Friday, April 13, 2012

Lice

I know, nobody wants to talk about lice, but I’m going to blog about lice anyway.  Pediculosis, or head lice infestation, is a significant public health issue, and the best way to deal with it is to talk about it.

Would it surprise you to know that lice infestations increase dramatically after spring break?  Anecdotal reports from salons tell us their appointments for lice removal jump to as many as 20 per day in the weeks after spring break.

That’s because lice infestations are not about hygiene, they’re about proximity.  When kids and young adults get together for sleepovers and camps and sports and any other variety of rough and tumble togetherness, the environment is prime for lice transfer and spread.

Eliminating an infestation is not a fun process which is partly why folks don’t want to talk about it.  But the combing and shampooing are important, and there are lots of resources available to illustrate what’s needed.

So please keep checking your kids’ scalps and hair….

6 comments:

  1. Ewww, now my head is itchy. And NO I do not have lice, LOL!

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  2. i have always been freaked out by lice--there were these boys that are friends of my kids, and they still laugh about how when they would come over to spend the night, i would always ask them "do you have lice"---i am not sure i did every time :)

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  3. A great post about an unpleasant topic! I thought it was so interesting about caseload increasing after spring breaks, because of proximity rather than hygiene! I think you wrote about it very well - "rough and tumble togetherness" describing what happens in my household exactly, lol!

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  4. haha I completely enjoyed this. The only thing I remember about having lice as a kid is that I hated it.

    xoxo Lloralye @ Adorning Schemes A to Z

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    1. I'm so glad you enjoyed it 8-) thanks for your comment.

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  5. Visiting from A/Z. I was thankful when the kids were younger and in school that they never came home with lice. Hearing it was around the school had me in a panic. I also remember my mom talking about it when she was in school and that was many a year ago :)

    betty

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