Head lice can happen to anyone. Head lice do not discriminate according to race, age, sex, or social status. Having head lice is not a sign of uncleanliness. Head lice are always looking for a warm scalp to live on and once they find it, they spread through an entire family - or a whole school - in no time at all. It has been estimated that each year 6 to 12 million people get head lice. That is an average of 22,000 cases each day! Luckily, head lice are not known to transmit disease­ just discomfort and inconvenience. It is wise to learn how to recognize head lice infestation, how to treat it, and how to prevent it from coming back.

A head louse is a flat, wingless insect the size of a sesame seed that lives off blood from the human scalp. Head lice do not live on dogs, cats, or any other animals only on humans. After the louse bites and feeds, it drops a small amount of saliva into the scalp, which usually causes itching. Itching is the most common sign of lice infestation. The head louse spends its entire life (about one month) on the human scalp. Once in the hair, the female louse mates and, a day later, lays four or five eggs (also called "nits"). These eggs are attached to the hair shaft with a glue-like secretion, so that ordinary washing, combing and brushing, or drying can not remove them. The eggs are attached to the hair shaft close to the scalp. Incubated by human body heat, they hatch in seven to 10 days. A week or two later, the new lice mature, mate, and if left untreated the cycle repeats itself. A single louse can lay as many as 300 eggs during its lifetime. So, in one month, an untreated infestation can mean hundreds of lice on the scalp.

Even though lice do not jump or fly, they do get around quickly by crawling. The most common way lice are transmitted is through direct head-to-head contact. Indirectly, head lice can be transmitted byusing a comb or brush from a person who has lice, sharing personal items with someone who has lice such as towels, clothes, hairclips, hats, helmets, earphones, blankets or pillows, or coming in contact with infested stuffed animals, dolls, cloth-covered toys, cushions, or carpet. Even a stray hair that has nits on it can transmit head lice. Lice can live up to four of five days without feeding.

Although lice are difficult to see, they are easy to recognize, provided you are actually looking for them. You should suspect an infestation if someone is experiencing a persistent itch of the scalp, usually behind the ears and at the nape of the neck. When you look closely, you may notice rash-like red marks. But be aware: lice can be present even without any itching or rash. Head lice are almost impossible to spot with the naked eye because they shy away from light, moving quickly toward warmth and darkness.

Eggs or nits are easier to see. Live nits are greyish-whitish, oval specs that look like a grain of white sugar, about the size of the period at the end of this sentence. A dead nit looks brown, and an empty nit (one that has hatched) is white or see-through. A magnifying glass will help you see them better. Sometimes, small white specks in the hair such as dandruff or droplets of hair spray can be confused with nits. When trying to remove the specks from the hair shaft, dandruff and hair spray will come off easily, while nits are very difficult to remove. When looking for lice, examine the hair shaft close to the scalp. Spotting lice and nits requires time and patience. If you find even one nit, you can be sure that lice are also present. If lice are found in even one person, the whole family and/or classroom should be checked and possibly treated.

Once head lice are found, the problem should be taken care of promptly in order to prevent it from spreading. There are many over-the-counter preparations that can be bought for the treatment of head lice. Instructions may vary for each individual product so it is important to read the product information before using the product. Home remedies such as vinegar and water washes or applying petroleum jelly to the hair may help in the removal of the nits but should not be substituted for the treatment of head lice with FDA approved products bought at any local drug store. It has been noted in some professional journals that some lice have become resistant to over-the-counter treatments. If the lice are not effectively killed by an over-the-counter product, it may be it may be necessary to consult with your doctor. There are some strong lice treatments that have to be prescribed and are not available over- the-counter.

Medical resources have revealed that after correct treatment of lice, if nits are found more than one-half inch away from the scalp, they are considered dead and no longer a threat for reinfestation. However, if left in the hair, nits can cause the patient unnecessary embarrassment and rejection. Some schools may even have a "no nit policy" which means that before a child can be readmitted to a school all nits must be removed from the hair.

Even after all lice are removed from the hair and scalp, the danger of reinfestation may still exist because lice can live in the environment. Nits can lie dormant for several weeks, then hatch to reinfest unsuspecting individuals. Considering how easily lice spread, it is understandable that treating your house or classroom is an important step to avoid reinfestation. All clothing, towels, sheets, bedclothes, and cloth toys that have come in contact with any infested person should be washed in hot water, preferably 130 degrees Fahrenheit.

Any article that can not be washed but can be dried should be put in a hot dryer for at least 20 minutes. Otherwise, dry-clean or put items that can not be machine-washed or dried into a sealed plastic bag and leave in a cool, dry place for one month. Soak all combs and brushes in hot water or in a solution made from the over-the-counter products for ten minutes after each use. There are over-the-counter sprays you may purchase to apply on carpeting, mattresses, and car and furniture upholstery. Again, it is important to follow the product information guidelines for use on any product bought. Carefully vacuum mattresses, carpets, and furniture frequently to pick up any remaining live lice or nits.

A key step to controlling lice is teaching children how to avoid getting them. Without frightening your child, make sure he or she understands not to borrow or use personal articles such as combs, brushes, hats, helmets, or hairbows from other children. Do not stack coats or hats with others. Hang coats and hats so they do not touch another person's coat or hat. And remember, not reporting a lice infestation because you do not think it is important or because you are embarrassed is a big mistake. It could lead to an outbreak.

Lice are a statistic not a stigma. If you have an infestation, do not panic and do not be embarrassed. If you are not sure if you or a family member has an infestation, you can come to the Fayette County Health Department at 140 Stonewall Ave. West, Ste. 107, for a head lice head check. The cost of this is five dollars. If you have any questions about head lice, call the health department at 770-461-1178, ext. 416.

Back to the Top of the PageBack to the HealthWise Home Page