Preventing and Treating Your Kids’ Infestation

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There’s never a good time to get the dreaded lice memo from your kids’ school, but if we had to choose one of the worst times to get it, it would probably be right around now. Smack-dab in the middle of cold, flu, COVID, and norovirus season (did someone say quad-demic?), squarely during the January slump, and coinciding with a cold snap across much of the country that’s forcing kids and parents into close quarters. Sure, why not throw some head lice in while we’re at it!

While head lice outbreaks tend to be pretty localized within schools or districts (unlike, say, the flu and norovirus cases that are surging nationwide), we’re seeing lots of lice chatter bubbling up on social media and among SheKnows’ own parenting cohort. A new Reel from Caitlin Murray, the hilariously relatable mom behind @bigtimeadulting on Instagram, seems to perfectly sum up parents’ feelings about it all.

Over a video of the momfluencer dancing goofily in her home, Murray recorded a voiceover venting about the endless struggle this month has been. “Hard to believe it’s already January 40th again!” she said. In between complaints about the freezing weather and the volume of her cooped-up kids (“I can hardly hear myself think”), Murray shared that she’d recently received “a notice from the health office” yesterday informing her that head lice are “basically crawling all over the entire school,” she said. “So at least we’ve got that to look forward to!”

And according to her comment section, Murray isn’t the only one. “We got the email too. Dancing with you right now,” one person wrote, while another shared, “Just had the lice last week!”

“What is it with the lice this year?!?” one commenter chimed in. “Never in my 11 yrs of parenting have we had it until this year and it’s a b**** to get rid of.”

Yeah… January is definitely January-ing. As if colds, the flu, COVID, and norovirus weren’t enough, it looks like head lice are going around the classroom too. It’s not exactly normal for this time of year, either; according to Lice Clinics of America, late summer and early fall are typically seen as “lice season,” when kids are back in school and in close contact. That said, they can survive through the winter months — and maybe the return to school after winter break, along with the cold weather keeping many of us indoors, have something to do with all these infestations.

Whatever the reason, head lice have arrived — so what can you do about it? Well, first of all, take comfort in the fact that head lice don’t spread disease and aren’t considered a health hazard, per the CDC… they’re just uncomfortable and kind of gross. They feed on human blood (Nosferatu, anyone?) and are usually found on the head, but can also hang out on eyebrows or eyelashes. People with head lice might not always experience symptoms, but when they do, itchiness is the most common. Other symptoms can include tickling or feeling something moving in the hair, irritability, difficulty sleeping, or sores from scratching.

Because your child might not have symptoms, especially if they have a mild or early-stage infestation, it’s important to check them for lice if there’s an outbreak at their school or in their friend group — even if they’re not itching quite yet. That means snapping on a pair of latex gloves (or nitrile, vinyl, or polyethylene gloves for latex allergies), shining a bright light down on your kid’s head, and using your fingers to create partings and examine their scalp for lice or nits (aka eggs). Don’t forget to look behind the ears and near the back of the neck! (Here’s more information from the CDC on how to check for lice.)

For prevention, encourage your kids to avoid head-to-head contact as much as they can. As Dr. Natasha Bhuyan, family physician and National Medical Director at One Medical, previously told SheKnows, it’s also a good idea to avoid sharing items like hats, brushes, or towels. She also recommends getting the whole family checked and treated if when one person in the household is diagnosed with head lice, lest they run rampant through your family. (Just ask James Van Der Beek what that’s like.)

So what do those treatments look like? They’re typically shampoos you can get over-the-counter or by prescription, per Johns Hopkins. You apply the treatment as directed, while noting whether your treatment is designed to kill only adult lice, or adult lice and nits. If the the former, you’ll want to comb through your child’s hair afterwards to check for any remaining nits.

There are lots of treatment options available, but commenters on Murray’s post called out a few in particular. “As someone who’s on the other side of it… it’s Nix ultra for the win!” one person wrote. “We tried different brands and types (shampoos vs conditioners) and this one was the only one that killed them in one try!”

Another commenter recommended liberal use of the Fairy Tales Rosemary Repel shampoo and conditioner set. “When there was a HUGE lice outbreak at my son’s school, we were the one of the few escapees!” they explained. SheKnows content director and mom Cristina Velocci also loves the Fairy Tales Rosemary Repel conditioning spray as a preventative.

Other commenters suggested tea tree oil hair products, which some studies have found to be effective at treating and preventing head lice. (Note that tea tree oil should only be used topically, as it can be toxic when swallowed, per the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health) And make sure to machine wash and dry any clothes, towels, or linens that an infested child uses — and vacuum up the floors and furniture, too.

Long story short, a lice infestation at your kid’s school is probably the last thing you want to happen right now. Given all the treatment and prevention measures at your fingertips, though we promise it won’t be the end of the world! And the end of the month is coming, and then spring is just around the corner… right? As Murray says, “Just keep on dancing. Happy January Infinity!”

Before you go, shop these natural cold products to soothe your kids’ symptoms: