With schools set to reopen in the coming days, parents are being reminded of the importance of regularly checking their children's hair for head lice.

Head lice are flat-backed, greyish insects that live on human scalps. They feed by biting the scalp and sucking blood.

The female head louse lays up to eight eggs per night and glues them to the base of the hair, close to their food source (blood). These eggs are called nits and look like small shiny white bumps on the hair. The lice hatch in about 10 days, but the egg case is left behind to grow out with the hair.

Those affected will usually complain about constant scratching.

An estimated one in 10 children has head lice at any one time, and 80% of cases occur in those aged between four and 16.

According to the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU), all children should be screened for head lice once a week, particularly when they return to school.

"There is no way to completely eliminate the risks of head lice, but identifying an infection early will make treating it far easier. This will also help prevent the spread of infection through your family, or among school friends. Our advice to parents is to check their children's hair regularly, ideally once a week," commented pharmacist, Caitriona O'Riordan, of the IPU.

She emphasised that if head lice are detected, it is essential that treatment is started as soon as possible.

"Lice are a normal part of life and are nothing to be embarrassed about. There are several treatment options available, and you should seek advice from your pharmacist about which is the most appropriate for your child. This is particularly important for any child suffering from asthma, allergies or those with a pre-existing skin condition, as they are the most likely to suffer a reaction," Ms O'Riordan noted.

However, she reminded parents that treatment should only begin if a living, moving louse is found.

"Using head lice products as a preventative measure is not effective, and unnecessarily exposes children to these products," she added.

The IPU offers the following advice:

-Check children's hair for lice regularly, ideally once a week. Use a wet comb made for this purpose. Combing through wet hair makes the process easier and good light is essential
-Itching and scratching are common signs of head lice, but as well as live lice, which crawl around the head, look out for nits, which are tiny eggs that may look like dandruff, but cannot be flicked off the hair
-Check close to the scalp, behind the ears, around the nape of the neck, the top of the head and under the fringe
-Treat the hair only if live lice or unhatched eggs are present. Treat the child as soon as possible. Always ask your pharmacist for advice on the most appropriate treatment to use
-Inform the school and anyone else your child may have been in contact with, so that other parents can be informed
-Always follow the instructions on the treatment pack and any advice given by your pharmacist. But remember, products used to treat head lice do not prevent the infestation from occurring and should never be used ‘just in case'.