Check for Lice Nits
Edited by Mian Sheilette Ong, Eng, Lynn, Nuance and 1 other
Personal hygiene is a priority for everyone. With excellent personal hygiene, you will be able to carry yourself well anywhere at any given time. It will also show that you take good care of yourself.
Everything About Head Lice, Eggs, and Nits
Even if you have excellent hygiene, ectoparasites such as lice, can strike. Most often, your child brings it home from school. If you become afflicted with such parasites, you must act quickly and make sure you are thorough in your efforts to get rid of them.
Lice are wingless and very tiny. They infest your scalp and other body areas such as the pubic and armpit regions. Adult lice lay eggs. When the eggs hatch, they leave shells behind. These shells are called nits. When you see these nits on your scalp or on any area of the body, it is a neon sign of a lice infestation. You should know how to check for lice nits if you want to have a parasite-free body and scalp. It will definitely make you more confident when mingling with other people. Yes, it may be tedious and laborious, but this will help ensure a healthier lifestyle.
A Basic Description of Lice
Recognize lice. You should definitely know how to recognize lice. These are wingless, tiny arthropods (six-legged invertebrates) that reside on your scalp. Lice are ectoparasites that rely on your blood to survive. They are about the size of a sesame seed. Lice are like mosquitoes, but instead of flying, they do best with crawling. You can get lice by being in direct contact with someone infested with head lice. Another way would be to share items such as headbands, clips, combs, or hats.
Eggs
The female head lice lay eggs. These eggs are almost invisible to the naked eye because they're tiny and they blend into the color of your hair. Female head lice usually lay their eggs on the hair shafts near the hair roots. They attach with an adhesive that's naturally waterproof. That is why they cannot be blown or washed away.
By the time the head lice eggs hatch, they leave empty eggshells behind. These are called nits. You could confuse nits with hairspray flakes, sand, or dandruff. Like the lice eggs, nits still have their adhesives so they cannot be removed that easily. Nits differ in coloration (brownish yellow, white). As the hair grows, the attached nits are found away from the roots. Since nits are indications of lice infestation, many schools do not admit children who have them. It is important for parents to check their children's heads for nits and eggs on a regular basis so that lice treatment could be performed immediately. Removing nits and lice eggs takes patience and a fine-toothed comb.
Life Cycle of Head Lice
Head lice have three phases in their life cycle (40-50 days):
- 1The mature female lays eggs that are coated with an adhesive. This adhesive is effective for attaching the eggs to the hair shafts near the hair roots. The newly hatched head lice will hatch after 10 days.Egg phase.
- 2A nymph comes out of the head lice egg. They are not that easy to see. Nymphs cannot reproduce yet because they don't have a fully developed reproductive system yet. It takes 12 days for lice nymphs to mature.Nymph phase.
- 3This is the phase where the nymphs are finally mature enough to produce and lay eggs. Once they are sexually mature, they can lay four to 10 eggs every day. The life of adult head lice lasts about 28 days. Don't panic, but about 280 lice eggs could be laid by one mature female before she dies.Adult phase.
How to Check for Head Lice, Nits, and Eggs
You can tell if there is a head lice infestation when the suspected host itches all the time. Oftentimes, children scratch their heads, nape, or behind the ears. Red bumps or small wounds might also be present in these areas. Once you notice itching or bumps, immediately check your child's head. There could already be a head lice outbreak in their school. You can check for head lice, nits, and eggs by using the following steps:
First Check For Lice
- 1Choose a relaxing place.Select a comfortable area for head lice checking. You should position your child seated in front of you. This will allow you to check all over your child's head conveniently. Do not do this on furniture that's upholstered, as lice may end up there. Go for a kitchen chair instead...you might even want to do this on the back deck.
- 2Make sure there is natural light.It should be bright enough so you could detect the nits. The tiny adult lice do move quickly so you have to have appropriate lighting to see them. Head lice eggs are translucent. Moving the light around or moving under the light helps pinpoint them.
- 3Fully examine the scalp.Part areas of hair and look closely at the scalp, the area behind the ears, and the nape.
The Wet Hair Technique
Detecting head lice, eggs, and nits can be done by combing the hair with a fine-toothed comb. This method takes 5-15 minutes, depending on the thickness and the length of the hair. This can also be used as part of the treatment.
- 1Wash the hair with regular shampoo.
- 2Use three times the amount you usually use and do not rinse it out of the hair. This makes it really easy to comb.Rinse the hair thoroughly and apply regular conditioner.
- 3Use a regular comb to remove tangles.
- 4There are detection combs that come with or without prescriptions, available at any drug store.Get a fine-toothed comb or a detection comb.
- 5Make sure that it touches the scalp and reaches the tips of the hair.Comb the hair using the detection comb.
- 6Work the entire head.
- 7Look at the comb and check for lice, nits, and eggs.
- 8If there are lice, nits, or eggs in the comb, wash it thoroughly first before running it through the hair again.
- 9Continue this process over the entire head.
- 10Rinse off the conditioner.
- Repeat the combing process to make sure every area is dealt with.
Dry Hair Technique
This only takes about 3-5 minutes, depending on the hair's thickness. This is not effective for treating lice, only detecting it.
- 1Use an ordinary comb to untangle and straighten dry hair.
- 2Use the detection comb as soon as the tangles are removed.
- 3Do this about three to four times before combing the next area.Start combing from the hair base to the hair tips.
- 4Examine the detection comb for lice, nits, and eggs.
- 5If there are any lice, nits or eggs in the comb, rinse the comb and dry it thoroughly before using it again.
- 6Perform the process until every portion of the hair is cleared.
Symptoms of Pubic Lice
Pubic lice can also be acquired. This is spread through sexual intercourse. If a sexual partner detects pubic lice infestation in his or her own pubic area, both sexual partners should be treated to avoid spreading the parasites again. Pubic lice are usually grey or brown. They can be acquired from infested clothes, bedding, and towels. Pubic lice look like tiny crabs and that's why they are also known as "crabs". These are the symptoms you have to watch out for:
- 1Grey dots or brown dots present on the skin near or on the pubic area.
Treatment of Pubic Lice
- 1These shampoos work on dry pubic hair. Just be careful not to let the shampoo get in contact with mucus areas such as the anus or the vagina. The shampoo could burn or irritate the mucus areas. Leave the shampoo for on to 10 minutes.Use special lice shampoos that are formulated to kill pubic lice.
- 2Pour on enough warm water to lather the shampoo up.
- 3Rinse the area thoroughly.
- 4If the patient has a hairy pubic area, a detection comb should be used to check for head lice, nits, and eggs.
- 5Rinse thoroughly.
- 6This will ensure the death of the crabs.Wash all clothes, sheets, undergarments, and towels using warm water for 20 minutes.
- 7Perform another treatment after seven to 10 days of the first treatment to get rid of the newly hatched pubic lice.
- 8You really don't want that stuff absorbing into your skin.You might want to consider shaving the public hair to the skin, but don't do it anytime near the special shampoo.
Symptoms of Body Lice
Body lice move to your skin to feed and then return to the seams of your clothes. They lay their eggs in the seams. Home lice sprays can be used to kill the adult lice, nits, and eggs. Spray them on non-washable objects, vehicle interiors, furniture, and mattresses.
Treatment for Body Lice
After ridding your body of lice, wash all linens, coats, scarves, hats (washable ones), towels, and garments using hot water. Use high heat in drying them for about 20 minutes. If the items are non-washable, have them dry-cleaned.
Personal hygiene is important and checking for lice nits is a very significant part of it. Be vigilant in preventing this infestation so that you could have a lice-free, healthy lifestyle.
Alternative Method For Removing Lice Without Harsh Chemicals
This is an effective way to remove lice and nits from your child's hair, without the use of any dangerous chemicals. If you've got longer hair, tie it up while you're doing this process...just to be safer.
What You'll Need
- Conditioner. Get a bottle or jar of thick conditioner - doesn't have to be expensive.
- Shampoo.
- Two towels.
- Four clips to hold hair out of your way.
- Plastic bag that will fit over the affected person's head.
- Fine-toothed comb.
- Blow dryer.
- Flat iron. This isn't a clothes iron, but like a curling iron, but flat. Girls use it to straighten their hair.
Instructions For Dealing With Lice
- 1Put on your gloves.
- 2Put a towel around the neck of the person you're helping.
- 3Work with dry hair that has been combed to remove tangles.
- 4Part the hair into four sections.
- 5Starting in the first section, from the nap of the neck, part the hair in ½ inch sections, putting a big dollop of conditioner at the roots. Make the next parting, more conditioner, and so on.Smother them.
- 6Remove the clip each time you start a new section.
- 7You'll actually see the critters crawling out of your way, and by the time you get to the front - where the bangs are, you'll see them all huddling.
- 8Smother the roots with conditioner.
- 9Now add tons of conditioner until the entire head is covered thickly with the conditioner.
- 10Place the plastic bag over the head, only covering the hair, and clip to secure.
- 11Make sure you don't spend too long in one place, as you might burn the person you're treating.Spend a half an hour holding the blow dryer on high heat, all over the head.
- 12Comb the hair over and over - with the conditioner still in the hair. The comb should move fairly easily through the hair. As you comb, you'll see dead lice coming out of the hair. Comb and comb and comb.Take off the bag, and lean them over a sink or the tub.
- 13Shampoo the hair - twice.
- 14Clean up half way through.
- Throw away the gloves and the plastic bag. Put them into another plastic bag, tie it, and put it right outside in the garbage.
- Wash the comb and clips carefully.
- Put the towel you've used straight into the washer.
Instructions For Dealing With The Nits
Now you've killed the lice, but you still have the nits to deal with.
- 1Heat up the flat iron.
- 2Dry the hair completely - it cannot even be damp.
- 3Section the hair the same way you did for the conditioner.
- 4The heat of the iron will kill the nits.One section at a time - starting from the nap of the neck, iron each section of hair with the flat iron trying to get close to the scalp, but taking great care not to burn your child - or whomever you're helping.
- 5When you're done, comb the hair.
- 6Shampoo the hair and condition.
- 7Keep your fingers crossed that your child or friend is now lice-free.
Tips, Tricks and Warnings
- Do not share personal items such as combs, underwear, and towels with other people.
- Choose a reputable hotel when traveling.
- Always remember - smother the lice - get the nits with heat.
If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.
