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Head lice are an annoyance that often strike the heads of children but can be found on adults as well. A head louse is a small bug that lives on the head of its human host. It lays eggs (nits), which adhere to the hair shaft close to the skull. The louse sucks the blood through the scalp. The resulting scabs from the bites cause itching, which is often the first sign that there is a problem.
Intense itching or discovery of the nits (eggs) most often alerts us to lice when washing or combing hair. Nits are small sacks, which are off-white in color. The oval-shaped nits are glued to the hair shaft and will not come off by bushing your hand over them, like flakes of dandruff will. While the nits are smaller than the head of a straight pin, they are not impossible to see with the naked eye. Bright, natural lighting as well as magnifying glasses can be used to detect the offending creatures.
Adult lice are brownish in color and look similar to elongated ticks. They have six legs with claws, which are used to grab onto the hair. It's hard to believe that something the size of a sesame seed can create such an annoyance and a great deal of time-consuming work.
Head lice crawl; they do not jump or hop, nor do they have wings with which to fly. With human blood on which to live, during their 30-day life span it is not unusual for female lice to lay close to 100 nits.
One thing to remember is that homes do not get head lice; people do. Pets cannot get human head lice. Head lice need human blood to survive. They cannot survive away from a human host for more than 24 hours.
Lice have been around since the dawn of mankind. It is believed that the primates had to contend with their own host-specific type of lice. Dead lice and nits have been found on Egyptian mummies.
The life of a head louse is about a month. The female of the species lays eggs (nits) on the hair shafts at the rate of approximately 4 eggs a day. These eggs hatch 7-10 days later. Within another 10 days, the newly hatched louse can begin having babies. This is why it's important to catch an infestation of head lice right away and treat it immediately and again in a week.
Head lice do not survive in water, nor do they jump from one head to the next. They can be transferred via hair combs/brushes, hats, or any other hair accessories. Although it's rare, sharing a telephone can transfer lice, as can head phones or a sporting helmet. Lice are more likely to be spread by direct head-to-head contact or shared items used on the head on a regular basis.
In a school setting, teach kids to never share brushes, hats, and hair accessories. Instruct them to place all hats and mittens inside their coat sleeves or in backpacks. It's good practice to see to it that coats hanging together in lockers do not touch. One way to ensure safety is to have a child place his/her coat in his/her backpack.
The most effective treatment is manual removal. Thoroughly wash hair, dry with a hot-air hair dryer, and find a spot outside in the sun or natural light to comb through the hair. Sit with tissue paper underneath the hair and use a fine-toothed comb. As you comb, anything combed out of the hair will fall onto the tissue paper (the gift wrap kind, not the nose blowing kind) for you to see.
Special combs are sold for this purpose at any drug or discount store. You can even find them at pet supply stores. You can use your fingers and/or finger nails to physically remove any nits or bugs that you see.
Brush the hair from the scalp to the ends in very small sections at a time. Do this over tissue paper to catch anything that is brushed out. Use more tissue to wipe the comb after each stroke to remove anything the comb catches. This can be a very time consuming task. A book or an entertaining movie will help occupy those involved. Shampooing with regular shampoo and combing should be done each night followed in the morning by a thorough perusal of the hair for any nits or lice.
All bedding in the house should be washed in hot water and dried on high heat. Thoroughly vacuum the mattress, carpeting, and upholstered furniture in the house. Toss the bag into a garbage bag, seal, and put in the outside trash can.
Experts cannot seem to agree on the benefits of putting toys and anything that cannot be washed and dried into dark garbage bags and keeping them sealed for 2 weeks. It can't hurt anything if your kids can handle being without the items for two weeks. A two-week isolation period takes care of any adult lice as well as their nits.
It's important to vacuum the car from top to bottom as well as the house. Use the crevice tools to get down deep, and pay special attention to the areas of the seats that come in contact with the upper body.
Other home remedies include slathering mayonnaise or Vaseline on the head, letting it sit for a time, and washing followed by a thorough combing as described above. Over-the-counter remedies can be purchased, such as Nix or Rid shampoo treatments. One thing to remember is that these are pesticides and should not be used around pregnant or nursing women, children under a year, or those with pre-existing illnesses. If you fit one of these descriptions, call your health care professional to see what he/she recommends for a course of treatment.
If the medicated route of treatment is your choice, do not use a shower cap and be sure to follow the printed instructions exactly. It is best to avoid products that contain Lindane. Take extra caution when using near the eyes.
Treating those in the house who are unaffected is not necessary. The best course of action for the others in the house is daily examination of the hair, and paying close attention to the hair shafts close to the scalp, behind the ears, and at the nape of the neck.
The only preventative method recommended is the use of a shampoo containing tea tree oil. It is reported that lice do not like the scent and will avoid heads using that shampoo. Tea tree oil can also be found in many facial cleansers.
With early detection, daily screening, and diligence, a lice occurrence in your home can be handled safely and efficiently. When receiving notification that someone in your home has come in contact with a case of lice, it is important to begin immediately the process of removing lice. Remember that lice can and will attack anyone; even the cleanest family from the best of homes is not immune to an outbreak of lice. Vacuum often and thoroughly inside the house and car. Within two weeks, your family should be rid of this bug.
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