You have heard of other people who have had it, you think that every street person must be teaming with it but, you never dreamed it would happen to you or your kids.

Unfortunately, it did happen… lice.

Perhaps you got a note and some head lice information from the school nurse letting you know of a head lice out break or maybe you came across it on your own because of the itching and scratching going on.

Now, how do you go about treating it? Most people at some point in their lives have had lice. You possibly might be able to remember what your mom did when you were little, or maybe you’ve gotten some help from an experience friend. Regardless, the best way to deal with lice and treat them rapidly is to find the facts and do it right, and to know just what you are about to do battle with.

Ok… first of all, what are head lice?

Head lice are not dangerous and they do not spread disease. Head lice are a small parasite that finds its way amongst human hair and then lives off of tiny amounts of blood they extract from the scalp. They are very universal especially for kids between the ages of 3 and 12 and bothersome do to the itching caused by their bite. Both boys and girls can be the victim of head lice, however, statistically, girls more often come home with the parasite.

There a a few signs of lice that you should be aware of when your kids will be coming into contact with other kids such as a school setting. One of the most apparent indications is scratching of the scalp.

Both the head lice and their eggs (nits) are tough to see so therefore they can be easily overlooked during the daily ritual of tending to hygiene. However, you might observe your child start scratching their head on a frequent basis. The itching might not begin right away, rather it depends on how sensitive your son or daughter’s skin is to the lice. It can sometimes take weeks for the itching to commence.

If you suspect an infestation, be looking for for the eggs which are known as nits. They are small, yellow, tan or brown before they hatch. Once hatched, they will appear more clear or white in color.

These nits will be found on the shaft of the hair down close to but not on the scalp itself. A simple nit test is to see if the suspected nit will easily brush off or out of the hair. Dandruff will brush off but nits will not. Also, unlike dandruff, nits can also be felt between the fingertips.

Unless the infestation is extremely heavy, it is much easier to see the nits that are clinging to the hair than it is to actually see the live adult lice moving about the scalp.

Nits will hatch one to two weeks after they are produced. Tan in color, the nymphs (young lice) are about the size of a sesame seed. Nymphs become adults one to two weeks after they hatch. To survive, this parasite simply needs the warmth from its host and a food source via the scalp, but they can make it for about two days without a host.

If you have definitely identified a lice outbreak on your child it is time to take action. The best way begin is to research your choices.

You may want to call your doctor and find out more on head lice information and what they advise. But, be careful of just trying things through word of mouth. Sometimes those around you might not be giving you the best strategy.