Lice is a common problem that all parents can face at some point in their child-raising life experience. Lice are a nuisance, and is not uncommon. People with children know all about lice, either from their child being infested, or from friends and family at school. Although it is still mainly associated with poverty and poor hygiene, it affects millions of people worldwide every year irrelevant of social class, and is especially common in children aged 3-11. Over 12 million children in the US alone contract head lice every year. The most common myth is that “dirty people” get it. The truth is that lice actually like clean heads. They want to get right to the scalp to eat and lay eggs. Dirt and grit just get in the way. The little bloodsuckers in people’s hair are extremely annoying–those affected suffer from an itchy scalp and the open sores are an ideal breeding ground for bacteria and viruses. Some individuals can even have allergic reactions to lice.
Lice are tenacious, agile, and averse to light. A louse comb alone cannot catch all of them. So it is no surprise that effective treatments to kill lice are in great demand. Nits are almost invisible to the naked eye. With a length of 0.8 millimeters, the nits are much smaller than a grain of rice. To make matters worse, they are also translucent. Nits contain a tiny embryo and are attached near the base of hair shafts. Biochemical analysis have shown that the nits consist of polysaccharides and proteins. It is a common myth that head lice cannot survive off a human host. This is absolutely not true! As a matter of fact this is a major reason why people get re-infested a few days after they treat their heads, or even up to a week of month later. A louse can survive up to 2 full days without human blood. When a human is within crawling distance, they will climb on for a free meal. Nits take 7-10 days to hatch and will be looking for their first meal. They are extremely efficient at finding a healthy subject to crawl on and feed. This is why it is important to treat your hair and your home. This includes your sofa, bedding, animals, clothes, and car and car seats.
It is normal for us, as parents, to panic when we find out our child has head lice or there has been a head lice outbreak in our child’s school. Our first reaction is to rush to our local drugstore and purchase an over-the-counter lice treatment, using lice products that contain pesticides and chemicals that may cause our kids harm. Some common over-the-counter lice treatments have permethrin or pyrethroids as an active ingredient. These chemicals can result in seizures, dizziness, headaches, and burning. Over the years, head lice have become resistant to popular treatments. Studies have shown that up to 75% of lice strains are now resistant to permethrin and pyrethroids, the active ingredients in many over-the-counter head lice products on the market. In a 2009 memorandum, The Environmental Protection Agency classified permethrin as “likely carcinogenic to humans”. The National Pediculosis Association, a non-profit group that advocates on head lice issues, has collected over 1,000 reports linking the use of pesticide shampoos to seizures, behavioral problems, and leukemia. Between 2005 and 2010, the US Food and Drug Administration’s Adverse Event Reporting System even documented complaints involving six deaths related to the over-the-counter pesticide permethrin.
Even prescription lice remedies can include lindane or malathion, chemical pesticides used to get rid of lice. This can cause burning of the scalp, body numbness, abdominal pain, and fever. Home remedies don’t work. Lice have a breathing system that is protected by their hard exoskeleton. Smothering lice with mayonnaise or olive oil will not work and some people advise putting kerosene and mouth wash on your child’s head. This does not work and is extremely dangerous. There are several natural lice treatments on the market that do not contain chemicals or pesticides. Shampoos, conditioners, and sprays that use natural oils have been shown to help eliminate lice. You should also make sure to use a comb specially designed to eliminate lice and nits (lice eggs). One of these products in ClearLice. Another is Apaisyl Poux. LiceGuide Lice & Egg Elimination Kit has also been recommended for removal of head lice.
How do lice get into the hair? Head lice move by crawling–they cannot hop or fly. Head-to-head contact with a person who has head lice is the most common way to transfer lice. Head-to-head contact is common during play at school, at home, at the playground, at camp, at slumber parties, and during sports activities. Head lice may also be spread by sharing clothing items. Lice or eggs may have crawled or fallen onto items such as hats, scarves, coats, sports uniforms, helmets, hair ribbons, barrettes, combs, brushes, towels, stuffed animals, pillows, and bedding, to name a few. Head lice may also be spread on furniture and other household items such as beds, couches, chairs, and pillows. Dogs, cats, and other pets do not play a role in the spread of human lice.
Lice eggs are laid by the adult female at the base of the hair shaft nearest the scalp. Lice eggs are firmly attached to the hair shaft by a glue-like substance and are oval-shaped, very small (about the size of a knot in thread), and hard to see. Lice eggs often appear yellow or white. Living lice eggs can appear to be the same color as hair they are on. After hatching, the empty eggshell is called a nit. Lice eggs and nits are often confused with dandruff or other debris. Lice eggs usually take 8-9 days to hatch. Lice eggs that are likely to hatch are usually located less than 1/4 inch (5mm) from the base of the hair shaft.
A nymph is a young louse that has recently hatched from a lice egg. A nymph looks like an adult head louse, only smaller. Nymphs, like adult lice, must feed on human blood to survive. Nymphs mature into adult lice 9-12 days after hatching. A fully-grown adult louse is about the size of a sesame seed, has six legs, and is tan to grayish-white in color. Adult had lice may appear the same color as the hair they live on. To survive, they must feed on human blood. Head lice live about 30 days on a person’s head, but will die within 1-2 days if they are removed from a food source, such as when they fall off the head. Adult female head lice are usually larger than males and can lay about 8-10 eggs each day.
Sometimes it is very hard to identify signs of head lice. Because lice are very small, move quickly, and avoid light, they may be difficult to find with a visual inspection. Several signs to look for are constant head scratching and/or complaints about itchiness on the head. Small dandruff-like particles appearing in the hair, especially along parts in the hair. A note from your child’s school about a known head lice outbreak. Children and adults with an active head lice infestation should be treated immediately, and all other household members should be examined closely. The object is to immediately kill or remove all lice from the infested person’s hair. Without treatment, head lice will continue living on a person’s head indefinitely. Immediate treatment is a must!
Removal of lice eggs and nits that are glued to the hair is a critical step in defeating lice. Lice eggs hatch up to ten days after being laid, and it is important to get rid of newly hatched lice to prevent an ongoing infection cycle. Additionally, many schools have “no-nit” policies that prevent kids from returning to school even if they only have remnants of dead or hatched lice eggs (called nits). Accordingly, any initial lice-killing or lice-removal treatment must be followed up by additional treatments to eliminate eggs and newly hatched lice.
Last, but not least, you should thoroughly clean your home and any belongings that are likely to have been exposed to lice. This includes the following: Machine wash bed linens, hats, coats, scarves, stuffed animal and other such items in hot water, then dry using high heat drying cycle for 20 minutes or more. Items that are not washable should be dry cleaned or placed in a plastic bag and stored for two weeks (any lice will die during that period). Soak combs and brushes in very hot water, or, if possible, run through the dishwasher on the hot cycle. Thoroughly vacuum a child’s room and play areas, including the floor and furniture where the infested person may have been. Head lice need to feed daily, and can not live away from a human host. Taking the above steps will help end the possibility of re-infestation by lice which may have temporarily located on an household item and are waiting to “hitch a ride” on another head.
Children and parents can take many steps to avoid head lice altogether. Avoid head-to-head contact with others who may have head lice. Unfortunately, it is hard to tell whether somebody else has lice, so it is best to avoid head-to-head contact with other children whenever possible. Avoid sharing clothing, hats, helmets, combs, or towels with others who have head lice. This is especially common in daycare, school, sporting activities, camps, and sleepovers. Avoid sharing beds, bedding, pillows, couches, or chairs with others who may have head lice. Proactive parents may also wish to use a head lice repellent to further reduce the odds of contracting head lice in potentially infested environments. Though your child may be free of lice, your child may be at high risk of infestation in their daily surroundings.
Hope this helps in your battle against the creepy crawlies!