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October is the peak month for head lice

As the presence of the ubiquitous 'nit' reaches its annual apex, so too do the publicity attempts by those marketing anti-louse treatments. To name just two examples, Lyclear is sending a guide on getting rid of head lice to all pre-schools and nurseries as well as information packs and posters to teachers, and Nice 'n Clear is inviting journalists to talk to the staff at Poplar Play Centre in London, where it says its treatment has been a success. The company's founders, who have seven children of their own, say they came across Neem oil, on which their lotion is based, on a trip to India and found it repelled 700 kinds of insects, including head lice. At any one time within most nursery and school settings there will always be a number of children infected. Head lice are still considered a 'dirty'

At any one time within most nursery and school settings there will always be a number of children infected. Head lice are still considered a 'dirty'

subject because people wrongly believe that they are a symptom of poor hygiene. So it's important to stress to parents that lice are just as common on clean hair, and that adults as well as children can be affected.

And it's also important to stress that there is no final 'cure' to the problem -parents will need to check children's heads for as long as they are in primary education. The louse has been with us from the dawn of civilisation.

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