What are lice, exactly?
bullet Lice are tiny grey bugs that can thrive in any hair on a person's body: the head, eyelashes, body or pubic area. (Pubic lice does not always mean a person has had sexual contact.)
bullet The bugs hatch from white eggs (nits) and can cause severe itching. Lice is different from dandruff because it cannot be shaken off.
How does a person get lice?
bullet By sharing hairbrushes, caps, hats, scarves, clothing, towels or beds.
bullet By getting lice from other people. Since lice is common in school children, it is easily spread to other family members.
What are some signs of lice?
bullet Itching (sometimes severe) on the scalp, body or pubic areas where the lice is. Severe itching and scratching can cause sores which can become infected.
bullet Nits (white eggs) attach to hair. They are easier to see than lice because they are white and there are lots of them. (The hatched lice are tiny and grey.)
bullet Nits cannot be shaken off like dandruff.
bullet The back of the neck is a common place for the nits to be.
bullet Sometimes a red rash shows up, often on the scalp.
What should be done when lice are found?
bullet Check all family members for lice.
bullet Start treatments to kill all lice and nits.
bullet Have children stay home from school until the treatments are done.
NITS:
bullet Length: - 0.8 mm (about 1/4 length of a grain of rice)
bullet Hatch: - 7 days
bullet Color: - grayish white to brown
bullet Where found: - anywhere on the hair shaft, usually close to the scalp
bullet Nits stick to the hair and are difficult to remove
LOUSE:
bullet Length: - 1-2mm (about 1/2 length to whole grain of rice)
bullet Color: - grayish to brown (tends to be darker on person with dark skin)
bullet Matures: - in 8 to 10 days (immature louse is called a nymph)
bullet Eggs laid: - 3 to 4 per day by only the female (90 to 120 laid in a month)
bullet Life cycle: - 1 month
SYMPTOMS
bullet Itching: is caused by blood sucking.
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SURVIVAL OFF HUMAN HEAD
bullet Nits: - viable up to 10 days
bullet Lice: - 1 to 3 days
bullet Host is a human (lice do NOT live on animals)
METHODS OF TRANSMISSION
bullet Wearing infested garments
bullet Using infested combs/brushes
bullet Lying on infested carpets/beds/furniture (fallen hair and nits may serve as vehicles of transmission)
DIAGNOSIS
bullet Observing crawling louse/nymph and/or nits
LICE TREATMENT
Whatever treatment you use (either prescription or over-the-counter product), it's VERY important that the directions are followed.
To treat an infested person:
bullet Read treatment directions first before using (some are meant to be used on wet hair, some on dry hair.
bullet Perform treatment in a well lit room over the sink (not in the shower).
bullet Remove all clothing before performing treatment.
bullet Protect eyes with a clean dry towel.
bullet Apply treatment according to directions. Leave on for amount of time specified in the directions.
bullet Remove nits. Manual removal is the most effective method. Nit combs may be used for assistance, but will not remove all the nits. Combing hair toward the scalp may help to dislodge the nits easier.
bullet Put on clean clothing after the treatment and nit removal is complete.
bullet See list of alternative treatments, if conventional treatments aren't working.
bullet Check all household members for infestation.
bullet Wash sheets, clothes and towels in hot water and dry for 20 minutes in the dryer or hang the items to dry in the sun. Ironing wet, freshly washed items with a hot iron also kills the lice and nits.
bullet For items that can't be washed, keep them in a plastic bag for 1 month. The lice and nits will die after 3 weeks.
bullet Soak all combs and brushes in rubbing alcohol or anti-lice shampoo for 1 hour. Then, rinse with hot water.
bullet If lice are in the eyelashes, apply Petroleum Jelly twice a day for 8 days and the lice will die. Remove dead nits or lice from the eyelashes with a pair of tweezers.
bullet For body lice: Apply anti-lice cream to the body.
bullet ONLY THOSE INFESTED NEED TO BE TREATED!!!!!! TREATMENTS ARE NOT A PREVENTATIVE!!!!!
HINTS TO AVOID LICE
Head lice can easily be passed from one person to another.
Do's & DON'TS:
bullet Don't share combs, brushes, barrettes, hair ribbons, headbands, towels or other personal items.
bullet Don't share hats, sweaters, coats, scarves, helmets, headphones, pillows, or stuffed animals.
bullet Don't stack coats or hats with others.
bullet Do put your hat in coat sleeves.
bullet Do hang your coat so that it's not touching another person's coat or put the coat in a backpack or plastic bag.
bullet Do disinfect all of your combs or brushes before using them on hair.
