Expert tips to help defend against lice
How do lice spread?
Lice can’t fly—they can only crawl from person to person. Children often get head lice from head-to- head contact with other children but may also get them by sharing personal items such as hats, combs, or headbands. Lice infestations affect many children, with 6 to 12 million infestations occurring every year among children 3 to 11 years of age. Getting head lice is not related to cleanliness of the hair or home environment. Super lice spread in the same manner as regular lice. Dogs, cats, or other pets do not spread head lice. If a family member gets lice, RID® Daily Defense Shampoo & Conditioner can be used to reduce the risk of head lice spreading in the household.
Why is lice defense important after treating lice?
After treating head lice, no one wants to have the problem return. Head lice are often spread at school or camp, and once they find their way into the community, they don’t want to leave. So it’s not unusual for lice to still circulate and spread once your child returns to school or camp. Additionally, since lice can survive 1-2 days away from a human scalp, it is important to keep these stray lice away from treated hair. Unfortunately, 1 in 5 children experience a lice reinfestation after being treated for an initial lice problem.
That’s why many RID® SUPER MAX lice treatment products are enhanced with lice defense ingredients to help keep new lice away from treated hair for up to 3 days. RID® SUPER MAX 5-in-1 Treat & Defend Complete Lice Treatment Kit also includes RID® Daily Defense Shampoo & Conditioner for ongoing 24/7 lice defense upon return to school or camp.
Tips to keep lice from spreading
- Use safe and gentle RID® Daily Defense Shampoo & Conditioner to help keep lice away when your child is at school or camp
- Check hair frequently
- Avoid head-to-head (hair-to-hair) contact
- Do not share clothing such as hats, scarves, coats, sports uniforms, hair ribbons, or barrettes
- Do not share combs, brushes, or towels
- Pull long hair into ponytail, braid, or bun
Tips for keeping lice from coming back
- Use a RID® SUPER MAX lice treatment enhanced with lice defense ingredients
- Use RID® Daily Defense Shampoo & Conditioner after treating a lice problem. Also, use it on family members to help reduce risk of spreading lice
- Machine wash and dry clothing, bed linens, and other items that an affected person wore or used during the 2 days before treatment, using the hot water (130°F) cycle followed by the high-heat drying cycle
- Items that cannot be washed (bedspreads, pillows, stuffed toys, etc.) should be sealed in a plastic bag for 4 weeks, then moved outdoors and shaken hard before using again
- Items that cannot be washed or stored such as mattresses, furniture, car interiors, and other non-washable surfaces may be sprayed with RID® SUPER MAX Home Control Spray
- Soak combs and brushes in hot water (at least 130°F) for 5–10 minutes
- Vacuum the floor and furniture
- Check hair for any sign of new lice
RID® advanced lice defense works in 4 ways
- 1Makes lice avoid hair
- 2Neutralizes the static charge that attracts lice
- 3Impedes lice attachment
- 4Provides immediate lice defense