Head lice are head bugs that predominantly pester on children but can also infest adults. They are parasites known scientifically as Pediculus humanus capitis. They are extremely contagious, but they do not pose any danger to our health. They survive with blood as their primary food, and they live on hair shafts close to the scalp.
Having head lice can be very uncomfortable, and it must be very disgusting for others to see. Others find having lice as unhygienic. This may not be true because no matter how many times you take a bath, head lice are hard to eliminate with shampooing alone. Nits or lice eggs have a glue-like substance that even washing and combing will not be enough to get rid of them.
For most people, these are the usual questions they ask about lice.
How Do People Get Lice?
You should know that lice are not airborne so they cannot fly. They can only crawl. They can get into your hair when there is physical contact between two heads or when you use the comb, towel, or hat of someone infested with lice. Sharing pillows and beds can also help transmit lice to your head when your children have them.
Lice cannot live for a day without food, so when adult lice fall on your dress, they must crawl fast to go to your scalp. Nits do not fall because they are well-attached to hair shafts.
Will My Child Get Sick Because of Lice?
You and your child will not get sick because of lice. They are parasites, but they do not carry harmful organisms like body lice. What you may get are sleepless nights and restlessness because of the itch and discomfort.
How Can I Protect Myself from Lice?
Stop borrowing or lending personal items like brush, combs, hats, and towels. Hair clips and bands may also have tangled hairs from an infected individual. Don’t let your child use your bed if you know he is infected.
When your child is of school age, the probability of getting lice is much higher. He can also have playmates who are infected with lice. While they say that hygiene is not a guarantee to prevent lice, having a healthy scalp and hair may not provide a perfect habitat for parasites.
How Do I Determine That It Is Not Dandruff?
Dandruff are dead skin formed as white flakes. They too cause itchiness on your scalp and are usually experienced by individuals with dry skin. Head lice are living organisms. You can feel movement on your scalp when adult lice crawl. The nits or lice eggs are white, so anyone looking at your hair can confuse nits from detached flakes of dandruff.
How Can I Get Rid of Head Lice?
Manually removing head lice is the most dependable means. But when you are the one affected, you may not be able to do it. There are anti-lice shampoos too. If someone in your family is infested, it might be that other members of your family have lice also.
What may be the best solution is to bring all your family members to a lice treatment clinic to make it sure that there are no lice in your household. And before using your personal items like brush, combs, and all the stuff you use in your head, sanitize them first.