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ost parents have experienced that horrible sense of dread, the one that happens when their child comes home from school with that little slip of paper with the bad news on it: "This is to inform you that someone in the class has lice." Head lice are a year-round fact of life, but unless we're faced with a case during the summer it's easy to put them out of our minds. Until school starts again.

Anyone can get head lice (pediculosis capitis). The tiny insects spread from one person to the next quite effortlessly, by head-to-head contact and sometimes after contact with an infested person's clothes, bed linens, pillows, towels, brushes and combs. They live on people's scalps and necks, feeding on blood and causing intense itching. In fact, lice can not live off a head for more than 36 hours.

Lice can be difficult to see. They're about 2 or 3 mm in length and half that in width; they are flat and wingless with a greyish or brown body and six legs. The oval white eggs are tiny-about the size of a grain of sand--and can easily be mistaken for dandruff. But unlike dandruff, the eggs, or nits, won't wash out and they are almost always attached to the hair close to the scalp, particularly around the nape of the neck, behind the ears and at the crown of the head.

Getting rid of lice involves an initial two-pronged attack and a lot of follow-up. There are special shampoos on the market to help get rid of lice but aside from the potential effects on those who use them, chemical treatments are becoming less effective as lice become more immune to them-a compelling reason to consider an alternative treatment, particularly on children, and pregnant and nursing women.

Just as important as killing the lice is removing the nits. It requires patience and care but it's well worth doing properly the first time. If you do have a case of lice, check all other family members and let any people who might have come into close contact with the infected person know so they can take precautions.

There are different ways of attacking the problem but all involve taking many of the same steps. And unfortunately, there's no quick fix. The Canadian Pediatric Association recommends using one of the over-the-counter lice-killing shampoos and cream rinses. Ask your pharmacist for help in determining which one might work best for your family. Pregnant and nursing women should consult with their family doctors before using any of these products. Carefully follow the directions on the package, but remember that the shampoos only kill the lice-the nits still have to be removed by hand afterward (see below for how to do it). The CPA suggests that if you discover more live lice or nits a week after you have done this treatment to talk to your pharmacist or doctor about what the best next step should be.

An alternative treatment method may be a little more time-consuming but it's a good option for people who are reluctant to use the chemical products on themselves or their children.

• Buy a special lice comb. It's expensive and it may seem like a luxury but it's a necessity.
• Wet hair and apply several tablespoons of hair conditioner, then remove tangles with a comb or brush
• Work outside or in natural light, if possible, as lice and nits are most visible in that environment. Wrap a towel around the person's shoulders and drape another one over yourself to catch anything that may fall.
• Comb through the hair with the special comb and after several strokes wipe it off on a paper towel. Pick any lice off the comb with tweezers and put them in a bowl with a bit of water. This process is going to take at least an hour and probably longer to get through every section of hair thoroughly. Simply repeat, brushing hair in different directions, until you are quite sure you have removed all lice and nits.
• Remember that nits hang on to the shaft of the hair for dear life and each one must be manually removed or the cycle will not end.
• Once the eggs have been completely removed, recheck the hair for any live lice. You can catch them using tweezers, your fingernails or double-sided tape.
• When the process is completely finished, soak the comb in hot water for 10 minutes and wash hands and fingernails well. At the same time, wash any bed linens, clothes, hats and towels used by the person with lice during the previous two days. Blankets and pillows can be put in the dryer on high for 15 minutes and that will kill any lice.
• Check the person every other day thereafter for at least two weeks, and make regular checks a part of life after that. Catching the odd egg or two does not mean a reinfestation but be diligent about getting rid of every one of them.
• Many people put a few drops of tea-tree oil (available at health food stores and many pharmacies) in shampoo and/or hair conditioner regularly as a deterrent to lice.
• If your child has long hair, consider tying it back at school. That makes it a less attractive destination for lice. And discourage children from wearing each other's hats.