Summary reminder

CHECK

  • Your child’s hair once a week
  • Use a proper detection comb - with teeth no more than 0.3mm apart to trap head lice, and white in colour so they can easily be seen
  • If you find live lice, consult a pharmacist for treatment advice
  • If head lice are spotted, take a close look at all the family, including yourself, and ask close family and friends to check as well

TREAT

  • Only treat if live lice are identified
  • Use a clinically proven treatment, ideally with a physical mode of action to which lice are very unlikely to build up resistance (such as dimeticone or octanediol)
  • Leave the treatment on for the recommended time for maximum effect – leaving it on for longer will not make it more effective

COMPLETE

  • Check that all head lice have gone within 2-3 days of the final application to complete the treatment
  • If the pack instructions specify that a second application is required, repeat the treatment for a second time seven days after the first to kill any lice that may hatch from eggs during that time
  • Continue to check for head lice on a regular, weekly basis
  • Regular use of a leave-in conditioning spray, clinically proven to help protect against head lice infections, can prevent future outbreaks by killing lice before they have chance to spread

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