Head lice have been bugging humans for so long. They are these controversial, irritating and not at all uncommon parasitic pests that thrive on the scalp in order to feed on human blood. With this in mind, you can just only imagine parents’ growing frustrations when seeing their children come home from school scratching their heads vigorously all day, every day. It may not be something that matters to the kids themselves as they don’t have a single clue on what really is happening but it is something that any caring parents should worry about. At first, nothing out of the ordinary happens at the early stage of infestation but later on of the head lice life cycle, the uncontrollable itching and scratching will inevitably start as these little guys start hatching and feeding on the scalp and the nightmare begins.

Head lice infestation affects both children and adults, but the fact that it is more rampant on children between 3 to 11 years old is undeniable. Head lice infestation, also known as pediculosis, is so common among children that it is a condition that comes in second only to common colds. Statistics dictate that the number of infected persons each year is growing and the figure easily reaches millions. In the United States alone, there are roughly 6 to 12 million infestations that occur each year. The staggering number should cause worry and panic especially to parents who have kids exposed or have constant access to an active infestation. African-Americans, however, need not fret because among all the other races, they are less likely to be infested with head lice because of their unique hair structure.

False Facts and Truths on Head Lice

Head lice are often misconstrued by most people as flying parasites that transfer from one head to the other. But this is not so. Head lice do not have wings that enable them to fly. They cannot jump like fleas nor hop or leap. But they can, however, drop to another hair or head when there is close contact. But what head lice do is that they crawl. Because they are so tiny (an adult head louse measuring in length at 3 millimeters at most), they are very active and can move fast. They can only transfer to another host if there is a direct head-to-head contact with another person. Sometimes indirectly, they can move on to another head if another person shares personal belongings with the infested person such as towels, hats, scarves and comb.

Contrary to common belief, cleanliness does not have any connection to head lice. Head lice infestation is not a sign of poor hygiene because these parasites attack the clean and the unclean with equal zest. Head lice are not health hazards to humans, they are just plain gross.

Another false fact on head lice is that they only affect children. As mentioned earlier, children and adults are at risk of getting infested. However children, especially those in their preschool and elementary school ages, have greater chances of acquiring head lice. Most adults who get infested are from the same household that children with head lice live.

They say that the only way to get rid of head lice is to shave the head of the infested person. As it may seem understandable why head shaving is a good way of easily getting rid of head lice, it is not the only effective resort. In fact, there are more ways than one available to anyone in need of a solution.

Head Lice Life Cycle

1. Eggs or Nits

These are lice eggs produced by an adult female head louse. Nits are laid very close to the scalp, firmly attached to the base of the hair shaft where it meets the ideal condition for the eggs to mature and hatch. Nits are oval in shape and very tiny and could easily be mistaken as dandruff or hairspray droplets. They appear to be yellowish, sometimes white in color. There are times though that live nits appear the same color as the hair of the infested person. These eggs usually take 8 to 9 days to hatch. Hatching occurs at the base of the hair shaft, approximately a quarter of an inch from the base. Nits found farther away from the scalp are either hatched eggs, empty shells, or non-viable eggs. They are farther from the base of the hair shaft because they are firmly attached to it and as the hair grows, they go with it.

2. Nymphs

At this stage, hatched nits release nymphs, or young head lice. Nymphs look like adult head lice but are smaller. They appear clear yellow to rustic in color. They crawl on the scalp, mostly behind the ears and at the back of the head near the neckline. They grow and molt out of their exoskeleton three times before they become a fully developed adult head lice. It takes 9 to 12 days before nymphs mature into adult head lice.

3. Adult Head Lice

These are fully grown head lice. Their size equals to that of a sesame seed. They appear to be tan or grayish white in color, but sometimes adult head lice take the color of the hair of its host. Female adult head lice are mostly bigger in size than male head lice. These female head lice can lay approximately 6 to 8 nits every day. Head lice feed on human blood in order to live but regardless of that, an adult head louse only has a life span of 30 days on a human scalp. If a head louse falls off from its host, deprived of the human blood, it will only take two days the most before it dies.

Head Lice Treatment

Remedy to head lice infestation is found everywhere. A very common head lice treatment would be to adopt a chemical treatment by using lice shampoo. In order for the treatment to work, instructions must be followed properly. Because a chemical treatment could be harmful to children below 2 years of age, some may choose to use a natural method to address the problem. Wet combing using fine-toothed lice or nit comb is very effective especially when combing is done every other day. Others even choose to apply mayonnaise, olive oil or vinegar on the head and leave it overnight before washing and combing the hair the next day. Some use herbal products with tea tree oil and other essential oils to stop the infestation. Above everything else, prevention is still the best way to avoid head lice infestation.