Head Lice
Causes of Head Lice
Head Lice are ectoparasites with an obligatory blood feeding habit. It feeds on the host’s blood several times a day. Lice are generally found in children and sometimes in adults. Head lice have a life of approximately 3 weeks. One louse generally gives birth to around six eggs a day. It attaches these eggs to the hair near the scalp. These eggs are called nits. These eggs take around a week to hatch. They are yellowish white in color and are often mistaken as dandruff. These nits stick to the hair and are difficult to remove.
Head lice are generally spread by head to head contact. It is commonly seen in school going children and more in the female sex as they are more prone to sticking head to each other.
The symptoms of head lice are lot of itching on the scalp and around the ears and neck. You might see some black powder on the pillow on which one lies down. Another symptom is when one sees nits on the hair that has shed.
Head Lice Treatment
The treatment of head lice can be done at home. Some special shampoos are available in the market for treating lice. They kill them in the scalp and make them shed. Then frequent combing can also help in reducing lice. There are special combs available in the market for removing lice. Once you treat the person who has lice all the people in the house should be treated once with the treatment as a preventive measure. They spread very fast by even very little head to head contact. There are some lotions and creams also available in the market for treating lice.
After the treatment there should be a regular check of the scalp to see if the nits are still remaining. Since the nits can turn into hatched lice and start the whole process of becoming adult lice and producing eggs. A constant check of the scalp will help in reducing the recurrence of lice.
Natural Remedies for Head Lice
You can also try the following home remedies for a natural cure for the problem of head lice:
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Apply a paste of the peel of pomegranate and leave for some time before shampooing to rid your head of lice.
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Make a paste of neem (Azadirachta indica) leaves soaked overnight in water. Apply this to the scalp and leave for 15 minutes. Wash off with water. This helps in getting rid of head lice and dandruff.
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Make a paste of ground custard apple seeds and chick pea flour mixed with water. Apply this on the head and keep for 30 – 45 minutes. Then wash off. This helps with the problem of both lice and nits.
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Make a mixture of lemon juice and the juice of ginger and apply. This reduces the intensity of the problem of head lice.
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Make a mixture of the juice of onion and some curd. Apply this on the hair and scalp and keep for sometime. Shampoo off as usual. This helps relieve the problem to an extent.
Head Lice Prevention
The best way to prevent lice is to keep checking the scalp of everybody in the house on a regular basis. The second way you can prevent lice is by not coming too much in contact with the person having lice. Do not use the hair brush, towel or even make close contact with someone suffering from the problem of head lice. Using shampoos and lotions as soon as it is detected helps in prevention of further formation of lice. Keep your hair and scalp clean.
Lice are a common problem in children in age group of 4-11. It is nothing serious; it’s just a little irritating as it causes a lot of itching. But definitely it needs attention and treatment on time so that it does not spread too much.
