5 Tips To Fight 'Super Lice' As Rockridge Kids Go Back To School

By MARC TORRENCE (Patch National Staff)

You may have heard about ‘super lice,’ a strain of the harmful head bugs that studies have shown to be resistant to over-the-counter treatments.

They’ve appeared in at least 25 states, including California, right as kids are going back to school, ramping up the threat of spreading and infestation.

See Also:

• Mutated ‘Super Lice’ Strike in California and 24 Other States

Here are five ways to fight these creatures, both before and after an infestation occurs:

1. Avoid head-to-head contact

This is a good idea anyway, as concussion risks become well known, but lice spread most frequently from direct contact, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Your children should avoid direct contact with other kids’ heads and, specifically, their hair: headbutting playing sports, hugging, having sleepovers or staying in close quarters at camp.

If they don’t make direct contact, it’s tougher for the lice to jump on board.

2. Don’t share clothes, especially jackets and hats

This is the other most common way lice spread, the CDC says.

Make sure your child has their own shirts, hats, hair ribbons/barrettes, sports uniforms and—especially as the weather cools down—jackets and scarves.

Bulky clothes are more likely to be in contact with a person’s head or hair, giving lice a free ride to hop on board and find a new host.

And if for some reason they need to share clothes...

3. Wash clothes and sheets regularly

Lice can’t live off of their host for more than a day or so, but to make sure they’re completely dead, wash clothes, sheets and pillowcases regularly in hot water to completely neutralize them and their eggs.

If you know your child shared his or her jacket, give it a good, hard wash to make sure any possible critters won’t survive.

4. Try specialized shampoo and combs

If you know lice has made a home on your child’s head, your first step should be a special lice shampoo and comb that is available at most pharmacies.

The shampoo has special chemicals designed to fight off the pests, and fine combs have been made to weed out the lice and nits, their eggs.

But you may be dealing with some of the ‘super lice’ mentioned in the above study. In that case...

5. See your doctor for stronger medicine

There are still treatments out there that these so-called super lice aren’t yet resistant to, but many of them are only available via prescription.

Back to school coverage on Patch:

• Back to School Survival Guide
• Back to School: Prescription Eyeglass Deals
• Back to School: 5 Tips for Packing a Nutritious Lunch
• Ticket Involving a School Bus Could Cost You $695
• What Vaccines Your Child Needs to Start School
• Does School Start Too Early?
• How Do California Schools Rank Compare to the Rest of the Nation?
• Is Your Freshman Fearing High School? Don’t Dismiss Such Worries, Parents!
• AAA Warns Drivers to be Aware of Influx of Pedestrians Heading Back To School

If you’ve exhausted all the preventative measures above but still find a head infested with lice that just won’t die, go see a doctor who can get you the firepower you need to say goodbye to lice for good.