Going head to head will outwit all the nits

But contrary to one of the many myths about the pesky bugs, they can't jump or fly.

If a child is infested, it will be because they've had head-to-head contact with another person, as head lice can only transfer to another head by walking along strands of hair.

Once they've successfully made it to another head, the lice cling to hair and live on blood from the host.

They quickly mate, and females lay eggs which hatch after seven or eight days, leaving an empty eggshell known as a nit.

Their quick reproductive cycle means infestations occur very rapidly, and parents need to check for lice regularly, and deal with them quickly if they're found.

Otherwise, they can live on someone's head for months before being noticed, and will have spread to countless others during that time.

There are many chemical head lice removal shampoos and lotions available in pharmacies, which are said to have varying degrees of success.

But one non-chemical way of getting rid of head lice is through bug busting.

To highlight the benefits of bug busting, which is a method of wet combing and is available on prescription, it's National Bug Busting Day on January 31.

The day is organised by Community Hygiene Concern (CHC) to encourage people to look for head lice more frequently, and wet comb them out if they're discovered.

CHC says bug busting proved four times more effective than neuro-toxic insecticide treatment for head lice in a trial reported in 2005.

The charity's assistant manager, Jane Smith, explains that many schools are involved with National Bug Busting Day, and use a special teaching pack about it.

"The idea is that children are galvanised at school and go home and ask their parents to check them for head lice. It's a way of getting everybody to check at the same time, and to know what they're looking for.

"It's to promote detection."

She says lice are resistant to some of the head lice removal products on the market, and that certain products aren't always guaranteed to kill the eggs.

"They can be expensive too," she warns. "It's much cheaper to bug bust."

Bug Busting Kits, which cost 6.10 (excluding P+P) if not obtained on prescription, contain special combs, a cape and wet combing instructions.

The method involves washing the hair using any shampoo and conditioner, and then carefully combing all the wet hair from the scalp to the ends with the special comb. Bug busting needs to be done four times over a two-week period. Thereafter, heads should be checked for lice once a week.

"People often don't know what wet combing is, or how to do it," says Jane Smith.

"They need to understand what's going on, and follow the instructions carefully."

She says that once people are used to bug busting, it can be done in five to 10 minutes.

"But when you're doing it for the first time, it's a good idea to do it slowly and make sure you cover the whole head, so it might take half an hour.

"Once you've done it a few times, you can pick up speed."

However, nurse consultant and head lice expert Christine Brown warns wet combing can be very time-consuming.

"It takes too long, and the results from clinical trials show it's only about 58 per cent successful.

"It's a bit long-winded, and if you've got a family it takes time.

"It's an option for some people, and I strongly recommend combing as a method of checking whether you've got head lice, on a weekly basis."

Christine Brown thinks the modern treatments available in pharmacies are the best way to get rid of head lice, although she concedes that some don't have a good track record, and it's best for people to ask their pharmacist what to use.

HEADLICE FACTS AND FICTIONS

There are a lot of myths about head lice. They can't be caught from hats, they don't always make people itch, and it's not just children that have them. "If someone in the house has head lice, everybody needs checking," says headlice expert Christine Brown. People with very short hair can still have head lice, and people should only be treated if a live louse is found on their head. People should check regularly, and check in the school holidays too. Check hair on a weekly basis for headlice using the wet combing method. For more information about bug busting, or to buy a kit, visit www.nits.net