1. Advice for teachers, parents and children
Head lice
Advice for teachers, parents and children

2. Contents What are head lice? What are nits?
How are head lice transmitted?
How do I know if I have head lice?
Detection combing
If head lice are found, what do I have to do?

3. It’s a myth… Head lice aren’t only found in dirty hair!
Head lice like all types of hair: dirty or clean, brown,
fair or red, long or short, curly or straight
Having head lice is not a harmful disease!
It’s a common infection that can be successfully treated.
Head lice are parasites that live on human heads.
Head lice don’t transmit any diseases.

4. What are head lice?

5. What are head lice? The Pediculus capitis: Is an insect Size Colour
Without wings
3 pairs of legs with hooked ‘claws’
Size
Length: 4mm (max)
Height: 2mm
Colour
Normally transparent therefore difficult
to detect
Become brown/red when they have taken a blood meal

6. What are head lice? The Pediculus capitis: Habitat Mobility
They live in human hair, in warm and humid surroundings, especially behind the ears or around the nape of the neck
Mobility
Cannot fly, jump or swim,
but can crawl very quickly

7. What are nits? Nits are NOT lice!
Nits are empty shells or dead eggs which never hatched
They remain attached to the hair with a kind of strong ‘glue’ deposited by the louse when laying
Nits can remain weeks or even months after infection

8. How are head lice transmitted?

9. Head lice can infect anyone, not just children.
How do we get head lice?
Head lice are spread only through head-to-head contact, for example during :
Playtime
Sports
Working together in the classroom
Cuddles at home
Head lice can infect anyone, not just children.

10. How do I know if we have head lice?

11. is the best method to identify head lice
How do I know if we have head lice?
A few people will get an itchy scalp
Black specks may be found on the pillowcase
(this is the droppings)
Some people have no symptoms at all
Detection combing
is the best method to identify head lice

12. Detection combing

13. Detection combing Preparation
Buy a good quality plastic detection comb
at your local pharmacy
Remove tangles with an ordinary wide-toothed comb
Wet the hair and towel dry. You can apply a little olive oil to make combing easier. Divide the hair into sections.

14. Detection combing Step 1 Step 2 Step 3
Work on one section at a time. With the teeth of the detection comb touching the scalp at the top of the section, pass the detection comb through to the ends, keeping the teeth of the comb in contact with the scalp for as long as possible.
Step 2
After each pass of the comb, wipe it on a tissue and inspect for lice.
Step 3
Repeat the process until all sections are completed. It will take minutes to do it properly.

15. Detection combing Conclusion
If a live moving louse is found, you have an active infestation
You should not use a treatment unless you find a live moving louse
Nits (empty eggs) may have been left by a previous infestation, but does not necessarily mean there is an active infection

16. Detection combing TIPS
Make sure you have plenty of light - ideally natural daylight
Don’t use lots of conditioner as it will hinder the detection of lice
Perform detection combing, and treatment where necessary, on all family members on the same day, in order to greatly reduce the risk of re-infection
Make detection combing part of a weekly routine, such as preparation for the school week on Sunday evening. You can request a regular reminder at

17. If head lice are found, what do I have to do?

18. If head lice are found, what do I have to do?
Step 1
Ask the school nurse or your pharmacist for advice on effective treatment options. The main types of treatment are insecticides, non-insecticides and wet-combing.
Step 2
Always read the leaflet before applying a treatment
Step 3
Treat all infected family members on the same day
Step 4
The NHS advises that treatments should be applied twice, seven days apart. Many people forget the second application. You can request an reminder at

19. The main points Head lice are harmless but can be very
annoying. They are transmitted only by
head-to-head contact with an infected person
Detection combing should be carried
out every week
If lice are found: use an effective head lice treatment and treat all infected family members at the same time
If no lice are found: do a weekly check. You can request a weekly reminder at

20. For more information: