Head Louse Facts and Treatments

How to Recognize and Treat Head Lice

The ghastly head louse infests millions of heads worldwide, right now. Approximately 10 million children per year in fact. If you're one of those people suffering from headlice, you'll find information here to eradicate them! I'll also provide tips for preventing headlice as they have a very predictable modus operandi.



Facts

Signs and Symptoms

Diagnosis

Prevention

Treatment

Additional Resources

Head Lice Facts:

Credit: Vincent S. Smith, University of Glasgow for louse and modern comb photo. Photograph of Egyptian comb courtesy of Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, New Zealand.

The graphic above illustrates a 6th century Egyptian nit comb along with it's present day plastic counterpart. See an enlarged version here...

Nits...

The nit of a head louse is attached with a glue to the base of the hair shaft near the scalp. They are oval shaped and range from a pearlescent white color to reddish brown just before they hatch. They are about the size of a the head of a pin and take about 10 days to hatch. The nit then grows into an adult head louse within another 10 days and begins laying it's own eggs.


Live Lice...

Need to feed on human blood and cannot survive for more than a few days without it. They like warm, moist areas and can most often be seen tucked in behind the ears. Contrary to the belief that having lice means you're unhygenic, lice prefer a clean head of hair.

The size of a full-grown head louse is around 2-3mm and they live for up to one month. Colors of headlice can vary from whitish to red/brown to a grey/black tone. The color of the adult head louse is determined by the color of hair their human host had in their nit stage. Light hair equals whitish louse, dark hair equals dark louse. Sneaky little creatins!

Signs and Symptoms:

The most common sign that your child may have lice is itching, sometimes producing sores on the scalp.

Diagnosis:

Misdiagnosis is common as chunks of dandruff or hair casts (from follicles) can appear much like a nit. Be sure about infestation before using any sort of chemical treatment. An actual nit is glued to the hair strand and extremely difficult to remove.

If your child is infested you may or may not see live lice in the hair on thorough inspection. They can be difficult to spot as they avoid light, so while you're searching for them, they're scurrying off to hide in the darkness.

Prevention:

Regularly combing through your child's hair with a nit comb is a great practice for preventing full blown head lice infestations. This removes adult lice before they have an opportunity to lay their eggs. One adult head louse can lay up to 100 eggs in a very short time. So staying on top of their development is crucial in preventing reproduction.

Do let your child's school, parents of friends and day care providers know if your child has been infested with head lice. This will go a long way in preventing other cases and possibly prevent re-infection in your child as well.

Treatments:

Recommended Treatments Nix Complete Lice Treatment System Contains: Nix Creme Rinse (Permethrin) Metal Lice Comb with Detangling Feature Disposable Application Gloves Hair Salon Cape 5' X 5' Drop Cloth

Nix Lice Control Spray For bedding and furniture.

Vigilance is the key when battling the head louse. There are several things you can, and should do to eradicate headlice and prevent them from returning.


Manual Removal...

In most cases, manually removing each head louse and nit is the best course of treatment. It's also the most "nit-picky", hence the popular expression. Get yourself a special nit comb and sit your child in the bathtub for easy cleanup. Slather the child's hair in conditioner and part it in small sections, particularly behind the ears and at the nape hairline. Comb through each section of hair up to 5 times and wipe the comb clean with a tissue after each swipe.


Chemical Treatments...

There are chemical options such as pesticide shampoos like NIX, which can kill live lice and sometimes nits as well. Some concern has arisen that headlice are becoming resistant to these treatments.

In an attempt to provide a solution, there are now oral medications containing either pesticidal or antibiotic properties which aim to kill the lice from the inside. This is a rare treatment reserved for very severe cases and I am in no way recommending that you use them. If you do use the shampoo, follow the instructions to the letter and repeat in a week to 10 days to get any of the newly hatched lice.

To avoid spreading headlice or reinfestation after treatment, thoroughly vaccuum rugs and upholstery. Wash bedding and recently used clothing in hot water and tumble dry on high heat. Unwashable items can be stored in sealed plastic bags for 2-3 weeks.

All combs and brushes should be soaked in hot, soapy water for 10-15 minutes and strays hairs should be removed.

Daily combing with your nit comb is a good idea for a few weeks after the infestation.

Additional Resources

University of Nebraska - Head Lice Resources You Can Trust
To help you recognize a head louse or nit, check out this page, which has some great photos of headlice and nits in different stages of development.

Harvard School of Public Health
This site contains extensive information on headlice.

Headlice.org
This site provides some useful information in a fun manner, which is a relief when dealing with this bothersome issue.