A couple weeks ago, I got an email from my daughter's school: her class had a case of lice, and they were asking parents to check their kids. Wait, what? For some reason, I’d forgotten about lice. I guess that little global pandemic temporarily erased lice from our list of worries. Not that you should worry, but bookmark this in case you get a similar email in the months or years to come.

Myths About Lice

First let’s get some lice myths out of the way. Lice don’t cling to cleaner hair more easily, and it has nothing to do with hygiene. You also won’t avoid lice by keeping hair short or by wearing it up in a ponytail. Black people can also get lice, people of color are NOT immune from it. Lice are most common among children 3-11 years old.

Symptoms

Doctors say you should do a quick check of your kids’ hair once a week. Here’s a TikTok showing you how to do one. 

Beyond the weekly check, look out for the following symptoms:

• Intense itching and tickling    
• Lice eggs, nits, or adults on the scalp, body, or clothes. Adults can be the size of a sesame seed but the eggs may look like dandruff. You’ll spot them most easily along the hairline or parts.  
• Scores or small red bumps on the scalp

Click the link for treatment and scroll down in this email to see the essentials you want on hand in case you get an email like the one I got!