Lice Thrive in Summer Camp

The hush-hush topic of lice is something all moms think about during the school year. But I never thought that lice thrive in full force at summer camps, too. If you have ever dealt with lice for your children or yourself then you understand the agonizing process of getting rid of the infestation. Recently, I met a Tampa mom that shared her own experience with lice.

She shared her story of dealing with a lice infestation for 5 months. She and her daughter snuggled in bed one night and the nightmare began. First, they tried every over the counter product, then used prescription products costing more than $500 (that also didn’t work!). Desperation led to trying lice services in Tampa, but they did nothing more than use the same products that already did not work (and had Michelle do lots of follow up work). Finally, she got a call from a family member about a guaranteed, all-natural process available in Jacksonville. After five months and 4 hours driving each way, the lice were finally gone!

She used same FDA approved AirAlle treatment she got in Jacksonville. In learning more about the treatment, we discussed so much more than I ever knew about lice. My head actually felt itchy just hearing about it. A simple explanation of the treatment: it’s controlled, heated air, that “is like putting the lice and eggs in a toaster.”

Looking for an at-home way to treat lice? Check out our previous article, Getting Rid of Lice, Naturally.

Why are lice prevalent in summer camps? Lice are bugs that live in our hair and thrive on our blood. Our hair strands are highways for the bugs to travel. Summer camp environment is more flexible than school, with lots of “togetherness” activities. The more head-to-head contact, the more lice spread. Think your child is not touching another child? Selfies, hugs, backpacks, bus rides, lunch tables, and fun team activities are all opportunities for your child to touch heads or shoulders with another. I am sure my tween daughter is hugging, taking selfies and is whispering in friends ears all day at camp. Sleepover camps where kids are in each other’s rooms and talking while sitting on the beds can be a breeding ground for lice.

How to prevent lice:

1. Keep hair up
Ponytails and braids are critical in the fight again lice. Any child with long hair should keep it up in some manner. Hair bands are recommended for shorter hair.

2. Minimize sharing
It may be hard for kids, but they need to minimize sharing brushes, combs, hats, hair bows, etc. Pretty much anything that is near the head should not be shared.

3. Stay out of others beds
In sleep away camps, talk on floor in common areas, not on friends’ beds. Always sleep on your own pillow.

4. Avoid Head-to-Head or Hair-to-Hair contact
This includes hugs, selfies, sitting closely to a friend, etc. I can hardly image avoiding hugging someone. However, my daughter and I shared a lice experience a couple years ago and it definitely makes you think twice about what your hair touches.

There is no magic bullet to prevent lice, but thank goodness there is a one time, all-natural treatment if it does happens. We went through this in our family in the past. It is definitely one of the most annoying experiences for a family to deal with and it can take weeks or months of time, money and effort to get rid of.