits, making it one of the greatest ways on how to prevent head lice in children that you should try out. So, you should spray it on your pillows, clothes, hair accessories or other household items that have contact with your children who have been exposed to head lice. However, according to some experts there is unnecessary to use these sprays to kill head lice. There is a fact that these chemical sprays can do more harm than good. Especially, they are very dangerous if your children inhale or ingest them.
13. Use Your Clothes Dryer
If your children have been exposed to head lice or they have already had lice and you would like to prevent re-infestation, remember to place all of the bedding, pillows, and the toys your children sleep with into your dryer. Work up for at least 15 minutes to kill off the lice and nits effectively. Actually, it is another great way on how to prevent head lice in adults that you should know and then consider applying as soon as possible.
14. Keep The Hair Tied Up
This is the last but very important way on how to prevent head lice in children that I want to reveal in this entire article and want all of my readers to apply for good. Actually, it is interesting to know that girls are more likely to catch head lice than boys. So, it may be helpful when you keep the hair tied up in buns or braids. This way can help reduce the chances of a head lice infestation.
Remember that with children, having head lice is so common. Therefore, in case your child comes home with lice, you do not worry too much. Be happy and enjoy the life. All of the tips on how to prevent head lice in adults and children are necessary for anybody who wants to help other people around them reduce the risk of getting head lice. You can follow some of these tips at the same time for the best result.
After discovering top 14 ways on how to prevent head lice naturally in adults and children, we hope that you can successfully reduce the risks of getting head lice for yourself and other family members. All of these ways are proven to be effective in preventing head lice from spreading, especially if you mix these ways at the same time. So, you should not hesitate, yet try to apply one or more of these tips above, if you and your children are exposed to head lice.
Addition to this, if you think that this list is helpful and can help other people around you who are facing the head lice infestation, share this list with them and then stimulate them to apply these ways as soon as possible. Also, if you know other ways on how to prevent head lice naturally apart from those as I mentioned above, share them with others by leaving your comments below.
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