Treatment and prevention of head lice

Head lice are small human parasites. They are roughly 2-3 mm long. They live in hair and feed on blood from the scalp, which causes severe itching.

Anyone can have head lice, but they are commonly found in children.

To get rid of head lice, you must treat the child and those around them.

Spotting head lice

Frequent scratching of the head is the first tell-tale sign that someone has head lice.  

It is not easy to spot head lice and their eggs (nits) in hair. You must carefully inspect the person's head and comb their hair one strand at a time.

Lice are greyish in colour and are roughly 2-3 mm long. Nits are easier to spot: they are white and attach to the hair. Unlike dandruff, they are difficult to remove from hair.

Getting rid of head lice

If you find head lice or nits:

Treat the person and those around them

• Get a head lice treatment product from your pharmacist.
• Buy a fine-toothed lice comb.
• Follow the instructions on the head lice treatment product carefully, and MAKE SURE you apply the product for the specified time.
• Head lice treatments are not very effective at killing nits, so the treatment must be repeated approximately 1 week later to get rid of any new lice that may have hatched from eggs (nits).

Ensure that the treatment is effective

Twenty-four hours after applying the product, check whether the treatment has been effective. If you find there are still live lice, either:

• you did not follow the instructions carefully when applying the product,
  in which case, reapply the treatment; or
• the head lice are resistant to the product you applied,
  in which case, consult your doctor or pharmacist.

Stopping lice from spreading

Head lice cannot jump. They spread through direct contact, or by sharing clothing/linen (hats, scarves, caps, sheets, pillowcases, etc.) or personal items (combs, brushes, hair clips, etc.).

Wash hats, scarves, cuddly toys, pillows and sheets

Wash hats, scarves, cuddly toys, pillows and sheets at 60 °C.

If you are not able to wash the items, seal them in a plastic bag, or place them in the freezer for a few days.

What to do if you spot lice

If your child has head lice:

• Inform the teacher and head teacher/manager of the childcare facility (drop-in centre, crèche, etc.) that your child attends. They will alert other parents that there is a case of head lice in the school or childcare facility.

• Regularly check your child's head, as well as other members of your family.

If you experience any difficulties, contact the health team at your child's school.