Pediculicides are the pesticides used to eliminate head lice. Familiar over-the- counter brand names include: Rid, Nix, Pronto and Clear. These products contain insecticides (pyrethrin or permethrin) and should always be used with caution.
In some hosts, lice have their own predators, such as fungi or bacteria.
What repels head lice? 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. At 1% concentration, tea tree oil killed 100% of head lice after 30 minutes.
Lice dislike the smell of many things, but the thing they hate most is peppermint.
Laundry water should be at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit to kill the lice. CAUTION: Do not bathe or shampoo in water this hot! This temperature is for laundry only! 6.
Benzyl alcohol (Ulesfia).
This lotion kills active lice, not eggs. It can treat head lice in children aged 6 months and older, and it's safe for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Comb the hair first, shampoo the product into dry hair, and let it sit for about 10 minutes before rinsing.
Risk factors. Head lice are spread primarily by direct head-to-head contact. So the risk of spreading head lice is greatest among children who play or go to school together. In the United States, cases of head lice most often occur in children in preschool through elementary school.
Do head lice prefer a particular hair or blood type? No. Head lice are not selective and do not prefer a particular hair type or length. Head lice can infest hair that is clean or dirty.
Once lice is in the home, it doesn't discriminate based on age. So, lice can infest parents as easily as siblings of the child with lice. However, moms typically get lice more often than dads. This is because lice does discriminate based on hair length and hormone levels of the host.
How does a head lice infestation occur? Head lice have no wings and do not fly or jump, but they can crawl or run through hair quickly. Most commonly, head lice are spread by direct head-to-head contact with an infested person.
From the #1 Pediatrician & Pharmacist recommended brand comes Nix® Lice Prevention Daily Leave-In Spray! Use year round, during lice outbreaks or to protect the whole family when a member has lice.
Lice are parasitic insects that feed on human blood and must live close to the body to maintain their temperature. Without a host, lice will die within a few days. Lice cannot live long on household items such as carpets and furniture, and people are unlikely to get them from these surfaces.
Lice feed on human blood and can be found on the human head, body and pubic area. The female louse produces a sticky substance that firmly attaches each egg to the base of a hair shaft. Eggs hatch in 6 to 9 days. You can get lice by coming into contact with either lice or their eggs.
Nits (eggs) will be white or yellowish-brown. Nits are often more easily seen than lice, especially when the person has dark hair. Also look behind both ears and near the back of the neck. You may see lice or nits.
Head lice do not prefer any particular type of hair. Anyone can get them. However, the study in Jordan suggests that people with longer hair may get lice more frequently. African Americans may have less risk of having head lice due to the shape and size of their hair shafts.
The risk of getting infested by a louse that has fallen onto a carpet or furniture is very small. Head lice survive less than 1–2 days if they fall off a person and cannot feed; nits cannot hatch and usually die within a week if they are not kept at the same temperature as that found close to the scalp.
Some studies suggest that girls get head lice more often than boys, probably due to more frequent head-to-head contact. In the United States, infestation with head lice is much less common among African American persons than among persons of other races.
Teach children not to share clothing and supplies, such as hats, scarves, helmets, sports uniforms, towels, combs, brushes, bandanas, hair ties, and headphones. Disinfect combs and brushes used by a person with head lice by soaking them in hot water (at least 130°F) for 5 to 10 minutes.
FAQs: Addressing Common Misconceptions
Are bald people immune to lice? No, they are just less likely to sustain a long-term infestation.
The most common sites for bites are around the neck, shoulders, armpits, waist and groin — places where clothing seams are most likely to touch skin. Body lice are most common in crowded and unhygienic living conditions, such as refugee camps and shelters for homeless people.
Tea Tree Oil. Though many people are sensitive to tea tree oil, it has been shown to be effective at killing lice. One study showed a 100% mortality rate after 30 minutes of treatment. A tea tree oil-scented spray or shampoo may be useful in preventing reinfestation.
Evidence of lice can often be found above or behind the ear, but they will not enter your ear—even if your ears are hairy. Itching inside your ears during a lice infestation is a sign of an allergic reaction. 5 Lice also cannot get into your brain through your ear or by burrowing through your skull.
A person gets head lice because the insects crawl from person to person by direct contact or by sharing items — including combs, brushes and hats — with another person who has head lice. Poor hygiene doesn't cause head lice.