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Sales of lice treatment sprays have increased by 121 per cent this week, suggesting an outbreak of the insects across the UK.
Chemist Superdrug believes recent warmer weather has led to infestations across the country.
However, the NHS said visits to your lice advice page had remained stable at around 10,000 per week throughout April and May.
Common playground parasites are a constant concern for parents who want to avoid the painful process of treating the family’s hair with strong-smelling chemicals and washing every sheet in the house.
Lice are small insects that live in the hair and lay their eggs in the hairs near the scalp.
Lice can also be contracted by sharing tools such as brushes, combs, or towels with someone who has an infestation.
Adults can live up to 30 days on the scalp.
Lice can affect anyone, however, they are most common among children between four and 12 years old.
During the warmer summer months, there is a greater chance of head-to-head transmission as children play outdoors more frequently.
Niamh McMillan, pharmacy superintendent at Superdrug, said: “We normally see a rise in our lice treatment products around the back-to-school season in September, so it is unusual to see such a rise in sales last week.
“It has been a long winter for the UK and the recent warmer weather will have seen many children take advantage of the chance to play together outdoors, which has increased the chances of lice being transmitted from head to head.
“Although lice can thrive in all temperatures, nicer weather can lead to lice infestations, which is what we are seeing.
‘If you suspect your child has lice, the first step is to inspect their head. He should only begin lice treatment once he has detected lice in the hair. We recommend periodically checking your child’s head throughout the ride.’
There are two main options for treating lice infestations.
The most effective method is wet combing: gently running a fine-tooth comb through sections of wet hair, from roots to ends, cleaning the comb after each pass while checking for lice.
Alternatively, chemical lice treatments can help kill lice and eggs in the hair. They are usually applied liberally to the hair and left for two minutes before washing off.
Last year, a TikTok account revealed that up to 20,000 of these tiny insects can live on your head after a month if left untreated.
NHS England noticed an increase in visits to its lice advice page last September, suggesting there had been an outbreak.
Dame Ruth May, England’s chief nursing officer, said at the time: “Lice and nits are a common problem, especially among young children and families in close contact with each other.
‘Once detected, there is no need to consult a GP, but treatment should begin immediately and all family members should be tested and treated to stop further spread.
“The NHS lice and nits advice page provides the latest advice to manage the condition and help keep any lice and nit outbreaks under control.”
The NHS advises washing your hair with shampoo, scaring for it with conditioner, then cComb your entire head from root to tip with a fine-tooth comb available at drugstores or online.
The process must be repeated every four days for two weeks to catch the newly hatched lice.
