Halloween May Mess Up Idaho’s Plans to Control Head Lice

Idaho health websites are full of advice on how to control the spread of those blood-sucking critters known as head lice, and so far it hasn't been an awful year for head lice cases.  But here comes Halloween!

There's a huge spike in head lice cases this time of year, and wigs and masks may be to blame.  Eeww.

This is another reason to dislike the creepy clown costumes.  Those wigs and masks can have lice lurking inside them, and trying them on at the store can invite them right onto your own scalp.  Gross!  And it's not just the creepy clown costumes, but it's fun to blame them for most of what's wrong with the world.  Princess outfits and super hero costumes can spread lice just as easily as weird clowns.

Halloween stores have rows and rows of wigs and masks for sale right now, and it's impossible to know how many heads they've been on before yours.  That increases the risk of head lice cases, and makes October a prime month for itchy heads.

There is something we can do about this though.  To sanitize the wig or mask after buying it, the experts say we can put it in a sealed plastic bag for 48 hours before wearing it. Any head lice will die within 24-48 hours.  If it's a shirt or cape and it's dryer friendly, that can be tossed in for 45 minutes on high heat and that will kill the lice.

If you do run into a head lice case at your house, there are several places around Boise that can help get rid of it.  Idaho lice removal is big business unfortunately, and there are even some mobile clinics that will come to your house to help with the detox process.  Idaho health groups also have some ideas on ways to identify the nits and treat the lice, and note that there are several different medications with insecticides available at drug stores to help out.

Let's hope the only head lice we see this Halloween are actual head lice costumes.  Now there's a demented costume idea to rival the creepy clown.  Happy Halloween!