We Hope You Hunted For Chocolate Eggs, Not Lice Eggs

Easter Sunday was a few days ago and our hope is that each and every person enjoyed the holiday with their family. One of the most exciting parts of Easter is the Easter egg hunts. Watching little kids light up as they find an egg is priceless. Inside those pastel-colored eggs might include candy, chocolate, money or a number of other things.

Something not-so-fun that also comes from eggs are head lice. Kids and head lice, unfortunately, go hand-in-hand. You’ll rarely hear of a head lice outbreak at a law firm or corporate office. Head lice outbreaks happen in schools or summer camps or any place filled with young children.

Check Your Child’s Head

We hope Easter was a fun and stress-free family day for you but if there were a lot of young children at your Easter gathering, it might be a good idea to check your child’s head for lice.

We wouldn’t want there to be a head lice outbreak in your family. It’s bad enough when it happens at school, but infesting the whole family would be a nightmare for all the parents involved.

How To Check Your Child’s Head For Lice

If your child’s head is itching non-stop, it’s a good idea to check for lice to either rule it out or get it treated before it gets worse. Here’s how to check for lice.

Step 1: Get under some really good light, whether it be a bright florescent light in your home or some bright sunlight, and grab a magnified glass if you have one. This will make it much easier to spot lice.

Step 2: Part the hair into sections and check at the nape of the neck, the crown and behind the ears first. Look for tiny seed-like eggs (nits) stuck to the hair shaft, very close the scalp. These can be either white in color (these are usually empty shells from hatched lice), or darker in color (viable nits). If you suspect either, try to move it with your finger. If it falls off or away from the hair, it is not a nit. If you have to pull it down the hair shaft with your fingernails to remove it, and it feels like a seed between your finger and thumb, then it is likely an egg. If your child is in the early stages of having lice (1-3 weeks), you may not even see a live bug while checking. It is most important to look for the nits because they are easier to see.

Now you know how to check for lice. If you’re still unsure if your child even has lice, bring them on into our clinic and we’ll check for you. Call to make an appointment and we’ll treat your little one with care. We hope you had a great Easter and have a great week!