Despite what you may have heard, shaving your head will not get rid of head lice. In fact, head lice can survive without a host for up to 48 hours. This means that they can easily reinfect someone who has shaved their head.
To survive, adult head lice must feed on blood. An adult head louse can live about 30 days on a person's head but will die within one or two days if it falls off a person. Adult female head lice are usually larger than males and can lay about six eggs each day.
Patients can have an infestation by Pediculus humanus capitis (head louse) on hair, beards, moustaches, eyebrows and eyelashes. They spread by having direct hair-to-hair contact with a person who has head lice. They can also spread from indirect contact with items such as hats, towels or combs.
Many people with head lice have no symptoms at all. It's impossible to diagnose head lice based on symptoms alone since the only symptom that matters is the presence of lice. However, experiencing the following symptoms suggests it is time to check the scalp: frequent unexplained itching of the head or scalp.
If left untreated the cycle will just continue, and the infestation will worsen. Lice will not die out on their own unless treated. The best way to remove head lice and keep them away is by going to a lice clinic and going through a gentle warm air hair treatment.
Can someone have nits but no lice? It may be possible to have nits but no lice. If a person cannot find any nymphs or adult lice in the scalp and the nits are more than a quarter of an inch from the scalp, these may be dead and from an old infestation. However, the lice could be in hiding.
Getting Lice While Bald
Lice may attempt to attach, but the environment is unsuitable for their survival. While bald people may become temporarily affected by head lice they often leave for a better suited host or die off. Thin or sporadic hair can still attract lice.
Avoid head-to-head (hair-to-hair) contact during play and other activities at home, school, and elsewhere (sports activities, playground, slumber parties, camp). Do not share clothing such as hats, scarves, coats, sports uniforms, hair ribbons, or barrettes. Do not share combs, brushes, or towels.
Heat Method:
There are recent studies that show that treatment of lice with heat can be quite effective in killing head lice. Products such as Lousebuster are very effective but even a home hairdryer can successfully treat lice.
Lice and nits can live on pillows and sheets. Lice glue their eggs to the hair strands of their host. However, if a piece of hair with an egg falls out while the lice host is sleeping, an egg could end up on pillows or sheets.
None of the human lice (head, body and pubic) have any predators specific for these lice. Anything that would eat such a louse would be a generalist predator.
You Have to Treat Them
Head lice will not go away on their own. If you think your child has an infestation, there are several steps you should take right away. Call your doctor to confirm the diagnosis. Notify your child's day care or school so other students can be checked.
After each treatment, checking the hair and combing with a nit comb to remove nits and lice every 2–3 days may decrease the chance of self–reinfestation. Continue to check for 2–3 weeks to be sure all lice and nits are gone.
If you leave head lice untreated, the symptoms of lice infestation will worsen. The lice will continue to feed on the scalp, spreading from person to person, and the itching and discomfort will become more severe. As the lice population grows, so will the amount of eggs they lay, raising the risk of reinfestation.
Can head lice live on pillows or sheets? Head lice cannot live for long on pillows or sheets. It is possible for a live louse that has come off a person's head to crawl onto another human host who also puts their head on the same pillows or sheets.
In most cases, a child who has lice should stay at school until the end of the day, go home and get treatment, and return to school the next day. While they are at school, kids should avoid head-to-head contact with other kids.
Coconut, tea tree oil, lavender, eucalyptus, rosemary, lemon grass, and peppermint are scents popularly believed to repel lice. Using any coconut scented shampoo and conditioner is an easy way to increase your defense. At 1% concentration, tea tree oil killed 100% of head lice after 30 minutes.
The peak season for lice infestation is August through October and again in January. Head lice are tiny parasitic insects that feed on human blood. Lice come in three forms: nits (eggs), nymphs (baby lice), and adults. Nits are white or yellowish-brown and about the size of a poppy seed.
Not everyone feels lice moving around on their scalp, but some people do. Dr. Garcia says that most of her patients say they “don't feel anything,” but others may get a creepy, tickling sensation as lice move around their head.
Superlice and regular lice only differ in their response to treatment. If lice are still present after treating with a traditional over-the-counter product, they may be superlice. Nix® Ultra is highly effective for killing lice, superlice and their eggs.