You may have recently found out your child has caught lice from someone else while at school. It is not uncommon for children to catch lice in a school environment where they are surrounded by other kids. It often happens when the kids are sitting closely together or sharing certain items, such as hair brushes, headbands and even hats. If your child has lice, it is necessary to get rid of them because they will not go away on their own. There is a simple set of steps you should take to remove them from your child's hair and make sure they are gone for good.

Take Your Child to a Head Lice Removal Clinic

If you ever experienced this issue as a child, your parent may have been able to solve the problem by using an over-the-counter product designed to kill these pests. Unfortunately, the products bought over the counter that were once considered extremely effective do not seem to be nearly as effective any longer. For that reason alone, it is best to take your child to a head lice removal clinic for treatment. The professional can use safe prescription products on the hair to get rid of all traces of these bugs, including the nits that often get stuck to strands of the hair. The process may include applying a solution to the hair and carefully going through the strands with a stainless steel or electric nit comb.

Rinse Bed Sheets, Blankets and Clothing

Although these bugs prefer to spend their time in hair, there are times when they may get on clothes, blankets, bed sheets and other types of linen while. Once the lice gets removed from your child's hair, make sure to throw all linens in the washer on the hot cycle. Then put all items in the dryer to ensure you have killed any lice that may have been lingering. If your child sleeps with stuffed animals, they should be carefully washed as well.

Take Preventative Measures

As a precautionary measure, make sure to talk to your child about certain things he or she should and should not do in school to prevent catching lice again. For example, your child should not wear any other child's clothing or garments, such as scarves and hats. If your child has long hair, you should put it up as often as possible. It may be easier for lice to get into the hair if it is hanging down. However, it may not be as easy if you are putting your child's hair in buns, ponytails and braids. While these precautionary measures are not necessarily foolproof, especially when there is a lice epidemic at the school, they could potentially help your child avoid dealing with this problem again in the future.

You may be feeling itchy and stressed after finding out your child has lice. However, you can take your little one to a lice removal clinic to have it taken care of right away. You should also make sure to wash all linen and talk to your child about preventative measures that can be taken at school.