How Can I Be Sure Lice Are Gone?

Once your children have been treated for lice, they are safe to return to school. After you have taken the time to either rid the problem yourself or hired someone to help you with it, you want to make sure that all of the lice are gone. Getting rid of lice is a process and that is something that we all need to remember. It is not something that can be taken care of in one quick job! However, with the help of a professional and combined commitment on your behalf, getting rid of lice can be less painful than you think and your life WILL return to normal.

Lice lay their eggs in clusters. A cluster of nits is determined by at least 6 or 7 nits in one designated area. If you find a cluster of nits close to the scalp, this is an indication that your child may still have live lice remaining on their head. Finding a few stray nits is not always an indication of live lice. Lice always lay nits in clusters.

Nits that are freshly laid will be found near the scalp. When your child’s hair grows, the nits move further down the hair shaft and they are old nits. Nits normally will hatch in 7-10 days. Nits never take more than 2 weeks to hatch. It the nits did not hatch after 2 weeks, it means that they never will. Old nits are dead ones and are probably just the remaining outer casings from ones that had hatched.

You can be certain that your child is lice free when you have not found any live lice or nits found in clusters on their head for a period of 2 weeks. As said before, even after you have successfully treated your case of lice, routine “head checks” are a key factor in lice prevention. Doing this at least once a week will help keep an infestation out of your home.

And, as always, if you have questions or are in doubt, do not hesitate to call the Potomac Lice Lady. Have a Happy and Healthy “Lice Free” Holiday Season!

All the best,

Lauren Salzberg

Potomac Lice Lady

www.potomaclicelady.com

lauren@potomaclicelady.com

240-390-NITS(6487)