Prevent and Get Rid of Lice
Edited by Debbie, Maria Quinney, Eng, Ephraim and 2 others
Head lice are small tiny parasites that live in the scalp area among your hair, and they feed on human blood. Most children are affected by them, but adults can get it too. You can see the lice on the scalp, but they are very tiny. Many people feel that people get them in their hair because the person is dirty who has them. They actually live in clean hair. The symptoms of having lice are intense itching of the scalp, and a crawling sensation in the hair.
If you have lice, remember that it can be passed on from one person to another. What can you do to get rid of the problem?
Lice is an unfortunate disease that plagues many people but this type of disease can jump from person to person easily depending on who you come into contact with at the time. Lice can in fact be contracted regardless of how clean your hair is for they are lice fleas that can jump from their hair to your hair in an instant. It is not possible to know who has lice from a single glance of a person for they are microscopic and cannot be seen easily. If you get lice it can be ridden of with a few steps and instructions so do not fear that by having lice you will be stuck with it also there are other steps that you can take in order to prevent yourself from getting lice in the future although it is not 100 accurate it can in fact decrease your chances of catching lice.
Know The Symptoms
Some often believe they have lice for many reasons but there are only a few symptoms that are accurate in determining whether or not you have lice. In order to know if you have lice you must have the symptoms in order to take action against this lice infection that you are currently experiencing. Below are a list of symptoms that will let you know whether or not you have lice so that you can effectively start to battle back against the lice problem.
- 1Even though sometimes itchiness can occur from having a dirty scalp it can be a bit confusing so you will need to ensure that your hair is clean before you jump to this conclusion about having lice. Also when it comes to itchiness your neck will also itch if you have lice but understand that the more itchy your scalp is also determines whether or not you have lice. A light itch may not be lice but an itch that causes you to scratch until you possibly pierce your skin can be an indicator that you have lice.Itchiness is a symptom of having lice but you will itch both at the root of your scalp and also on your neck where you have hair also on your head.
- 2The children will experience the symptoms after a couple of weeks to a month for the children. Lice can be spotted but you will need to look closely for they are not big enough to spot instantly in the hair.When it comes to children the symptoms of lice do not show up in an instant like they do with adults so in order to check your children for lice you will need to examine their hair closely.
- 3While the hair is still wet it will allow you to see the lice better than trying to find lice in hair that is dry impairing the viewing of lice.The best time to check for lice will be for after you are out of the bath or shower while the hair is still wet.
How to prevent
In order to prevent the spread of lice there are steps that you will need to take in order to protect yourself and also your children. There are simple things that occur which can increase your chances of catching lice and by performing these steps you can ensure that you or your child will face an increasing chance of catching lice. Simple materials will be the line between catching lice and preventing lice so take these steps with full attention for they will protect you the best against lice.
- 1You will not be able to see the lice on your hat but once you place the hat on your head you have just successfully transferred the lice from the other persons head to your successfully. Things like exchanging or sharing a hat doesn't seem like a bad thing but in fact it can help transfer lice to yourself from the other person.Do not by any means share your hat with another person for the lice can transfer to the fabrics in the hat from the head thus allowing the lice to dwell in the hat.
- 2Head bands are a broad item ranging from head bands that girls use to head bands that basketball players use depending on if they have hair or not.Head bands are also a source of transfer from one person to another person for the fabrics in a head band can be latched on by lice and then transferred back and forth.
- 3If you let someone borrow your pillow then understand that you will once again sleep on the pillow unless you throw it away after the person has used your pillow.Pillows also are a way to transfer lice from one person to another person for the fibers and fabrics in pillows allow lice to latch on, so by simply letting someone borrow a pillow and they have lice can hurt you in the long run.
- 4When you allow someone to borrow your comb then understand that you are putting yourself at risk of catching lice at this time. The best way to prevent this is to now let anyone borrow your comb or borrow anyone else's comb, this also goes for brushes as well as these two tools can contribute to giving you lice.Combs are another way to transfer life from one person to another which is known to be the most common way to transfer lice from one person to another.
What to Watch For
If you know of someone who has lice it is not deemed necessary to eliminate yourself from being around them but you will just need to be cautious about them in order to protect yourself. These below are things to look out for when you know that someone has lice or potentially has lice.
- 1Do not share any type of clothing with them for the lice in their hair can easily move towards their clothing causing their clothes to be transportation for lice from their hair to yours which can be another common way of contracting between two people.
What not to do
When it comes to lice a lot of people try to use methods in order to get rid of them but they are in fact doing more harm than good in this situation. Certain things such as hair sprays, gels or other types of hair products can actually do worse to trying to rid your hair of life for the sprays may cause them to stick to the hair more rather than trying to get out of your hair.
- 1Do not allow yourself or children to continue to sleep in the clothes that they are wearing which may contain lice if you know for sure that they have been exposed.
- 2Do not hair dry clothing that has been washed that may contain lice instead put them in the dryer.
- 3Do not simply run water on combs or brushes that have been exposed to lice instead soak them in order to get a more effective clean
Extra tips
- 1Vacuum Your Floors to help suck up any lice that may have dropped on your floor
- 2Use specified shampoos and oil to help relieve the itch or lice until you get fully treated
- 3He will prescribe you the right medicine.Visit your Family Doctor.
- 4Treat your Hair.
- 5You will want to comb out the lice and nits (which are eggs) out of your hair after treatment.Comb your Hair.
- 6Clean and vacuum your mattress and furniture.Clean your Clothing and Home.
- 7Do not use other people's combs, hats, or brushes.
Questions and Answers
Ways to keep lice out of your hair once you get rid of them?
It is almost impossible to get rid of lice for a lifetime, as it not only affects children and the unhygienic, but it can also affect people of any ages, even those who make their hygiene a priority. However, it may help to do the following things after you have been treated:
- Avoid borrowing personal items like combs, hats or even shirts or coats. You can never tell if a person is infested by lice or not, and it is surely awkward and even rude to ask, so just to be safe, don't borrow. Lice don't only transfer by walking or flying to your head. They could also be living in the person's things without them knowing it, which could then reach your head once you use their hat, hair brush, etc.
- Don't stop using your anti-lice shampoo/conditioner unless you're 100 percent sure you've gotten rid of the nits. You might think you're free from lice, but if you don't get rid of their babies, then you're not safe yet.
- Use anti-lice hair lotion and a fine-toothed comb to get rid of nits. Unlike the big ones, nits (lice eggs) are very hard to get rid of. While your hair is still damp, use the hair lotion or a conditioner and a fine-toothed comb to comb the nits out more easily. To make sure that no baby lice will be born in your hair, you should still do checks once or twice a week after you feel like you've gotten rid of all of them.
- Avoid getting head-to-head or hair-to-hair contact with someone who has lice. This could also mean sharing pillows or sheets. Any of these things could make it easier for the lice to transfer to your head.
- Tea tree, lavender oil and peppermint. Studies show that hair products containing tea tree oil, lavender oil and peppermint are effective lice repellents. Use these regularly to prevent lice infestation again.
If none of these work for you, it is best to contact a medical expert who can help you out with professional treatment.
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.
