Our Lice Overlords are Back....
First, don't panic. This is not unusual. It happens every year in the winter and in almost every class of small children. Most of us will have a bout or two over our public school years, and the more kids you have, the chances are the more times you will see it. We had a brief reprieve from lice when our behaviour changed during the pandemic, but now that kids are back to their mostly normal routine, our friend the louse has made a comeback.
Second, anyone can get them! And it is not a matter of hygiene and it is no reflection on your parenting. It can be harder to find and control if you have kids with very light coloured hair, long hair or thick hair. It's also harder to manage when you have multiple kids because the kids can cycle the lice through your family. If you kid has lots of close contact with other kids -- teams, clubs, cousins, close friends, sleepovers -- your odds of picking up a louse go up.
Third, lice is not considered a public health issue. Public health categorizes it as a nuisance. It might be very frustrating for your family, and some families find it very stressful, but it is not a danger to your health.
To help take the stigma out of lice, here is some additional information:
Lice cannot fly or hop, but they can crawl at great speed and swing from hair to hair. So, kids that bump heads together while playing, or have head to head contact (taking selfies, or sharing the latest TikTok on their phone, for example!), can easily spread lice between one another. Encourage your children not to share brushes, scarves or hats, helmets, or other items that have been in contact with the scalp and head (such as a pillow at a sleepover).
Head lice will often run to the base of the neck and behind the ears when they are disturbed, so check here frequently, especially if you have received this letter from the school. An infestation can sometimes be mistaken for a flaky scalp...but if they don't move or fall when disturbed, it could be a nit. Tell tale sign of lice: your child has red patches behind the ears and the nape of the neck from scratching.
It can sometimes take weeks for those with lice to start itching, and some people don't get itchy at all! So if a note goes home in your class, or a sibling or friend finds lice, keep checking...even if you have treated for lice already, or your kids seem clear and are not itchy. You might want a lice comb to check thoroughly and sometimes it is easier to see them if the hair is coated with a thick white conditioner.
Lice can be very hard to see, especially in light coloured or thick hair. Lice eggs are teardrop shaped and tiny, but visible; they attach to one side of the hair shaft. Nits are the empty egg casings. They are not white, but a caramel/tan colour. Lice bugs are about the size of a sesame seed and light to dark brown in colour.
Lice cannot survive away from the scalp for more than 24 hours. They are parasitic insects that feed on human blood and feed approximately 3-4 times daily. They are unlikely to hang around on furniture, pillows, rugs etc. for long periods of time.
Girls often get lice more frequently than boys; partly because they tend to play with their heads close together more, and partly because lice are deterred by testosterone.
Lice have an easier time hiding in long hair, so your child may be less likely to get lice if you tie back or braid long hair.
If you get a letter home and you have more than one child, you probably want to check all your kids, even older children. Kids in the older grades don't checked as often and are mostly in charge of their own hygiene.
Not all of us can find lice easily in our kids' hair: they are harder to see in fair hair, thick hair, curly hair, lots of hair... Believe me, we've been there. If your kid is itching and you see red patches, but can't find the evidence, consider getting outside help. Ask a friend to check your kids if you are worried. You can also hire a service to come to your house (links below).
Toronto Public Health information can be found here.
You might find these NitWits facts helpful, too.
NitWits Canada is one resource you can check out, who offer information and treatment (for a fee).
The Lice Squad is another resource you can check out; click here for their Head lice 101. They can even give you a free head lice diagnosis if you are unsure, and/or come to your home to help treat the whole family (for a fee).
Finally, to repeat, this can happen to anyone, and there should be zero judgement associated with it. We're all doing our best. So try not to stress about lice and do what you can to keep an eye out.