There are a lot of myths and misconceptions surrounding the topic of head lice. Probably the worst being that lice prefer dirty hair and so only unclean people catch them. Complete rubbish! Anyone from the lowest to the highest in the land are just as vulnerable.

So, just how are head lice spread? Most commonly by actual head to head contact. Again the notion that they can leap from head to head is plain wrong. You see lice are wingless, they cannot fly, leap or swim, they simply crawl around in the hair. To infect somebody else the louse needs another person's head to be touching so it can simple march from its present hair strand to another's.

Children are most vulnerable to head lice because they hug each other, wrestle, play games, do rough and tumble, share hats. In fact they do all the stuff we want them to do to be happy normal kids. Unfortunately all this interaction and contact provides the perfect opportunity for head lice to spread through whole classes or even entire schools. Parents are vulnerable too, don't you hug your children? All it needs is a minute of hair to hair contact to pass on these little nasties.

Let's not panic though. Head lice are easily passed on but are not themselves disease carriers or dangerous, they are just unpleasant and the sooner you discover them the better. So, you need to learn to tell they are present and here's how :

• Itchy Head and Scratching - This is usually the first indication of head lice presence. Lice offer a painless bite to the scalp to feed off the human host's blood. This action and crawling around irritates and causes itching.
• Hair Inspection - Closely inspecting a child's hair on a regular basis is the surest method of finding head lice infestations. This can be done when combing or brushing hair or maybe at bath-times, be sure to do it at least weekly. Adult lice can be found anywhere within hair but more likely close to the scalp if they are laying eggs (nits) as they use a strong glue substance to attach the eggs to hair stems. Nymphs, the newly hatched but not yet adult lice will stay close to the scalp where it is warm and offers a plentiful food supply. Be methodical and take your time Work through small sections at a time as these things are tiny and hard to spot especially in dark hair.
• Spots or Scabs - Tiny red spots may be present from irritation following a bite similar to a midge bite. Scabs, scratches or skin breaks may be caused by the infected person raking the scalp with fingers nails. Infections may arise through germs from grubby fingernails entering the skin.
• Dandruff - What might seem like muddy coloured dandruff could be dead lice falling or being combed from hair. The lice are a grey / brown colour and will cling to hair shafts so are not easily dislodged, however they live for about a month and the dead ones can be brushed out. Being darkish they show more on light coloured clothing.

This is some basic information on being aware of head lice and how to look for them. Lice can spread quickly and the sooner they are found and cleared the better. Getting rid of them is straightforward if you know how. Get everything you need to know about head lice and how to get deal with by visiting my specialist head lice site.