Head Lice

Many people think that head lice are a thing of the past, but the truth is that head lice have been here to stay for centuries.

Head lice are not dangerous nor carry diseases. They are not a sign of poor hygiene or poor parenting. Yet, they are a source of high anxiety and embarrassment for many caregivers of school aged children.

Head lice do not fly, they have no wings; they cannot jump. But they can move quickly from hair to hair using specially evolved claws. Some people feel itchiness, others do not. The only way to be sure that there are head lice is to check your child’s head every week, and every day for a week if they go to sleepovers.

What you can do

Prevent, check, and treat. You can get more information from the Managing Head Lice booklet.

Check out this video to watch how to check for lice:

Services related to this information:

• Contact your Public Health Nurse
  • Eastern Urban/Rural Zones
  • Central Zone
  • Western Zone
  • Labrador-Grenfell Zone
• 811 HealthLine (Newfoundland & Labrador) – Call 811 or 1-888-709-2929 / TTY 1-888-709-3555