How to keep your family lice-free this year

For many parents, “back to school” often means it’s time for a refresher on how to prevent head lice.

Lice are transmitted by the kind of head-to-head contact that can happen easily in classrooms, especially among younger children.

The abundant sunshine this summer actually meant less of a problem because kids played outside a lot, said Renee Garcia, district manager of Three Blind Lice, an in-home lice removal service in the Rochester area. “Now that they’re back in school and in close quarters, they’re more likely to be in a situation where they could spread head lice.”

But families can take several steps to protect themselves from an infestation. Garcia said that educating the whole family about lice prevention is the best defense.

Here’s her advice on how to prevent head lice in your home.

Ask your school district to monitor for head lice. Early intervention makes a difference. If the school monitors regularly, it can help contain an infestation.

If children do get lice, reassure them they did nothing “wrong.” It’s socially busy people who are more likely to get lice, so there should be no stigma involved.

Teach your children not to share certain items. This one is tricky because you have probably taught them to share, but they need to understand that in certain situations, it’s not a good idea. Just as children know not to share a peanut butter sandwich with a friend with a nut allergy, they can learn that sharing brushes, hats, and barrettes or ribbons can be a health risk, too.

Encourage them to store their coats, hats, scarves and school bags in their own space or cubby to protect them from problems, too.

Finally, explain the importance of not touching heads with a friend. Lice travel through hair-to-hair contact, so the best way to prevent an infestation is to avoid that contact.

Pay attention to notices from school about infestations. Take them seriously. If your school notifies you that a student has been diagnosed with head lice, check your children’s heads daily for lice for several weeks. It’s an inconvenience, but you won’t regret catching any problem early.

Do home lice checks regularly. This should be part of your regular routine. If you find the task distasteful, ask a service for help. If you avoid it, it will never be a priority — and that’s when a problem can occur.

Make sure your home is lice-proof. This is always a smart move, but it’s especially important if your home has already endured an infestation.

Protect your home by sterilizing hair tools — combs, brushes, etc. Vacuum floors and upholstered furniture regularly and periodically wash all bedding in hot water. Run pillows through a high-heat dryer for 30 minutes.

In addition, lice are attracted to certain pheromones, so if they liked your scalp before, they’ll like it a few months from now, too. Using certain natural shampoos can help alter your scalp’s scent.

For absolute confidence, ask a service to show you how to keep your home lice-free.

“You want a professional who will come to your home, identify potential trouble spots, and explain how to deal with them,” says Garcia.

Wear hair in ponytail or braids. Containing long hair in a slicked-back style helps minimize the risk of contamination from head-to-head contact.

“There’s only so much you can do to prevent an infestation because you can’t monitor your little ones when they’re in school,” said Garcia. “But checking their heads regularly when they’re home and making sure the entire family is vigilant will absolutely help you intervene quickly and minimize the impact of any infestation.”

This story is provided and presented by,​ Three Blind Lice.

Members of the editorial and news staff of D&C Digital were not involved in the creation of this content.