• NATURAL look Pyrethrum Shampoo and Leave-In Conditioner are designed so that they can be used frequently during seasonal outbreaks.
• Avoid direct head-to-head contact with people.
• Don't share brushes, combs, ribbons, hats, helmets, hair ties, etc.
• Keep long hair tied up or plaited.

Tell close relatives, friends, neighbours, schools and other places where close head-to-head contact is likely.

Anyone can be affected. Remember, head lice are a nuisance, and are not caused by lack of cleanliness.

(Pediculus capitis) are small parasitic insects adapted to living mainly on the scalp and neck hairs of their human host, and …

• are small insects approx. 2-3mm long and about 1mm wide.
• have 6 legs with claws.
• can be light or dark brown.
• feed on human blood.
• move quickly when you part the hair.
• do not live on animals.
• can’t fly, jump or hop.
• can't live more than 1-2 days away from the head.
• are spread mainly by head-to-head contact.
• like clean or dirty hair.
• have a life cycle of about three weeks.
• do not carry disease.

Nits are the unhatched eggs of head lice and are often mistaken for flakes of dry skin or dandruff. However, unlike dandruff, nits stick to the hair and are difficult to remove, and …

• are small and hard (like a grain of salt).
• are yellow-white in colour.
• stick on hair near the scalp.
• hatch as head lice after 7-10 days.

• Look for small red dots behind ears and the nape of the neck where head lice have been feeding.
• Tiny black specks on pillows.
• Adult head lice can be hard to see.
• Eggs are easier to see and can be found glued to the base of the hair shaft near or on the scalp.
• Dandruff is flaky and easily removed.
• Eggs may have a ‘sandy’ or ‘gritty’ feel when running fingers through the hair.
• Eggs more than 10-15mm from the scalp are probably hatched or dead.

Schools don't get head lice, only people do!
Schools, pre-schools and childcare centres are places where children come in close contact with others and may catch head lice.

The Department of Education Training and Employment (DETE) policy says that a school may exclude a child with head lice from school or pre-school until that child is treated or a letter is received from a doctor (general practitioner) stating that the child is free from head lice and nits. The child can return to school the day after treatment has been commenced.

• Part the hair and check the scalp, especially the base of the hairshaft on the neck, behind the ears, under fringes, and at the base of plaits and ponytails.
• Check weekly - daily during outbreaks.
• Use bright light (eg: sunlight).
• A magnifying glass will help.

• the preparation was not applied properly
• treatment was not repeated regularly enough
• the person has been reinfested (often by another family member).