Head Lice: How to Prevent Them Before They Appear — A 2025 Guide for Attentive Parents

Do you have children in daycare or primary school? This article is for you who have surely already received a notice from school warning about unannounced and unexpected visitors: head lice. These tiny parasites remain a real concern in schools and kindergartens, spreading quickly and often unexpectedly.

The good news is that with the right information and preventive measures, you can significantly reduce the risk of infestation. In this updated 2025 guide, we share simple and effective strategies for attentive parents who want to avoid this headache.

What are lice and how are they transmitted?

Lice are small insects that live on the human scalp and feed on tiny amounts of blood. Contrary to popular belief, their presence is not related to poor hygiene.

Transmission mainly occurs through:

• Direct head-to-head contact — common among children while playing.

• Sharing personal items — such as hats, hairbrushes, hair ties, or headphones.

• Shared clothing or bedding — in situations like summer camps or sleepovers.

Strategies to prevent lice before they appear

Here are some simple tricks you can use to prevent lice:

Talk to children about lice: Teach them not to share hats, brushes, or hair accessories. A simple but effective rule.

Tie up your child’s hair: Loose long hair is more prone to direct contact. Braids, ponytails, or buns help reduce the risk.

Use preventive lice-repellent products: Nowadays, there’s no need to rely only on aggressive solutions. Natural and effective alternatives exist, like lice-repellent sprays that create a protective barrier. Formulated with gentle ingredients, these sprays can be used daily, even on children, without irritating the scalp. They also leave a pleasant, discreet scent — making them a safe and practical ally.

Check your child’s head regularly: Inspect weekly, especially behind the ears and at the nape of the neck — lice’s favorite spots.

Wash and dry hair accessories properly: Hats, scarves, sheets, and pillowcases should be washed regularly at high temperatures, especially during higher-risk times.

And what if lice appear despite prevention?

Even with all precautions, infestations can happen. The most important thing is to act quickly to prevent lice from multiplying or spreading to other family members.

Important note: Don’t forget to inform the school if you detect lice. In groups of young children, spread is very fast, and treatments are ineffective if lice aren’t eliminated from the school environment.

• Use anti-lice treatments — choose specific lotions or shampoos and always follow the instructions carefully.

• Combine with fine combing — this step is essential to manually remove lice and nits. Do it on wet, detangled hair.

• Repeat treatment if needed — sometimes a second application is required 7–10 days later.

• Wash clothes and accessories — hats, pillowcases, sheets, and brushes should be washed at high temperatures.

• Check family members — lice spread easily through close contact, so inspect siblings too.

Preventing lice is possible with small daily habits. In 2025, parents can count not only on information but also on specialized products available at fahma.pt to protect children easily.

How to explain lice to children

This can be tricky, but it’s important that children understand what lice are and how to avoid them. Here’s a simple story:

The Travelers

Once upon a time, there were tiny little bugs called lice. They were so small that you could barely see them. They loved playing hide-and-seek in children’s hair. They couldn’t jump or fly, but they were clever — moving from head to head whenever kids played closely together. One day, a girl felt a little itch. “Oh-oh,” thought her mum, “I think the traveling lice have come to visit!” But mum explained that anyone can get lice — and that they could send them away. So, with a magical fine comb, they carefully brushed them out. The girl smiled, itch-free, and said: — Now the lice are off on new adventures, far away from our heads. And everyone learned that lice are not a shameful secret, just annoying little visitors who leave quickly with a bit of help.