We are pretty sure, you were infested by the head lice once in your life. Most of the people can't forget the horrible experience of head lice on their head. If you or your small kids are scratching the scalp and having trouble sleeping, head lice could be the problem.
But don't worry, we have come to rescue you. In this guide, we've compressed everything from identification to home remedies for head lice. Make sure to be with us till the end for fruitful insights!
The tiny, crawling head lice live in your hair sucking the blood from your scalp. They even lay their eggs on the hair exposed to your skin's surface. To treat the head lice, you must know their appearance, size, and color.
Adult Lice
Adult lice resemble sesame seeds. They are found to have six legs with grayish-white or tan coloration. Since they can camouflage, adult lice might appear darker or lighter to match different hair colors.
If your hair has been harboring the lice, adult ones are the easiest to spot and they're likely to move quickly when you disturb your hair. To be more specific, adult head lice that can't fly or jump, are about 2-3mm in length.
Lice Eggs
Lice eggs, also called nits, are more of a kind of tiny ovals that are usually found on the shaft of the hair. They often appear light with yellowish or white coloration. People often mistake identifying the lice eggs because they kind of look like dandruff.
The lice eggs measure about 0.8mm by 0.3mm in size. They are more likely to be found behind the ears and on the back of the neck as well. Sometimes, people refer to nits as the empty egg casings of the head lice that are likely to remain in the hair once the nymph has been hatched.
If you are the victim of head lice infestation, the most common symptom you might experience is an itchy head. Yes, head lice live in your hair, feeding on the blood through the scalp giving you an itching sensation.
However, lice bugs aren't found to be very dangerous to humans because they do not spread any diseases and it is also not a sign of poor hygiene. The itchiness is the result of a local allergic reaction to the lice bites. Please find the common symptoms of head lice infestation below:
A tickling sensation on the head.
You might notice something on your head as if some movement.
You should know lice are more active in the darkness, you might experience difficulty in sleeping.
Itching often encourages you to scratch which might result in sores on the head.
The sores are more likely to develop infection on your head from the scratching.
It has been recommended to seek professional advice if you get a scalp infection.
How Long Does it Take For the Symptoms to Appear
If the infestation is significantly light or if it is the first infestation, you mightn't experience any symptoms at all even after a couple of weeks. It usually takes some time for people to find out about the infestation even if they are the victim.
It has been found that the common symptom of itching may usually take around 4-6 weeks to become noticeable. You should know that the itching reaction is due to the saliva released by the lice while feeding on your blood.
How Do Head Lice Spread
Head lice are often spread by direct contact. Yes, head-to-head contact plays a key role in infesting head lice to a new individual. You should know that bad hygiene is not responsible for spreading the lice. In addition to that, head lice don't fly or hop and can't survive in conditions other than that of a human head.
Head lice and their eggs will soon perish if they don't find the human host. Moreover, contact with the infected clothes and personal items like combs, brushes, towels, hats, and blankets are also found to spread head lice.
How to Get Rid of Head Lice
Head lice infestations are pretty common among young schoolchildren. According to a report, surprisingly about 6-12 million people each year are getting infested by head lice in the US alone.
Although this annoying bug is not found to transmit any hazardous disease to humans apart from itching and irritation, it would be best to get rid of the head lice as soon as possible.
In the beginning, it is recommended to go for home remedies to treat the head lice before using harsh chemicals on the head of the infested individual. Scroll down to learn about the effective home remedies.
Wet combing is a conventional practice to remove lice from your hair. According to the professionals, wet combing being pretty affordable, has been found to make the lice more visible and distinguished, making it easy for you to get rid of them.
You simply need to wet your hair which will temporarily prevent the lice from moving quickly and gently comb using a fine-toothed comb. After repeating the combing process every 2-3 days for about 2 weeks, the nits as well as lice will get removed from your head.
2. Try Olive Oil
Several studies have revealed the effective use of olive oil on the scalp to be the most beneficial approach in keeping the head lice away from your hair. Besides that, you can easily pass the comb on your hair after applying the olive oil.
How To Use
You need to apply the olive oil all over your scalp and simply cover your head with a shower cap. Practice doing this before going to bed. In the morning, gently brush your hair, you will get rid of lice significantly.
Finally, wash your hair with a herbal shampoo and make sure to repeat the process every week.
3. Apply Neem and Basil
Neem has been found to possess antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, while basil is found to improve blood circulation. The mix of these two amazingly rich herbal plants is proven to be effective against head lice.
How To Use
You need to pick about 10 leaves of both neem and basil plants and mix them to make a paste. Some people prefer adding coconut oil to this paste. After preparing a perfect solution, you need to apply it to your scalp.
Make sure to leave the hair as it is overnight and let the solution do its job. In the morning, wash the hair using a herbal shampoo, you will find amazing results. Repeat the process twice a week!
Yes, garlic can come to your rescue. The same garlic that has been adding taste to your dishes can be used without any doubt to keep the head lice away from your head. Head lice can not tolerate the strong smell of garlic which causes them to suffocate.
How To Use
Simply pick about 10 cloves of garlic and make its paste. You can then add lime juice to the paste and properly apply it all over the scalp. It has been suggested to leave the paste on your head for about 30 minutes and rinse the hair with hot water.
You can practice doing this once a week and in no matter of time, you will get lice-free hair. Congratulations on getting back your peaceful sleep!
5. Give a Try to Lavender Oil
Another proven method to treat the lice on your head is by applying lavender oil. Lavender oil has antimicrobial properties that help to prevent bacteria and fungi growth on the sores associated with the lice bite.
A study conducted in 2011 found that lavender essential oil can potentially help treat head lice of your head and might as well kill them. Yes, lavender oil combined with tea tree oil has been found to treat the lice more effectively. But make sure to use the diluted solution to avoid the irritation.
Tea tree oil is a beneficial essential oil that has several health benefits. It has been found to possess bioactive compounds that are responsible for encouraging antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory qualities.
These properties help to cope with the head lice infestation by reducing swelling and redness in the scalp. People around the world have been using it as an effective natural insecticide. Keep in mind to use the diluted tea tree oil!
How To Use
You need to mix one teaspoon of tea tree oil with one ounce of natural shampoo and about three tablespoons of coconut oil. After giving it a proper mix, apply the solution to your hair and cover the head with a shower cap.
When everything's done, make sure to remain still and let the solution do the job. It has been suggested to take a break of about 30 minutes before rinsing the hair with hot water. Finally, comb the wet hair to remove the dead lice.
7. Use Petroleum Jelly
Petroleum jelly is a thick, greasy, substance with no odor or taste, made out of petroleum. We assume you must be aware of the oily liquids that are found in the earth called petroleum. Petroleum jelly is the most practical option to get rid of the head lice.
People have been significantly using petroleum jelly on the skin to heal scrapes and burns while preventing the skin from drying. You can also make the best use of petroleum jelly to treat the nuisance head lice.
How To Use
You need to apply a thick layer of petroleum jelly on your scalp. Make sure to apply it properly all over the scalp and leave it overnight by covering your head with a shower cap.
In the morning, you can use some baby oil to remove the jelly from your hair and thoroughly comb it to remove the lice. After that, wash your hair with a herbal shampoo. If practiced properly for several nights, you can easily get rid of head lice.
Your hair is where head bugs like to feed but there's a high potential these bugs might be in your belongings as well. The personal items therefore need to be washed and cleaned regularly till there's no more lice infestation.
You need to wash all the pillowcases, blankets, and sheets your hair has been in contact with. You might as well apply high-heat treatment to kill the lice. Make sure to put your hair brushes, combs, and other such objects in a pot of boiling water for about 10 minutes. This will prevent the lice from multiplying its population.
9. Try Mayonnaise
Many people prefer using mayonnaise to treat the lice of the hair. It has been found that the mayonnaise helps to smooth lice and makes it easier for a person to comb them from the hair. Well, if you've watched the United States version of the television series 'The Office', you know exactly what I'm talking about.
Mayonnaise is believed to ease the itching and scalp irritation caused by the lice bite but there has been no evidence that supports the fact that mayonnaise can kill or treat lice. Remember not to leave the mayonnaise on the hair for several years.
What Causes Head Lice
Lice are found to crawl from one head to another through physical contact. It is quite surprising that lice have existed for as long as humans and they have been affecting primates for at least 25 million years, eventually spreading to humans.
We assume you now know head lice only affect humans and they will never feed on pets and other animals. However, lice can travel to the objects that the infested head has touched and can't survive for long without feeding on the blood of the human scalp. The adult lice are found to die within a day if not fed.
What Are the Risk Factors of Head Lice Infestation
Children are more susceptible to head lice, particularly the young kids of elementary school or preschool. Among the boys and girls, girls are most likely to get lice infestation because girls tend to have longer hair and more head-to-head contact. But small boys are also likely to get infected.
In the US, children of around 3-11 ages are found to be the most common group of lice infestation. Apart from head-to-head contact with the infested person, contact made with their items is also found to invite lice to another person's hair. The common items include helmets, hats, towels, and hairbrushes.
Lice eggs are also called nits. The eggs of head lice are difficult to detect with your naked eye. They might resemble dandruff or hair spray droplets. The female lice lay the eggs at the base of the hair.
The eggs are laid at an ideal temperature using a strong cement-like substance. This substance helps to keep the egg resistant to bathing, chemicals, and hairstyling. It has been found that the warmth of the scalp is essential for incubation.
2. Nymphs
When eggs get hatched, nymphs are formed. The empty shell of the eggs remains attached to the hair shaft which has more like dull yellow coloration. Nymphs look like adult head lice but they are about the size of a pinhead with 1.1-1.3 mm size.
During this period, nymphs are found to pass three molting stages to finally become adult lice. They crawl to your scalp to feed on blood daily. In general, a week is sufficient for the final molting of the nymph and emerging as fresh new adult lice.
3. Adults
Adult lice are developed from the nymphs. They are more darker in color ranging from grayish to white-brown coloration. Females are generally larger than the male lice. The adult male is responsible for mating while the female reproduces eggs to continue the generation.
Female adults need to mate only once in their lives as they can store sperm in their bodies. The adult lice need to feed on the blood several times a day and are found to live for about a month on a person's head. But if they are separated from the host, they are likely to die within a maximum of 2 days.
Female head lice are found to lay eggs or nits near the base of the hair shaft. These eggs are usually located within 6mm of the scalp. It has been found that the eggs are hatched in about 7-12 days after they've been laid.
The female lice start to lay eggs after around 2 days of mating and can lay up to 10 eggs during their entire life. Once the eggs are hatched, they become nymphs which can turn into adults constantly feeding on your blood to survive.
No, lice can't enter your ear or brain. You should know lice prefer living and feeding in your hair. They even lay their eggs on human heads or scalps. They aren't the creatures to potentially crawl into the ears or brain.
The head lice often gather along the hairline, in the back of the head, around the ears, or nape of the neck so don't worry about the impossibilities, rather go for the natural remedies right away if you detect one.
