No one wants head lice, but for some, they represent a near phobia (or even a true phobia: Pediculophobia, is the fear of lice).
PSLD (or post traumatic lice disorder) is a very real condition that both you and your child can suffer from if head lice aren't treated promptly. The long-term effects of PSLT can shape a child's self-esteem for years.
What repels head lice? 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.
How common are head lice? Head lice infestations are common, affecting an estimated 6 million to 12 million people each year. Lice are most common among school-age children who are more likely to have close contact with each other or share combs, brushes, hats and other objects that touch the hair.
Are head lice really a problem in Australia? Head lice are a problem the world over. But they are more of a nuisance than a health risk in most instances. Research suggests around one-third of Australian primary school-aged children could currently have head lice.
Introduce natural predators (Ladybugs)
Ladybugs can eat 100 lice a day! Plant lice, anyway, but I'm sure it's the same with head lice. COVER YOUR CHILD IN LADYBUGS. You can purchase them at any of those “Brew 'n Grow” type stores where people grow weed by equipment and pretend to grow tomatoes with it.
How does a head lice infestation occur? Head lice have no wings and do not fly or jump, but they can crawl or run through hair quickly. Most commonly, head lice are spread by direct head-to-head contact with an infested person.
For example, hats, scarves, pillow cases, bedding, clothing, and towels worn or used by the infested person in the 2-day period just before treatment is started can be machine washed and dried using the hot water and hot air cycles because lice and eggs are killed by exposure for 5 minutes to temperatures greater than ...
HEAD LICE SHOULD NOT CAUSE EMBARRASSMENT
They don't discriminate based on income, race, hygiene or pretty much any other factor. If you have a head of hair with a scalp underneath it, that warm, moist environment, clean or dirty, is just what they're looking for.
Remind your child that while having lice can be embarrassing, anyone can get them. Having head lice is not a sign of dirtiness or poor hygiene. The pesky little bugs can be a problem no matter how often kids do — or don't — wash their hair or bathe.
As far as we know, there have not been any clinical studies proving any human population to be immune to head lice. However, head lice can have difficultly attaching their eggs to hair that is thick or coarse; therefore, those individuals may be less likely to experience head lice infestation.
In many cases, the presumed 'infestation' is imagined rather than real. So, telling others may simply be spreading misinformation. OK, but if you've found a bona fide louse, and have not removed it or treated appropriately, then make a risk assessment.
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.
Adults are not immune to head lice. In fact, if you have any close contact with children or even parents of children you can be at risk of catching them if they have them. Lice transfer primarily through head to head contact, so you would have to get close to the other person.
Hairspray makes it harder for the louse to grab hold. The smell of hairspray and the use of solvents (sad but true) in them can also deter creepy crawlies from finding their way in. Not to mention that if you're tying longer hair back, you've got a double whammy.
Washing, soaking, or drying items at a temperature greater than 130°F can kill both head lice and nits. Dry cleaning also kills head lice and nits. Only items that have been in contact with the head of the infested person in the 48 hours before treatment should be considered for cleaning.
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.
Lice are attracted to the blood they get through your scalp – short, long, clean or dirty.
The nit is laid by the female near the base of the hair shaft and usually takes about 8-9 days to hatch. Viable eggs are usually located within 6 mm of the scalp. A nymph is an immature louse which matures into an adult in about 7-12 days after hatching.
Untreated head lice may degrade the scalp and affects it health and that of the hair. If the follicles become blocked, then hair loss may occur. It is hard to have well-conditioned hair if it is covered in head lice eggs, lice and bacteria.
Nits (lice eggs) do not spread lice. Most treated nits (lice eggs) are dead after the first treatment with Nix. The others will be killed with the 2nd treatment. Removing the dead nits is not essential or urgent.
But unfortunately, the nits will not simply fall out your hair. The lice themselves take 7 to 11 days to hatch, so after that what is attached to the hair is the empty eggshell or the dead nit. These will stay attached to the hair and as the hair grows you will find them further and further down the hair shaft.