Get Lice Infestation Under Control

When your little one comes home from school with tiny white specks on their head, you might have officially made it to the yuck factory of head lice

In school-aged children, head lice are a common problem. These little creatures can attach to the hair of anyone’s head, and it doesn’t matter if your child’s hair is clean or dirty. Though they may be a nuisance, they don’t cause any serious illness or carry any diseases. Head lice can be treated at home, but it’s important to check with the doctor first.

WHAT CAUSES HEAD LICE?

Head Lice are tiny, wingless insects that live in human hair and feed on the blood circulating in the scalp. While nits are the eggs of adult head lice. Once lice lay nits, the nits take about a week to hatch. Head lice spread when people are in close contact – for example, when heads are close together, or when you wear an affected person’s hat or scarf, or when you use an affected person’s comb or hair brush. It’s common for children to get head lice because their heads are often close together as they play or do their schoolwork. Some children get head lice several times a year. If your child does get head lice, it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. It doesn’t mean your child and home are dirty. It is just a common case many children go through.

WHAT IS THE LIFE CYCLE OF HEAD LICE?

Head lice can live for about 28 days. They develop in 3 phases: egg (also called a nit), nymph, and adult louse.

• Egg Or Nit. Eggs or nits hatch in 6 to 9 days. Eggs are usually found within 4 to 6 mm of the scalp and do not survive if they are farther away.