HEAD lice — just saying those words is enough to make your head itch.

As children across SA head back to school today, health authorities debunk myths about the common classroom pest.

Unlike the common perception, lice are not associated with unclean hair or poor hygiene. In fact, lice “don’t discriminate”.

SA Health director of health protection Dr Chris Lease said there were many myths about head lice, most common in primary school aged children.

“That’s because younger children tend to engage in more frequent head-to-head contact while they are playing and working at school, kindy or childcare,” he said.

“Lice only spread through direct head contact with a person who has lice, or by items their head has come into contact with such as brushes, pillows, hats and scarves.”

Dr Lease said head lice do cause itching and discomfort — but they don’t spread disease.

“If a child is suspected of having lice, there is no need for them to be sent home, and they can return the next day if appropriate treatment has been given,” he said.

“Lice don’t fly and can’t live for more than 24 hours off of the human body, so it’s important that efforts to manage any occurrence of head lice are focused on effective treatment of the infestation, rather than excessive environmental cleaning.”

And, if you’re child comes home with head lice, there are two main approaches to treating the pest.

Lice shampoo, a chemical treatment, is one option that must be used as directed in order to be effective.

The other method is “wet combing”, which involves the use of a thick, pale conditioner

which is applied generously to the scalp and left on for about 20 minutes.

The lice can then be combed out with a fine tooth comb.

So the lice don’t return, it’s important to repeat either process one week later.