Head Lice and How To Get Rid of It

Head lice infestations are a common problem in infants and children, even in those who practice good hygiene and frequent hair washing. Lice only infect humans and they are spread by direct contact with someone who is already infected or by use of their belongings (such as hats, brushes or combs).
Head lice affect millions of school children each year, especially 9 and 10 year old girls. Why this age group is affected more is because at this age girls like to hug each other more, comb each other's hair and otherwise share physical contact.

Adult lice move very fast and are most commonly seen at the back of the neck and behind the ears. Lice can only survive for two to three days when away from the human body. Nits are eggs from the adult lice and are whitish and are firmly attached to hairs. The eggs hatch in 6-10 days and it then takes another two to three weeks for the lice to mature and be able to reproduce.

Even after nits hatch, the egg casing can stay on the hair for a long time and it is hard to tell the difference between a live nit and a used up nit. Nits are more likely to be live if they are close to the scalp. The most common symptom of children infected with head lice is itching, although some children do not complain if they have a light infestation.

How to Treat Lice

First, do a thorough check of your child's hair and scalp to look for live lice. If you don't see any, then you may be able to just try and remove the nits on a regular basis and continue to look for live lice. Since most of the anti-lice medications don't kill the eggs, treating a child with just nits may not be necessary.

Many parents are fearful of using chemicals on their children's heads. A simpler alternative is a lice comb which is an effective method of removing lice and eggs, known as nits, from a child's hair.

Many children respond to treatment quickly and without much problem. But some children are chronically infested, or are unable to eliminate the pests despite repeated treatment.