Lice

Unfortunately, head lice is an unpleasant fact of school life. They are neither a health hazard nor a sanitary problem, but they are a force to be reckoned with. NYC Schools have a “No Head Lice” policy. Students who have live head lice are not allowed to go to school until they are lice-free. If there is a case of head lice in a class, a letter will be sent home informing you of that fact and giving suggestions for their removal. The PS 10 PTA conducts discreet, school-wide lice checks of all students several times a year. Notices are sent home prior to these checks, allowing parents to opt out if they'd like to.

Returning to School

• Students may return to school the day after treatment for head lice as long as there are no live lice upon re-inspection by school personnel.
• Students found to have live head lice will be excluded from school.
• Consult your healthcare provider if you are having difficulties getting rid of your child’s head lice.

• Head lice are small insects with six legs usually the size of a sesame seed (the seeds on burger buns).
• They live on or very close to the scalp and don’t wander far down the hair shafts for very long.
• They can only live on human beings; you can’t catch them from animals.
• Nits are not the same thing as lice. Lice are the insects which move around the head. Nits are egg cases laid by lice, stuck on to hair shafts; they are smaller than a pin head, slightly oblong and are an opaque white.
• Lice are fast-moving and you may see nits without seeing lice. If you are not already treating your child’s head for lice and find nits, treat as though there are lice. When you have gotten rid of all the lice and picked nits out, some empty cases may stay stuck to the hair until it grows out.
• Anybody can get head lice.
• Head lice infections are caught from close family and friends in the home and community, generally not from the school.
• Spread of head lice requires direct head-to-head or coat-to-coat contact. They can’t swim, fly, hop or jump.
• The best way to stop infection is for families to learn how to check their own heads. This way they can find any lice before they have a chance to breed.
• Instruct children not to share hats, combs, brushes, etc.
• All bedding, towels, and clothing from the infected individual should be cleaned with soap and hot water and placed in a dryer for at least 20 minutes to help kill any remaining lice. Dry-clean all clothes that need to be dry-cleaned. Seal the infested individual’s stuffed toys in a plastic bag and leave them for 10 days to allow all lice to die of starvation. Dispose of or soak combs and hairbrushes in rubbing alcohol or the medicated shampoo used to kill lice. Throw out any hair accessories, such as hair elastics and ribbons. Thoroughly vacuum carpets and upholstered furniture.
• Pets cannot become infested with head and body lice, so no precaution is required.

Fine Tooth Combing - How to do it

• Wash the hair well and then dry it with a towel. The hair should be damp, not dripping.
• Make sure there is good light. Daylight is best. Have a supply of paper towels on hand for anything that comes out with the comb.
• Applying a thick white conditioner will help loosen the grip of any nits or lice during the comb-out.
• Comb the hair with an ordinary comb.
• Start with the teeth of the fine tooth comb touching the skin of the scalp at the top of the head. Draw the comb carefully towards the edge of the hair.
• Look carefully at the teeth of the comb in good light.
• Do this over and over again from the top of the head to the edge of the hair in all directions, working round the head.
• Do this for several minutes. It takes at least 10 to 15 minutes to do it properly for each head.
• If there are head lice, you will find one or more lice on the teeth of the comb.
• Head lice are little insects with moving legs. They are often not much bigger than a pin head, but may be as big as a sesame seed (the seeds on burger buns). Nits are very small and droplet-shaped, are attached to the hair shaft an inch or two past the scalp and do not shake off like dandruff.

If you have found a living louse or numerous nits:

• Check the heads of all the people in your home.
• Treat those who have nits or lice.
• Treat them all at the same time
• Put the lotion on to dry hair.
• Use the lotion in a well ventilated room or in the open air.
• Part the hair near the top of the head, put a few drops on to the scalp and rub it in. Part the hair a bit further down the scalp and do the same again. Do this over and over again until the whole scalp is wet.
• You don’t need to put lotion down long hair any further than where you would put a pony‑tail band.
• Let the lotion dry on the hair. Some lotions can catch fire, so keep well away from flames, cigarettes, stoves, and other sources of heat. Don’t use a hair dryer.
• Repeat the treatment for everyone within seven days in the same way with the same lotion.
• Check all the heads a day or two after the second treatment. If you still find living, moving lice or many nits, ask your healthcare provider for advice.

For more information and resources, please visit www.nyc.gov/health

Keep Checking After Treatment. One visit to the lice lady won’t do it. To prevent re-infestation, you must check your child’s scalp EVERY DAY after treatment. If you still see nits and/or lice, re-treat your child’s head. Keep checking/treating until a week has gone by without any sign of nits or lice. In between chemical treatments, use a thick white conditioner such as Pantene (some families prefer mayonnaise or olive oil), which will trap any remaining lice or nits during the comb-out. Although we know this is time-consuming, the only way to stop the bugs in their tracks is to be thorough when treating your child and the carpets/upholstery/bedding, etc. in the home, and then to be diligent in post-treatment follow-up.

All the information you ever wanted about head lice: http://www.headlice.org

Here is the official, NYC Department of Education, information about head lice.  Please be sure to scroll down to find links with additional information: https://www.schools.nyc.gov/school-life/health-and-wellness/staying-healthy/head-lice

The Center for Disease Control official site: http://www.cdc.gov/lice/head/ 

Here is a link to an informative video about how to check for nits: http://headlicetodeadlice.com/freemovies/flash/nitcheck_demo.html

The Nuvo method of removing head lice: nuvoforheadlice.com

Pictures of head lice: http://nuvoforheadlice.com/louse_pictures.htm 

Here is a Website with a good diagram of “Where to Look for Head Lice”: http://www.loogootee.k12.in.us/west/headlice.htm 

The best defense is a good nit comb! Here are three:

1. NISSKA

2. LICEMEISTER

3. TermiNITor