Preventative & Stylish – Easy Up-do Tutorials to Prevent Head Lice

Keeping long hair up and contained is a great way to prevent head lice, as head to head contact is the way lice is spread 99% of the time. Head lice crawl very quickly and use the hair stand as a bridge to transfer. It only takes 3 seconds for a louse to crawl from one person’s head to another. Girls are often more vulnerable to receiving head lice because their hair is longer and more likely to make contact with someone else’s head.  This vulnerability can be greatly reduced by braiding the hair or putting it in a bun.

Why braid?                                               

Putting your child’s hair in a braid keeps the hair tight and contained. The twists and folds of the hair strands make it more difficult for lice to use the hair as a bridge to transfer.

Why buns?

Buns are an even better way of keeping the hair contained as no hair is left loose at all. With this hairstyle, lice only have an opportunity to transfer when the child is resting their head directly on someone else’s. Accidental contact of the hair with someone else’s hair is much less likely when the hair is contained in a bun.

What about ponytails?

Ponytails will not offer much aid in preventing head lice. The hair is still loose and lice can use the ponytail as a bridge to transfer. A ponytail can also easily make contact with another child’s head. This can happen while leaning over, turning around, hugging, lying next to someone, etc.

How to: Basic 3 Strand Braid

A braid is a quick and easy hairstyle that can be utilized in many creative ways.

Basic Braid:

Braid Bun:

*Alternatively, instead of braiding all of the braids together , you can wrap the braids around the bun and then use bobby pins to secure them.

How to: Quick Bun Hairstyles

To style a bun all you will need is a ponytail elastic and a few bobby pins. The size will depend on your child’s length of hair.

How to: French Braid & Dutch Braid

These hairstyles can be a bit challenging at first for beginners, but get much easier and quicker with practice. Try dampening the hair with a little water or Repellant Spray before starting for a better grip on the hair. The French and Dutch braids are the same with the only difference being which direction you braid the hair.

How to: Fishtail Braid

Fishtails work best on longer hair and can be styled in many different ways. Starting the braid is the hardest part, but the pattern is easy to follow once you get the hang of it. You can put the braid on the side of the head to give your child an “Elsa” look.