Dear Parents,

At school this week a member of your child’s class was found to have head lice.

Please examine your child’s hair for signs of head lice by following the advice below from the
Department of Health. Remember that head lice are only about 2 to 4mm long and are often hard to
see. Head lice can move at up to 30cm per minute, and will rapidly run away when the hair is parted
to search for them. Applying hair conditioner to the dry hair slows the head lice down, so they can be
trapped and removed by combing with a metal ‘nit’ comb.

How to look for head lice and eggs (nits):

 To check hair effectively for eggs, use a magnifying glass in strong light (e.g. sunlight) to
examine the hair shafts close to the scalp, especially behind the ears and at the nape of the
neck. Eggs look like grains of salt and are glued firmly to the hair shaft.

 To check hair effectively for head lice, carefully comb enough hair conditioner through the dry
hair to thoroughly saturate the hair, then comb again in sections with a fine tooth metal fine-
tooth ‘nit’ comb. The hair conditioner slows the head lice down so they can be trapped in the
metal ‘nit’ comb.

 Continue combing the whole head in this way. Wipe the combings on a white tissue or paper
towel and examine them with a magnifying glass in strong light (e.g. sunlight) to look for head
lice and eggs.

 Rinse the hair conditioner out when finished and dry the hair.

 Continue the hair conditioner treatment daily for the next 10 days only if you find head lice.

 If your child has head lice it is recommended that you also check all other household
members for head lice. Use the same hair conditioner method to make this task easier and
more effective.

For treatment advice, and other information, please read the Department of Health Head Lice Fact
Sheet. The Department of Health encourages the 10 day Hair Conditioner Treatment as the first
treatment option. However, advice on insecticide treatment is also provided.

If head lice persist even after you have carefully followed the Head Lice Fact Sheet instructions,
further advice is available from the Community (School) nurse. Ask at the school office for the
contact phone number or view at www.health.wa.gov.au/headlice

Thank you

Ms Heather McNeil
Principal

Willetton Primary School • 14 Woodpecker Avenue, Willetton WA 6155 t: (08) 9376 8600 e: Willetton.PS@Education.wa.edu.au