When is lice season over

Lice are passed among children when they are at camp, playdates, and school as lice move from head to head. With social distancing and school closures due to the COVID pandemic, lice season resulted in fewer cases. Usually, younger kids bring it home since they are exposed through play and sports that involve more physical contact than adults have, especially during summer camp and back-to-school time.

For group activities in school and sports, have kids tie hair back. Use hair products, both those designed to repel lice , and any sticky or oily product will help lice love CLEAN hair.

Teach them not to share hats or hair ties, and get them their helmet for sports. Remind them not to sit too close to classmates, especially if there is an outbreak. Even with precautions, do weekly head checks during the school year and after camp and playdates.

You should check everyone in the house and start treating anyone who has head lice on the same day. There's no need to keep your child off school if they have head lice.

Lice and nits can be removed by wet combing. You should try this method first. You can buy a special fine-toothed comb detection comb online or from pharmacies to remove head lice and nits. It usually takes about 10 minutes to comb short hair, and 20 to 30 minutes for long, frizzy or curly hair. Do wet combing on days 1, 5, 9 and 13 to catch any newly hatched head lice. Check again that everyone's hair is free of lice on day Ask a pharmacist for advice if you have tried wet combing for 17 days, but your child still has live head lice.

They may recommend using medicated lotions and sprays. In: Red Book Online. American Academy of Pediatrics; James WD, et al. Elsevier; Dinulos JGH. Infestations and bites.

In: Habif's Clinical Dermatology. Head lice: Treatment frequently asked questions. Centers for Disease Control and Protection. Mayo Clinic; Gunning K, et al. Lice and scabies: Treatment update. American Family Physician. Goldstein AO, et al. Head lice: Diagnosis. Natural Medicines. Ylang ylang oil. Head lice: Prevention and control. Head lice: Treatment. AAP updates treatment for head lice. American Academy of Pediatrics.