To check for the presence of lice, the child’s hair must be combed with a lice comb, strand by strand, from his scalp to the ends of his hair (German)

Head lice represents an annoying nightmare for children and parents alike, especially with the ease of transmission from one child to another. How can lice be eliminated permanently?

To answer this question, Dr. Jakob Maske said that head lice is transmitted through head-to-head contact or the use of combs and head coverings, such as a hood, hat, bicycle helmet, as well as scarves in combination.

The German pediatrician added that the presence of lice on the child’s head can be inferred by noticing the itching, noting that it is possible to verify the presence of lice by combing hair moistened with water and hair care conditioner using a lice comb, taking care to comb the hair strand by strand from the scalp to the ends of the hair. .

Silicone oil

Maske stressed the necessity of eliminating head lice as soon as it is noticed, using silicone oil, noting the necessity of performing the treatment in two stages in order to get rid of head lice permanently.

He explained that in the first stage, silicone oil is applied to the scalp, noting that the first treatment does not reliably kill all the eggs, as the larvae can hatch after the first treatment.

Therefore, another treatment must be performed by applying silicone oil to the scalp on the ninth or tenth day at the latest after the first treatment.

Baby linens and clothes must be washed in an automatic washing machine at a high temperature (Getty)

Proper cleaning of items

Maske also stressed the importance of cleaning the child’s belongings properly, explaining that hair tools should be washed with a hot soapy solution, and linens and clothes should be washed in an automatic washing machine at a high temperature (60 degrees).

Items that may have been infected with head lice should be kept in a plastic bag for 3 days.

In general, Dr. Maske stressed the need for the child to commit to staying at home and not going to kindergarten or school until head lice is completely eliminated, in order to prevent the spread of infection.

Source: Al Jazeera + German