6 Faq's About Head Lice- Answered.

Head lice are something nearly every person encounters at one point in their life, usually when they are a child. They are a pain, but they are also preventable, and at the very least, treatable. Before answering some of the most frequently asked questions about head lice, it is important to define the terms. Nits are unhatched eggs, while head lice is the term given to the creatures once fully developed.

1. What do nits look like?

Before they hatch, nits look like tiny yellow-brownish dots. Lice lay their eggs close to the skin's surface were the temperature is perfect for keeping warm until they hatch. Eggs generally hatch 1-2 weeks after they are laid. Once fully grown they turn a grey-brown colour and are 3mm long.

2. How long does it take to kill head lice?

People can have lice for up to two weeks before their head starts feeling itchy. If lice are detected, combs, treatments, and oils can be used to kill them. Bear in mind that once the lice has fallen off of your head they won't survive.

3. Can dead lice stay in your hair?

It is very unlikely that, after an intense combing, that head lice will stay in your hair. Nits however, can remain in the hair. The reason for this is that it takes roughly seven days for the eggs to hatch and grow to their full size, which means that they might not be detected or caught during a treatment.

4. Are head lice contagious?

Head lice are highly contagious. They spread quickly amongst people, especially in group settings. It is therefore very important that those infected stay at home until they are completely treated. Children should make a point of avoiding sharing hats, combs, or other items used on or for heads.

5. Should I comb the head lice with wet or dry hair?

The advantage of combing out head lice while the hair is wet, is that it avoids having to use chemicals. Once the hair has been wet, conditioner should be applied, and then it should be combed out for 30 minutes every third of fourth day over a two-week period. Studies have shown that wet combing is often more effective at curing infestations then insecticides.

6. I keep treating my child, but the nits continue to return.

There is a difference between active and inactive nit infestations. Once the infestation is inactive, parents should continue to comb their child's hair until all of the dead eggs have been removed. They should not however, be treating it with insecticides. This will not only irritate the child's scalp, but it can often lead to reinfestation.