What Your Family Needs to Know About Lice and the Halloween Season

It is that time of year again. Halloween, for many, starts the countdown for the holiday season. Unfortunately, the danger of catching head lice arrives with Halloween. Millions of children will try on hats, masks, wigs, and costumes in stores and at home.

If you have children, just keep in mind that any costume or hat your child tries on may have gone through numerous trial fittings. As such, there is an uptick in lice infestations around this time of year. When infected, head lice removal can become a challenge if not done properly.

Lice can only survive on human blood, and they can go no longer than a day without feeding. Their tiny claws cling tightly to human hair, and without proper lice treatment it is difficult to remove them. The following tips can help keep lice at bay.

Keep your children’s hair pulled back as best you can. Buns and braids offer the best protection to keep their hair from touching other children’s hair. Some parents use preventative products that are natural, like rosemary or mint. It may not be a guarantee, but some claim it to be an effective deterrent before seeking a more robust treatment. Keep in mind too that lice have adapted to many products that are no longer effective. The best solutions are provided by professional treatment.
When purchasing a costume for children that others have worn, place it in the dryer and heat it up for up to 30 minutes. Take the time, as well, to discourage your children from sharing their costumes.
Speak with children about the dangers of sharing their costume with others at a Halloween party.
When trying out costumes and head gear, make sure the child is wearing a shower cap. Even with an infestation of just several lice, infestation numbers can grow quickly. A louse can lay up to 10 eggs per day, and it can live up to 30 days.

It takes seven days for an egg to hatch. So, one can easily see how quickly head lice can multiply if head lice removal is not addressed immediately:

Nits – These are lice eggs and can often be confused for dandruff. The adult female lays these eggs.
Nymphs – The egg hatches and releases a nymph that remains attached to a hair strand. The remaining shell is a dull yellow color. These nymphs will mature to adulthood in about seven days.

There are an estimated 12 million or more lice infestations in the United States each year in children between three and 11 years old. Headlice911 is the company that people can depend on to remedy the irritating problem of lice. Headlice911 happens to be the go-to treatment center for lice infestation in Virginia, Florida, Maryland, and Washington DC. The service offers quick and effective treatment for lice removal.