Have a Nice (Not a Lice) Thanksgiving

This Thursday, families all over the United States will sit down to dinner together. We will hug each other, eat turkey and cranberry sauce, and catch up on news in our families. All is good… except the hug part. While we love hugs, we have to remind parents that head to head contact is how head lice are transmitted. We know we sound a bit grinch-like but we can't bury our heads in the sand and ignore reality: head lice incidence spikes after holiday get-together.

Check Heads Before and After the Holiday

We certainly advocate family togetherness so here is our best advice:

1. Before you have guests over or leave to dine at a family or friend’s home, make sure to bring your children to a very bright place and check the hair carefully. If you see translucent small sticky oval things in the hair, you may be looking at lice eggs (nits).
2. Grab the nits with your fingers, squeeze, and pull down the hair strand.
3. Place object on white background. If it looks brown and has an antenna, it is, in fact, a nit. If it blends into background you are not looking at a nit.
4. If you find an active lice infestation, treat it immediately so as not to pass along the case. Lice chemicals are often ineffective! Remove all nits by hand or call in a professional lice treatment service. LiceDoctors is open day and night, including Thanksgiving day.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving

After the holiday check all family members to be sure that they have not contracted a case from a family member who may have unwittingly brought lice into the family. Keep in mind, some people who have head lice have no symptoms of itchiness. LiceDoctors wishes all families a joyful and happy Thanksgiving. We hope that you manage to remain lice-free, but if you need us, we are here to help you.