Headlice - managing the problem
Headlice, also known as Nits, are an annoying problem for many families while their children are at school or in early childhood education.
If your child comes home with
headlice or nits, don’t panic. Humans have lived with
headlice since the beginning of time – 3000-year-old Egyptian
mummies have been found with the remains of headlice. They do not
mean that your child is dirty in any way. They do not prefer
certain hair colours or blood types - these are myths.
Headlice need food, humidity and
warmth to survive; it is unlikely they will be found alive on car
seats, curtains or carpets.
Headlice are small insects
approximately 2 to 4 mm long and about 1mm wide. They have six legs
with claws and are usually a light or dark brown
colour.
Electric combs
Electric battery-operated combs
are available to be used on dry hair. These are claimed to stun or
kill the headlice so they let go of the hair and can be combed out.
Clean the teeth after each stroke of the comb. Electric combs
should be used on alternate days for two or three weeks to break
the breeding cycle. People with epilepsy, heart disease or
pacemakers should not use
them.
Chemical treatments
Apply the treatment strictly in
accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
Treat those members of the
household who appear to be hosting headlice. Do not treat babies
with chemicals. Do not wash the hair or use conditioners for at
least 24 hours after treating. Treatments are designed to coat the
hair shaft and should be allowed to remain. Do not wash chemicals
off. Do not use hairdryers on treated hair. The heat may break down
the active chemical. Comb the hair carefully to remove as many dead
or live headlice and eggs as possible. Follow the directions
on the packet. Check all members of the household daily for a
period of three
weeks.
Dry combing
This method is for the removal of
headlice and eggs.
• Use a metal fine-toothed
comb. Fingernails can also effectively remove eggs.
• Individual strands of hair
can be cut to remove difficult eggs.
• Some combs will extract
adult headlice only and leave: the closer together the teeth of the
comb, the
more successful combing
will be .
Wet combing
Using a hair conditioner, wet
combing is for the detection and removal of headlice and eggs.
It is recommended that this
treatment be repeated on alternate days for three weeks. The idea
is to smother the headlice with conditioner, preventing them moving
away, and to allow manual removal. Do not use conditioner within a
day of using a chemical treatment; it will make the chemical
treatment ineffective.
• Apply enough
conditioner (much more than usual) on dry hair to thoroughly cover
the whole
scalp and all the hair from
the roots to the tips.
• Keep the conditioner in
the hair. Conditioner stuns the insects for about 20 minutes. Using
an ordinary
comb, comb the hair
through to get any knots out, then use a fine-toothed comb
to systematically comb
the hair. Comb the full
length of each hair. Wipe the comb with a clean tissue after each
stroke of the
comb. After thorough
combing and inspection, wash the conditioner out.
If your child has asthma or is
very young ask your doctor what treatment to use