Lice At Summer Camps
Lice at Summer Camp?
Ah, summer camp. You probably picture your child going on hikes, swimming, sailing, singing around the campfire, and enjoying s’mores. You probably aren’t thinking about head lice. Here are helpful tips on how to prevent lice at summer camp.
According to the American Camp Association (ACA), “Every year, one of the most common calls to the ACA Camp Crisis Hotline comes from camps who have questions about lice. Either they have detected head lice on a camper’s or staffer’s head, or they are preparing for an infestation—should it occur—and want some advice.”
In a 2016 study, researchers from the University of Michigan Mott Children’s Hospital tracked lice infestations in more than 500 summer camps over a three-year period and followed up with a questionnaire to camp leaders. Some 69 percent of camp leaders surveyed said lice were a significant challenge faced by camp staff and parents.
Summer camps are often in remote locations and have limited access to medical resources. About 30 percent were said to have “no nit” policies, meaning that if a camper has head lice, he or she will be sent home.
Why are lice common at camps? Well, for the same reason head lice are common wherever young people gather. It’s an opportunity for head-to-head contact and lots of sharing of clothes, brushes, combs, and the like—the primary ways head lice spread.
How to Prevent Lice at Summer Camp?
New preventative products can help you reduce the odds that your child will contract head lice at camp. Many camps partner with Los Alamitos Lice Removal and Torrance Lice Removal for professional lice head screens and to get their kiddos lice free in about one hour. We also offer preventative sprays, conditioners, and shampoos formulated to deter head lice. The preventative hair products contain scents that smell perfectly fine to humans but irritate a louse’s olfactory senses (and thus repel the lice).
Other steps you can take to prevent your child from getting lice at camp are to keep the hair short (for boys) and/or tied back for girls. And while “sharing is caring” is a good message for youngsters, when it comes to summer camp you should caution your kids about sharing hats, helmets, clothes, hair products—even headphones and ear buds.
It is also important to check your child’s head carefully before sending him or her off to camp. After all, you don’t want to be the one bringing the lice. Some camps require lice checks before camp, with some performing the checks on site as campers arrive.
Finally, check with your camp and make sure you understand its lice policy and if it offers resources for addressing head lice.
Lice Happens.. Don’t be Too Hard on Yourself..
Remember, if your child does get head lice at camp (or anywhere else), it isn’t because you or your child did anything wrong. Some 6-12 million people get head lice every year in the United States alone. There is no relationship between hygiene and head lice—in fact lice prefer clean scalps and hair.
Interested in having our certified head lice technicians do on-site screening at your summer camp? Contact us at 800.920.5423