Head Lice Treatments

Head lice and nits
Head lice and nits - Photo: Lightspring/Shutterstock
When children are back at school, germs and lice are spreading. Many unsuspecting little heads are itching, and mothers around the world are picking off the small silver eggs, known as nits, laid by adult lice from strand after strand of baby-fine hair. There are ways to protect our offspring from this small invader as well as ways to treat the infestation, should it occur.
 
Years ago, head lice were mainly found in children from lower socioeconomic families. Now, however, it is a problem that affects people of all economic levels, from the very poor to the very rich. Why are more kids suddenly getting lice? It has a lot to do with the schedules kids keep these days. Not only are they together in school, but also at soccer, gymnastics, football, dance, daycare, and so on.
 
Children are generally involved in many activities in addition to school, and any one of these could lead to cross-contamination. Lice are also becoming resistant to many of the over-the-counter drugs available right now. When not using the treatment correctly and not fully ridding the head of lice, the lice become stronger.
 
Head lice
Photo: Getty Images via Canva
It seems as though girls, especially those with long flowing hair, are more likely to get lice. This is because girls tend to be more affectionate with each other and enjoy playing things like dress up, sharing combs and brushes. Long, flowing hair is also more susceptible due to the ease with which it can come into contact with infected hair. It is also much more difficult to treat long hair, which is why girls with long locks tend to return to school after treatment with shorter hair.
 
So, what exactly is it about head lice that makes our skin crawl? It may have something to do with the life cycle of the little bugs. Nits, otherwise known as eggs, can only be laid by adult female lice. They can only find their way to a new host by crawling, as they are unable to jump or fly from one host to another. Once on the new host, the lice will feed on its host's blood. After the nits are laid, it will take only 7-10 days for them to hatch; at this point, the young louse will be silver in color. After it begins to feed on the blood, the louse will turn a reddish brown color and after 7-10 days a female will be mature enough to lay more eggs.
 

The good news is that a louse can live for only about 30 days. The bad news is that in that 30-day lifespan, one louse can lay up to 100 eggs. I can guarantee you that a typical head lice infection contains more than one female louse. Do the math; it's scary, isn't it? So, let's talk about preventing the infestation before the nits hatch.
 
The first step is accepting the problem. Nits are smooth, oval-shaped balls that are attached to the side of the hair shaft. Nits can be off-white or brown and are slightly smaller than sesame seeds. They are always the same shape, which helps to distinguish them from other small abnormalities found in the hair. Removing nits can be the easiest way to rid your child's locks of lice. This can be done with a very fine-toothed head lice comb, specifically designed for this purpose, as well as a lot of patience and meticulous work.
 
Head lice removal with a head lice comb
Lice comb - Photo: Getty Images via Canva
If you miss the small window of opportunity to remove the nits, and you now have a full-blown case of head lice, there are ways to treat it without resorting to the clippers. There are many over-the-counter and prescription head lice shampoos that are effective, though none are 100% and some even contain very powerful and harmful pesticides, which may cause sickness in some individuals. The comb mentioned earlier is the safest and most natural solution for getting rid of lice and nits.
 
Preventing an infestation is the easiest way to get rid of lice. Teach children not to share clothes or combs with friends at school. If someone in the home does come down with lice, the safest and easiest method to prevent cross-contamination after removal is to vacuum, including fabric-covered furniture, stuffed animals, and carpets. Nits and lice can only survive off their human hosts for approximately 24 hours. Many times, nits that are displaced from the head may not even hatch, as they don't have the warmth they need to incubate, or the blood they need for their first meal.
 
Now that you know all about lice, call yourself a nitpicker and wear your badge proudly.
 
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