Dermatologist in Katy, TX helps patients with how to get rid of head lice

Countless parents have been on the receiving end of that phone call from the school saying that there was a case of head lice at school. Or worse yet, perhaps it was your child with the lice. Many parents immediately panic upon learning that their child has lice. It can be a guilt-inducing and embarrassing situation for many parents and while the head lice do not cause any harm to your child, they can be itchy and extremely difficult to remove for the child. At Dr. W Dermatology, or team has years of experience helping parents rid their children of head lice for good.

Before beginning treatment, it is important to understand, “what are head lice?”

Head lice are tiny parasites, about the size of a sesame seed. Nits, the eggs that females lay on the hair, are even harder to spot than the adult head lice. The lice feed on blood from the scalp and can survive for up to two days when separated from the scalp. Lice are extremely resilient, they are able to survive submersion in water for nearly six hours and require head to head contact to spread.

The best way to check for suspected lice is with a specialized metal-toothed nit comb. If it is confirmed that there are lice, you will want to treat them with an over-the-counter medicated lice shampoo. These shampoos are typically put on dry hair and left for a specified period of time before rinsing off.

It is important to check others in the family for lice and to treat all of those who are infected simultaneously. This will help avoid people passing it back and forth to each other. Schools and close friends should be made aware of the situation and told to check their own children. All bedding and clothing should also be washed.

We also recommended treating any affected family members a second time, 10 days after the first treatment. This helps kill any nits that may have survived the first treatment before they have time to lay eggs. If you still find lice after two separate treatments, it may be best to call Dr. W Dermatology in Katy, TX and schedule an appointment for a professional evaluation and treatment plan.