Hair Lice – The Biggest Nightmare of All

Hair lice is every girl’s biggest nightmare. Do you remember the fear when one of your friends gets lice and then you have to ask your mother to check your scalp to see if you have it or not? The trauma of having lice and the relief of not having are both immeasurable feelings. Nobody wants them since they are a sign of unhygienic practice and can impact a lot on our self-esteem. Hence let’s figure out what these little insects are and how to deal with them. Lice are tiny insects that feed on the blood from the scalp. Mostly children are the ones affected by it and it can transfer from one person to another person on touching hair or other contact.

Table of Contents

Causes of Hair Lice

Head-to-head contact – touching heads with the person who has hair lice or sharing combs, headphones, hair bands, and caps.
Contact with furniture that has lice – lying on the same bed and using the same bedding since the lice can survive for one or two days away from the body.
Closely stored belongings – when the headbands or caps and scarves of the person infected and the other person are kept in close proximity to each other.

Symptoms of Hair Lice

Itching – is one of the most common signs of lice. It is an allergic reaction to the bites and the itching might not start for at least four to six weeks if the person has hair lice for the very first time.
Tickling feeling – it is the feeling of lice moving all over the head.
Sores on the scalp – lice and consistent scratching can lead to the formation of bumps on the scalp.
Nits (lice egg) on the shaft – eggs of the lice or nits stick to the shaft of the hair. These nits are the younger form of lice and are greyish in colour hence they are visible to all.
Bite marks – around the neck and waist.

Prevention

Avoid head-to-head contact with people infected with lice.
Not using the items that infected people use.
Wash the clothes and bedding with hot water.
Soaking the combs in hot water.
Cleaning the house and furniture

Treatment

Comb the wet hair – use a fine tooth comb and go through the hair in sections. After each section, wipe the comb on a towel. Repeat it until all the lice are out.
Tea tree oil – has both antibacterial and anti-insecticidal properties. Hence it can be used for the removal of lice from hair.
Vinegar – it is slightly less effective than other remedies nevertheless it can be used for cleaning the hair.
Neem – it is a very effective component of many hair care products. Neem has antimicrobial and anti-insecticidal properties which are effective in removing lice from the hair.
Olive oil – it stops the moving of lice and suffocates it. Leave olive oil overnight on the scalp
Lavender oil – essential oils are also quite effective on the lice. Lavender oil can be mixed with tea tree oil and it has a 97% effect on the lice.
Garlic – sometimes mixed with lemon and feels that this is one of the effective remedies for hair lice. Apply it to the roots and leave for one or two hours before washing.
Eucalyptus oil – removes the lice and its eggs. It is a very safe oil and only causes mild itching.
Blow drying the hair – use the highest heat setting to blow heat on the scalp.
Mayonnaise can suffocate the lice
Malathion – it kills the hair lice and the eggs in one use.
Spinosad- used to remove the nits and lice.
Benzyl alcohol – use it to kill the lice but has no effect on the eggs.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Q – How to detect lice?

Ans – To check for hair lice it is advisable to ask for help from another person or use a mirror. Part the hair and sit in a bright room. Look for nits and use a fine tooth comb.

Q – Do I have to go to the doctor if I have lice?

Ans – Lice treatment can be done at home using many medicated shampoos and hair oils. However, it is advisable to visit the doctor if the symptoms worsen such as –