Quick Tips to Prevent Head Lice This Halloween
Scratching your head while trying to come up with the perfect Halloween costume for your child? If you aren’t too careful, your child might be scratching their head pretty soon.
Halloween is often accompanied by a jump in head lice infestations. Although a lot of people associate this with the start of the school year, Halloween costumes are more likely the culprits behind a visit from those pesky bugs.
How Does Head Lice Spread?
Head lice are mostly spread by direct head-to-head contact with a person who has an infestation. However, these clever pests can survive off the human head for at least 24 hours. This means they can latch on to pieces of clothing such as scarves and hats. A lot of people visit costume stores at this time of the year and try on different masks and headgear. Any one of these people could have a previous head lice infestation that can spread to anyone else who tries on the same piece of clothing or accessory. Similarly, kids borrow each other’s costumes and masks for Halloween. This increases the risk of contamination and transports lice from one person to another.
Quick Tips to Prevent Halloween Head Lice:
If you want to avoid getting head lice this Halloween season, here are some tips that can help you out:- Avoid headgear such as masks, hats, scarves, and wigs at costume shops.
- Advise your child to avoid sharing their Halloween headgear with other children at school.
- Try making a homemade costumes for your child instead of buying one from the store.
- If you buy the costume from the store, keep it in a tightly sealed back for at least 24 hours prior to wearing it to suffocate any lice that may be on it.
- Toss dryer-friendly costumes in a hot cycle for 45 minutes before putting them on.
