Most people scratch their heads due to a tingling sensation to ease it, but they don’t know that a head lice, a tiny parasite sucking blood from their scalp, can be responsible for it. Like most insects, it lacks wings, and you might wonder how it got to your head. They can enter your hair through hair-related objects like comb brushes, hats, etc.
Its adults are known as louse, and if you have seen a sesame seed, then you can compare them to it. Their color differs but mostly appears pale and gray. You can call their egg a nit. If you decide to find ways to make them go hungry, then you better ensure it’s not within 24 hours because they can survive that.
Sadly, it affects roughly 6 million to 12 million Americans yearly, and school-age children are highly vulnerable.
Symptoms Of Head Lice
Just like most parasites leave symptoms on their host, head lice are no exception. Moreover, it might not seem life-threatening and unworthy of immediate attention, but that doesn’t mean it will go away on its own will. Nevertheless, when you start experiencing these signs, know you have lice on your hair.
- Your scalp, neck, and ears will start itching, persisting for over a month.
- Discovering lice even though they prefer dark environments.
- Presence of nits on your hair shafts, ears, and neck hairline.
- You might feel pain in your scalp, neck, and shoulders.
Prevention Of Head Lice
You can prevent head lice whether you have it before or not, so you can be healthy in the following ways:
- You can start by thoroughly using hot water to wash your clothes or any washable material like combs, barrettes, hair ties, brushes, headbands, etc. You can’t just start using them yet; wait till they dry for a minimum of 20 minutes. After doing this, know that it’s unwise to share them with anyone.
- For non-washable materials that may have been infected with lice, dry them or store them in airtight containers for a fortnight.
- Ensure your carpets and any upholstered furniture are clean.
- Ensure every household member is free from lice so it won’t be a stressful, repetitive process.
- Don’t let your head touch other people’s heads wherever you are, and advise your loved ones to do so.
- Within 3 to 4 days, always inspect anyone you feel may be showing symptoms of hair lice to administer treatment quickly.
How To Get Rid of Head Lice?
Getting rid of head lice should be in your scale of preference to avoid the downsides associated with it. The good news is that it can be removed permanently from your hair. You can say goodbye to lice through these steps:
- Do you know that combining vinegar and warm water to wash your hair thoroughly can treat hair lice? Just ensure the whole scalp feels the effect of this mixture as you use your fingers to rub your scalp.
- Now, get a mixture of essential oils and pour it on your scalp and hair. However, this will not be effective if you don’t wear a hair cap and wait for a maximum of 20 minutes.
- Thoroughly use a fine-tooth comb or an electric lice comb on your entire hair to kill the lice effectively. The lice cannot escape the electric comb because it automatically fishes them out and kills them.
- Don’t forget to wash your vulnerable items in hot water to eliminate and prevent reoccurring lice. However, ensure the hot water is set to a temperature of more than 140°F or 60°C.
- Lice can survive for nine days, which can give hope to nits that you weren’t able to eliminate to thrive again and cause you pain. As a result, even after treating it, repeat every step to guarantee total safety and death of these parasites.
Read More:- Skin Redness On The Face: Everything You Need To Know
Conclusion
Head lice can be a menace that can cause discomfort to its hosts. Fortunately, it gives symptoms that can be prevented and treated. Don’t forget to use vinegar wash, essential oils, combing, and hot water washing to eliminate them. Also, don’t think the battle is over; remember, their life cycle is within nine days, so repeat the treatment process for full effectiveness.
