Head Lice
Also known as nits, kutu, bugs, utu or head louse. They are small flat parasitic insects found on the heads of people. They live in the human scalp, feeding on blood about five to six times a day.
Life Cycle of Head Lice
- Nit – Head lice eggs. They are firmly glued to the base of each hair very close to the scalp. Eggs found more than 1 cm from the scalp are empty egg shells and are dead. They are hard to see and are often confused for dandruff. They hatch in about seven to ten days. Lice do not hatch their eggs on bed linen or clothes.
- Adult louse - About the size of a sesame seed. They range in colour from tan to grayish-white and are hard to see. A louse will live for about 30 days on a person’s head. If a louse falls off a person it dies within two days. They can live underwater on the head and will not leave the head during swimming or bathing.
How did We Get Infected?
Head lice can not jump, fly or swim. They normally spread by:
- Close physical contact with an already infested person. E.g. during play at school. Head lice swing very quickly from hair to hair
- By wearing infested head wears such as hats, hair ribbons
- By using infested combs, brushes or towels
- By lying on a bed or pillow that has recently been in contact with an infested person.
Diagnosing Head Lice Infestation
Itchiness and scratching of the scalp are common signs of head lice infestation. The child may also come across as irritable. Adult lice are hard to find but we can look for the eggs towards the back of the scalp and neck and behind the ears where they are most likely to be.
Treatment
They are a wide range of products available from pharmacies such as Lice Blaster, Paraplus, Prioderm that will either kill the head lice or both the head lice and the eggs. Treatments are best repeated after 7 days to make sure total eradication.
Dead eggs can be removed by using a fine tooth comb. Mineral oil will help to loosen the glue holding the egg to the hair. Alternatively, we can wet hair with equal parts of water and vinegar and cover the wet head with a towel or shower cap for afew minutes.
Prevention
- Brush hair daily. Brushing can kill or injure lice and stop them laying eggs
- Everyone in the family uses their own brush and comb
- Inform friends and school if your child has head lice
- Use Thursday Plantation Tea Tree Oil Shampoo as prevention.
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