Lice don't care if hair has been colored. As long as a louse can grab on to a hair strand, it can make its way to the head where its food supply (blood) is. Myth #6: Lice like dirty hair. Head lice actually prefer clean hair since it is easier for the female to attach her eggs.
Dyed hair doesn't repel lice and won't stop you from becoming infested if you come in contact with head lice again.
Head lice are only contracted via head to head contact, and they don't discriminate. The tiny critters simply transfer to the nearest head that has hair, and in truth, they aren't too picky about color or type.
There is no specific hair type that lice prefer. All lice need is a clean strand of hair to attach to. It doesn't matter the thickness, the length, if it's been colored, if it's straight, or if it's curly. It has been found that people with longer hair tend to report getting lice.
1. Coconut, tea tree oil, lavender, eucalyptus, rosemary, lemon grass, and peppermint are scents popularly believed to repel lice. Using any coconut scented shampoo and conditioner is an easy way to increase your defense.
Heat Method:
Products such as Lousebuster are very effective but even a home hairdryer can successfully treat lice. DO NOT USE HAIRDRYER WITH MEDICATED TREATMENTS OR TREATMENTS THAT CONTAIN ALCOHOL--THESE PRODUCTS CAN CAUSE FIRE AND SEVERE BURNS TO YOUR CHILD!
Lice and nits can't survive the high heat. It's true that lice and nits can't survive temperatures above 113°F (45°C). This makes them susceptible to any heat source, such as a hairdryer or the plates of a hair straightener.
Stylists sometimes misidentify lice (dandruff and oil buildup are commonly mistaken for lice), according to Monica Veley, CEO of Nitorious B.U.G. LLC and a stylist in Green Bay, Wis. Here are the characteristics you should look for: They're always teardrop-shaped.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state that most health departments do not require employers to report head lice.
Rules and regulations for cosmetologists and hair salons are very strict. Not only are they required to sanitize all of their tools between clients, but as mentioned before, they cannot provide services to clients who have any sign of head lice.
If you do not comb out all the remaining nits, they will hatch and restart the cycle in 7-10 days from that point. That's why we recommend 3 treatments over a 12-day period of time. This stops the life cycle of lice. These are nits at different stages and a louse.
Hairspray makes it harder for the louse to grab hold. The smell of hairspray and the use of solvents (sad but true) in them can also deter creepy crawlies from finding their way in. Not to mention that if you're tying longer hair back, you've got a double whammy.
Typically, 10–15 head lice are found. The number of lice often depends on personal hygiene, for example, how often the person bathes, shampoos, or changes and washes his/her clothing.
Infestation timeline
So if you look on the scalp and see no visible adult lice and several small nits, it's likely that you've caught lice in the earlier stages and had them for less than 2 weeks. Nits and nymphs: 1.5 to 2 weeks. If you see nits and small, moving lice, you've likely had lice for 1.5 to 2 weeks.
Repeat treatment every day or every other day for 2 weeks. Some lice eggs (nits) survive head lice treatments. The only way to be sure that lice won't come back is to pick out all nits. Nits left on the hair can hatch and cause a new case of head lice.
Medieval folklore suggests that lard was used to try and suffocate lice and nits off of a scalp. Others propose simply keeping the hair combed through and clean was of so little a priority that no one even bothered with lice.
Head lice can survive in chlorinated water, and are firmly attached to the hair when a person is under water. It will also have no impact on the nits or eggs. So, swimming in a hot tub or pool is not a good solution if you're wondering how to treat head lice.
Nits are often confused with other things found in the hair such as dandruff, hair spray droplets, and dirt particles. If no live nymphs or adult lice are seen, and the only nits found are more than ¼-inch from the scalp, the infestation is probably old and no longer active and does not need to be treated.
Lice are tiny, but you can still see them — though it's not always easy. An adult louse is grayish white or tan and about the size of a small sesame seed. Lice move fast, so you're actually more likely to see their eggs than the lice themselves. Louse eggs are called nits.
THE INFESTATION
An infestation with lice is called pediculosis. In a normal healthy child, an infestation usually involves less than 10 live lice (7). Infestations may be asymptomatic.
Blow dry your child's hair. It has to be thoroughly dry down to the scalp to suffocate the lice. Expect this to take 3 times longer than normal drying.
4 You cannot get rid of lice with a hair brush or with a hair dryer. 4 The best way to find head lice is by using a fine toothed lice comb on hair that is dry, wet or wet with conditioner. 4 Only treat when you find a live louse on the head. Contact your local Public Health Nurse if you have any questions.
Although freezing temperatures can kill head lice and nits, several days may be necessary depending on temperature and humidity; freezing is rarely (if ever) needed as a means for treating head lice.
Do not use a conditioner. It can keep the lice medicine from working. Rinse well with warm water and towel dry. Do not use the towel again until it has been laundered.