Headlice facts
Posted On March 31, 2009 at 12:08 pm in Headlice, Stock
For many parents head lice are often thought of as public enemy number one. There is however, a lot of nonsense talked about head lice. If you feel your child is at risk of infection it is important to be able to separate the facts from the fiction.
Fact: most children get head lice some stage of their childhood. These days there no longer is any stigma attached to your child becoming infected with the unpleasant , but by no means deadly, head louse.
Fact: getting head lice has nothing to do with hygiene. Head lice aren’t fussy, they are opportunists, equally at home on clean or dirty hair. Head lice are caught, or rather transmitted by head to head contact.
So what exactly are head lice?
Fact: head lice are tiny greyish- brown insects about 2.5 mm long and they have very unpleasant and extremely irritating, habits. They live on the scalp where they cling to hair and feed on blood.
Fact: nits are not head lice but evidence of them: Head lice are extremely prolific, once mated the female attaches her eggs firmly to the scalp. The baby louse hatches, after about 7 or 8 days and goes off looking for its first meal, leaving its shiny white egg shell attached to the piece of hair.
Fact: you can use a simple equation to find out when infection started. Hair grows on average about 1cm a month; nits found 2 cm from the scalp were laid two months ago.
But where do head lice come from and what cause an outbreak of sometimes epidemic proportions?
Fact: head lice, it seems have been with us for ever and infection is prevalent among children of school age.
Fact: despite being unable to fly or hop head lice are nomadic little blighters, passing from person to person by head to head contact. Children whispering together, or sharing a book at school, or cuddling up with family members in front of the T.V at home provide ideal conditions for transfer.
Fact: you cannot get head lice from , cushions, clothes or furniture, head lice need a live host to survive.
How do I know my child has head lice ?
Fact: bites from head lice cause severe irritation. Persistent scratching, or a rash on the necked are often the first signs – although these symptoms can take weeks to develop.
Fact: the best way of detecting head lice is by routine checking using a specially designed fine toothed nit comb available from any chemist. The nit comb can be used on dry or wet hair. If working on wet hair it is a good idea to apply plenty of conditioner. Before using the nit comb the hair should be brushed or combed using an ordinary comb. Starting from the front of the scalp the nit comb should be worked through the hair from the roots, section by section, checking for head lice and nits after each stroke.
Fact: If you find head lice it is important to check, every member of the family who had recent and close contact with the infected child.
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