How to Deal with Head Lice

Head lice are bloodsucking, wingless insects that inhabit exclusively on human heads and feed on human blood. They are six-legged insects that measure 2-4 mm and vary in color from grayish-white to reddish-brown. They typically dwell on hair behind the ears, at the nape of the neck, and at the top of the head.

The lifespan of head lice is three weeks. Female lice lay up to six eggs a day. The eggs, which are called nits, are attached tightly to hair close to the scalp. Nits, which are yellowish-white in color, hatch about eight days later and mature in another eight to nine days. The new adult lice will live for about twenty-two days. In her lifetime, the female louse lays between 80 and 100 eggs. There are approximately ten adult head lice in an infested person.

Though anyone can get lice, school-age children are more prone to getting them. Head lice affect these children more than all other communicable childhood illnesses. They are most common in children ages 4 to 11 because of close contact with each other. Girls are more likely to be affected with head lice than boys. All types and lengths of hair can be affected with lice. Being infested with head lice does not necessarily pertain to poor hygiene and poverty.

Head lice are catchy and are passed on through direct contact with an infested person. They are also transmitted through sharing of head implements such as combs, brushes, hats and caps. These insects are unable to jump or fly but they can move with surprising agility. Though they may temporarily move to other surfaces, they need to return to a human head to survive.

An early symptom of head lice infection is itching and scratching. Another sign is the appearance of a rash, which is often found behind the ears on the back of the neck. Other indications include the following: tiny red or black louse droppings on the collar, shoulders, back or pillows; the appearance of adult lice in the hair, eyebrows or eyelashes; and nits stuck to the hair. A diagnosis is easily made by spotting nits clinging to the hair.