Head lice capital of the UK revealed as parents warned to be 'extra vigilant'

17 February 2024 , 05:00

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A health expert has warned that lice are more resilient to over-the-counter treatments (Image: Getty)

Leeds has been dubbed the head lice hotspot of the UK, as a professional nit nurse has warned the bugs are becoming more resilient to over-the-counter treatments.

The tiny parasitic insects spread via head-to-head contact and are particularly common on primary school children. While they are not known to spread diseases, they can be itchy and irritating.

A recent study from Teaching Abroad Direct has highlighted the UK towns and cities with surging cases of head lice, by observing search volume trends. The experts pointed out that searches for head lice treatment spike by 15 percent during February half term.

They warned that parents should be "extra vigilant" when children return to school after the holidays, as inquiries for both head lice and head lice treatments increased by around 33.65 percent between December to January.

The research found that searches have soared by 124.2 percent over the past two years, particularly in Leeds where they have risen by 129.1 percent. This was closely followed by Manchester where searches are 121.4 percent above average.

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Edinburgh and Birmingham are next up, with search volumes 68.9 and 63.1 percent above the norm. Glasgow completes the top five with a 37.8 percent increase. This comes as Essex-based nit nurse Kelly Court has warned: "Unfortunately, lice are becoming much more resilient to over-the-counter treatments."

She said: "Avoiding head-to-head contact is the best preventive measure as lice crawl from one person's hair to another's during close contact. Avoid sharing personal items like combs, brushes, hats, and even headphones. I recommend parents to keep their children’s long hair tied back and plaited for school."

The expert suggests parents perform weekly checks with a fine-tooth metal head lice or nit comb to catch an infestation early. This is "especially important in months when children return to school after long holidays".

While they are more common among school-age children, Kelly explains that anyone can catch lice and if they are found, the whole family should be checked. She advised: "You should advise your child’s nursery or school if lice are found so that the rest of the class can be advised to carry out checks."

How to check for head lice

Kelly has shared her simple steps for catching head lice early below:

1. Wet the hair and apply conditioner
2. Section the hair into small sections and comb the hair with a fine-tooth head lice or nit comb. Comb from the scalp all the way down the hair.
3. Wipe the comb on a white tissue or kitchen paper so that you can see anything that is removed. Comb until no more lice or eggs are seen.
4. Repeat this every few days for two weeks.

Once treatment is completed, Kelly suggests cleaning any hair brushes and hair accessories - make sure to remove any hair from them and then soak in hot water.

She added: "Bedding will also need to be washed on a 60° wash and ideally dried in a tumble dryer if possible."

Freya Hodgson