Once head lice have found a host and their hair and scalp they will breed very efficiently. The female head louse can drop between 3 and 6 eggs a day. As you can imagine the eggs themselves aren't very big at all... only about the size of a grain of sand.
The eggs (or nits as they are also called) take about a week to incubate before the new born lice (called nymphs) are introduced to the world.
After hatching the nymphs go through 3 stages before becoming an adult, during each stage they shed their exoskeleton to promote growth.
For children, the primary factor contributing to the spread of head lice infestation is because children support the head lice population just because of their day to day activities that they engage in. Younger children tend to be more social with fewer personal boundaries, and as such, the head lice can more easily transfer and propagate under such close contact conditions. And children at this age aren't aware of the warning signs when their heads begin to itch.
Kids between four and eleven in age are the most likely to carry and promote infestation. Again, this is because older kids begin to become more protective about personal space; and children younger than about four years old don't spend nearly as much time in close proximity to large groups of children.
Checking your child for infestation quite easily done; and should be undertaken if your child complains about their head itching or you notice them unknowingly scratching at their head more than what has been normal.
You can either purchase a louse comb from your local pharmacy and comb your child's hair with the comb, or perform a visual inspection. If you opt for the latter, you will want to look more for the small eggs (nits) that are attached to your child's hair follicles. The odds aren't in your favor that you'll initially see an actual head louse. This is because as you part your child's hair and shine some sort of light (which you'll need) the live louse will run for cover.
So, even though your child might not be happy with you running a fine comb through their hair or inspecting manually, it is certainly more desirable than having an infestation left to become worse.
If you do determine an infestation is present, the local pharmacy will have different types of head lice lotions, shampoos, and topical treatments.
These treatments will more than likely contain a mild insecticide; these types treatments will that take less time to work have as they contain ingredients.
Even after treatment it is important to check your child's hair with the 'nit' comb to make sure that all the infestation has cleared and that any dead lice are effectively removed.
One sometimes difficult aspect when dealing with children and head lice, is that even after you have managed to alleviate one infestation, you may find that within months or even weeks they have another infestation. This will probably be due to other children who may have head lice.
Because of this, a cycle can carry on for months depending on how proactive and diligent other parents are in addressing the head lice infestation.
The problem perpetuates when some parents either can't or are reluctant to use the treatments available. As such their children may have a prolonged infestation period. If you believe this to be the case and the school, daycare, or social group that child frequents doesn't appear to be proactive enough; you should remove your child from this particular environment until the recurring infestation has been effectively dealt with.
Certain flowers which are used by ladies to decorate their hairs also accelerate the growth of lice. All varieties of the flower Dahlia is one such example. As the old saying goes “Prevention is better than Cure" it is better to take preventive steps to avoid getting into the trap of lice. There lies our ability in lice control. But when lice attack starts what shall we do? The first and foremost is take all precautionary steps stated about. The next step is to take necessary herbal treatment and to take professional advice to remove the lice and find a head lice remedy to suit you.
The lice feasts on the person's blood and the bite can cause itching. If you or a member of your family suffers from irritation and scratching of the scalp and back of the neck, head lice could be the cause. Close inspection of the head should reveal tiny, off-white or dark eggs (nits) firmly attached to the hair, chiefly at the nape of the neck and over the ears.
Use of a lice shampoo is not the only head lice treatment available. The Internet offers information about many natural and cost-effective treatments. These include coating your hair in vegetable or baby oils for several hours or overnight in order to smother the lice and kill them.
After every two weeks, they lay white eggs or nits on the scalp. These nits are in the form of tiny white dots. Human contact is one of the major causes for the spreading of head lice. Head lice are considered a problem as the presence of these parasites signifies unhygienic conditions.
It can be difficult to pinpoint exactly where your lice infestation came from, which makes it even more difficult to get rid of them. Even if you are treated and they go away, if you do not take care of the source of infestation, it's likely they will come back, possibly even multiple times. Remember you are not alone. If you or your child has lice, it came from someone else. In fact, 6 to 12 million people a year are infested with lice. Children aged 3 to 12 are most likely to become infested, and girls typically are more likely than boys, but anyone any age can get lice, so you are not alone.
The itching associated with head lice is a result of the body's allergic reaction to the bite of the head lice. Itching may be felt throughout the head or along the neck. Redness or a rash may also be seen along the back of the neck or behind the ears. It is important to have someone to closely inspect the hair in order to confirm the presence of nits. It is easier to locate the nits along the hair shafts since the live adult head lice will move around quickly and are difficult to actually see. Be certain to check along the hairline, the back of the neck, and close to the scalp for the presence of nits.
Both Jeff Foster & Tomsmith are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.