What Are Head Lice?

Head lice are tiny, wingless parasitic insects that reside connected the scalp, wherever the somesthesia is warm, consistent, and precise hospitable. Sometimes you tin find caput lice ( Pediculus humanus capitis ) connected eyebrows, eyelashes, and cervix hairsbreadth arsenic well. One spot you volition not find caput lice? On dogs, cats, oregon immoderate different animal. Head lice is simply a 100 percent quality issue. And since caput lice past and thrive solely connected quality blood, erstwhile they’re separated from their quality host, they starve and perish wrong respective hours. Nits (head lice eggs), connected the different hand, mostly dice wrong a week distant from their quality host. While it’s existent that an infestation of caput lice is inconvenient and possibly uncomfortable, it’s usually harmless, notes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). ( 1 ) Signs and Symptoms of Head Lice Symptoms Not each radical with caput lice grounds the precise aforesaid lice symptoms. But the astir communal signs that you mightiness beryllium dealing with a caput lice infestation include: Itchiness This whitethorn beryllium felt connected the scalp, neck, oregon ears. Itching is often a motion of an allergic absorption to louse saliva oregon feces. ( 2 ) (Of note: For folks dealing with their archetypal infestation, itching whitethorn not hap until 2 to six weeks aft the outbreak begins.) Trouble Sleeping Lice are much progressive successful the dark, truthful those with an infestation whitethorn acquisition issues falling dormant acknowledgment to this uptick successful movement. (2) Red Bumps oregon Sores For some, the infestation whitethorn spell hand-in-hand with a rash, which tin pb to excessive scratching. This tin pb to a bacterial infection, implicit with swollen lymph glands, tender skin, and oozing sores. If this occurs, your doc whitethorn dainty the corruption with an antibiotic. ( 3 ) Visible Nits While the beingness of nits does not ever bespeak that there’s an progressive infestation, it can. (2) Look for oval-shaped nits that are astir the size of a atom of sand, stuck to the basal of the hairsbreadth shaft, closest to the scalp. At times, nits look to beryllium the aforesaid colour arsenic the hairsbreadth successful which they reside, making them precise hard to spot. (Empty oregon hatched nits are lighter successful colour and further from the scalp and tin beryllium easier to see.) When not mimicking the big hairsbreadth color, nits look yellowish oregon whitish, which is wherefore nits are often confused with dandruff oregon droplets of hairsbreadth spray. (1) Visible Nymphs oregon Lice Both nymphs (young lice) and mature caput lice stay tiny — the size of a pinhead and the size of a sesame seed, respectively. They tin beryllium recovered connected the scalp, astir the ears, oregon astatine the basal of the neck. They’ve got six legs and hook-like claws, and adults are often tan oregon grayish white. They whitethorn look darker if their big has acheronian hair, though. (1) They whitethorn besides look reddish if filled with blood. ( 4 ) Causes and Risk Factors of Head Lice Causes Contrary to fashionable belief, caput lice cannot fly, jump, oregon hop, truthful it’s uncommon for radical to dispersed lice by sharing belongings specified arsenic hats, helmets, and hairsbreadth brushes. And idiosyncratic hygiene — oregon deficiency thereof — has thing to bash with getting caput lice. (1) Instead, “direct head-to-head interaction is however we transportation lice,” says Richard J. Pollack, PhD , a elder biology nationalist wellness serviceman and researcher astatine the Harvard School of Public Health successful Boston. (This was besides confirmed by a survey from 2015.) ( 5 ) With that, present are the hazard factors of caput lice: Young Age Children ages 3 to 11 get caput lice astir often. Because younger children thin to person much head-to-head interactions — sharing a bed, genitor snuggles, wrestling — they person acold much accidental to dispersed their caput lice with 1 different than older kids and adults. “As such, prevalence drops dramatically erstwhile kids get to mediate school,” says Dr. Pollack. (The CDC lists attending time attraction and simple schoolhouse arsenic a lice hazard factor.) (1) Proximity If you unrecorded with idiosyncratic who’s dealing with a caput lice outbreak, your chances of besides becoming infested spell up, careless of age. (If 1 idiosyncratic is recovered to person caput lice, each household members should beryllium checked for caput lice.) (1) Sex Girls person a 2 to 4 times higher accidental of becoming infested by lice than boys. It’s speculated that the crushed whitethorn beryllium attributed to the information that girls often person longer hair, according to 2020 study. ( 6 ) It’s besides thought that, perhaps, this whitethorn beryllium due to the fact that girls acquisition much predominant head-to-head interaction than boys. ( 7 ) Race Black children successful the United States person acold less reported caput lice infestations than different taste groups, according to a study . ( 8 ) It’s thought that this whitethorn beryllium owed to differences successful hairsbreadth thickness and curl. And that information that lice astir often recovered successful the United States person claws that whitethorn beryllium amended capable to grasp the hairsbreadth shafts of different races. (1) How Is Head Lice Diagnosed? Diagnosis The champion mode to zero successful connected an close diagnosis of caput lice is to find a unrecorded nymph oregon big louse connected the scalp oregon hair. When looking, ore connected the scalp, down the ears, and astir the nape of the neck. (3) Lice are precise tiny and determination quickly, truthful statesman by parting the hairsbreadth into tiny sections and utilizing a magnifying glass, arsenic good arsenic a peculiar fine-toothed metallic comb called a nit comb. The peculiar lice comb whitethorn assistance you find unrecorded lice much rapidly and efficiently than without the comb, according to a survey . ( 9 ) “If you find a crawling bug connected the scalp hairsbreadth and it looks accordant with the images of caput lice, past your lice decision is apt correct,” says Pollack. But if you are incapable to find a live, moving louse, proceed with immoderate doubt. While astir schools regularly surface children for lice, it’s important to cognize that this has not been proven effectual astatine reducing the incidence of caput lice successful school. (3) “There are a batch of misdiagnoses astatine schoolhouse caput checks,” says Pollack. “Parents should cautiously see the grounds earlier starting treatment.” Again, uncovering a surviving and crawling bug connected scalp hairsbreadth that matches with the images of caput lice is the champion evidence. “What parents and teachers sometimes judge to beryllium nits are often confused with different things recovered successful the hair, specified arsenic dandruff, hairsbreadth spray residue, and dirt,” says Pollack. In fact, according to Pollock’s published research, astir of the presumed “lice nits” and “lice” that doctors, nurses, and others person submitted to laboratories for recognition were yet recovered not to beryllium lice. ( 10 ) One communal misdiagnosis is hairsbreadth casts, oregon pseudonits — thin, elongated, firm, achromatic attachments to the hairsbreadth shaft that lucifer nits. But dissimilar nits, they tin easy beryllium dislodged. ( 11 ) That noted, nits are coated successful a glue-like substance that precise powerfully attaches to the hairsbreadth shaft, making it acold much hard to shingle a nit escaped than different overseas objects. If you observe lice eggs that are firmly attached wrong ¼ inch of the basal of the hairsbreadth shaft, you whitethorn beryllium dealing with an infestation. If the lice eggs are recovered much than 1 centimeter from the scalp, connected the different hand, they’re apt dormant oregon already hatched, indicating an aged and inactive infestation that doesn’t necessitate further attention. (5) If you observe a subordinate of your household has lice, cheque everyone successful the location who had adjacent interaction with the infested idiosyncratic each 3 oregon 4 days. (3) Unsure whether oregon not you’re dealing with an progressive lice infestation? Visit a healthcare supplier oregon a idiosyncratic specially trained to place unrecorded caput lice. That idiosyncratic whitethorn usage a specialized airy called a Wood’s lamp, which makes the lice nits look bluish successful color. If suspicious lice eggs are found, they’ll beryllium examined nether a microscope to find if determination is, successful fact, an progressive caput lice infestation. ( 12 ) Duration of a Head Lice Infestation Duration When infested, kids usually transportation less than 20 mature caput lice, each of which, if near wholly untreated, unrecorded for 3 to 4 weeks. The kicker, of course, is that those lice mate and nutrient much eggs, frankincense much lice. In fact, the big pistillate louse tin nutrient up to six eggs a time for 30 days, noted probe from 2018. ( 13 ) With that, duration of an infestation greatly depends connected which attraction is utilized and however effectual said attraction is. Treatment and Medication Options for Head Lice Treatment It’s lone recommended that you proceed with caput lice attraction if an progressive infestation of caput lice is confirmed. Meaning: The lice request to beryllium live and crawling, oregon the lice eggs request to beryllium viable, to warrant treatment. Still, it whitethorn beryllium prudent to spell up and dainty those who stock the aforesaid furniture with an actively infected person. ( 14 ) Medication Options There are respective medicine and nonprescription treatments that efficaciously termination caput lice. The 1 you take volition beryllium connected what treatments you’ve already tried. While these treatments usually termination lice, it tin instrumentality up to respective days for the itching to subside. (3) Nonprescription Lice Shampoo and Cream Every over-the-counter (OTC) attraction of caput lice has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and contains either pyrethrins (Rid oregon Triple X) oregon permethrin (Nix). Both are effectual and are considered the archetypal enactment of treatment. The erstwhile tin beryllium utilized connected children ages 2 and older, portion the second tin beryllium utilized connected children arsenic young arsenic 2 months. Both lone termination unrecorded lice, not nits. (12) After an archetypal at-home treatment, cheque hairsbreadth to spot if lice look little progressive aft 8 to 12 hours. If you don’t announcement a difference, refrain from retreating. Instead, cheque with your doc to spot if different merchandise whitethorn beryllium needed. ( 15 ) If aft that clip frame, you bash announcement a dilatory down, it’s inactive recommended that you retreat wrong 7 to 9 days successful bid to termination immoderate lice that person hatched aft the archetypal round. Two treatments usually get escaped of the lice. (Combining retired hairsbreadth for 2 to 3 weeks besides helps.) (14) Prescription Shampoos and Lotions If an at-home merchandise doesn’t sound retired the infestation, speech to your doc oregon dermatologist. They tin prescribe a stronger lice treatment, similar medicine permethrin. Lindane, a medicine lotion oregon shampoo, is little effectual than prescription-strength permethrin and, due to the fact that of the imaginable toxic broadside effects, is not recommended for children younger than 2, large oregon lactating women, oregon those with a seizure disorder. While medicine malathion is precise effectual astatine sidesplitting some caput lice and lice eggs, it’s not considered a first-line attraction due to the fact that it needs to stay connected hairsbreadth for 8 to 12 hours to work. (11) Other medicine options see benzyl intoxicant lotion (Ulesfia), ivermectin (Stromectol) lotion, and spinosad topical suspension. (12) Oral Prescription Medication When different treatments fail, oral ivermectin whitethorn beryllium an option. While it efficaciously treats a caput lice infestation with 2 doses 8 days apart, broadside effects whitethorn see nausea and vomiting. (Children indispensable measurement astatine slightest 33 pounds to instrumentality this medication.) (12) Manual Treatment Medicated lice treatments should not beryllium utilized connected children 2 months oregon younger. If an babe has an progressive caput lice infestation, you indispensable region the lice and lice nits by manus with a fine-tooth lice comb, archetypal wetting and conditioning the child’s hair. This needs to beryllium repeated each 3 to 4 days for 3 weeks aft the past unrecorded louse was spotted. (3) Alternative and Complementary Therapies Suffocating Agents There’s beardown anecdotal grounds the shows applying Cetaphil, mayonnaise, oregon olive lipid to the hairsbreadth tin suffocate lice, but there’s small technological grounds proving the same. (12) Instead, determination was a survey that reported a 96 percent “cure” complaint erstwhile Cetaphil cleanser was applied to hair, dried connected with a blow-dryer, near overnight, and rinsed successful the greeting and repeated erstwhile a week for 3 weeks. The survey was not uncontrolled, nor randomized, though. ( 16 ) Heat A instrumentality called AirAllé uses a 30-minute blast of blistery aerial to termination lice. And it has been shown to beryllium an effectual method, knocking retired astir each lice eggs and 80 percent of unrecorded lice aft 1 treatment. This peculiar instrumentality is lone recovered astatine nonrecreational lice attraction clinics. ( 17 ) (A regular blow-dryer does not enactment successful the aforesaid mode and should not beryllium utilized arsenic treatment, since blow-dryers tin origin lice to go airborne.) (5) Essential Oils The usage of indispensable oils specified beverage histrion lipid oregon ylang ylang lipid person yet to beryllium proven effectual and tin origin allergic tegument reactions. Experts urge avoiding this attraction method. (3) Learn More About the Treatment of Head Lice Prevention of Head Lice In summation to treatment, you tin instrumentality steps to assistance forestall reinfestation. Even though it’s highly improbable for lice to dispersed done sharing belongings, specified arsenic hats, it’s inactive a omniscient thought to refrain from trading hairsbreadth accessories, brushes, combs, and towels — particularly with an idiosyncratic with a known progressive lawsuit of caput lice. Other ways to forestall getting and spreading lice include: Launder items. Change and launder the infested person’s pillow cases, pajamas, towels, and different items that their caput was successful nonstop interaction with during the 24 to 48 hours earlier diagnosis. Machine lavation it each successful hot, soapy water, past adust connected the blistery rhythm for astatine slightest 20 minutes. ( 18 ) Soak brushes. Submerge the infested person’s combs, brushes, barrettes, and hairsbreadth bands successful blistery h2o for astir 10 minutes. (3) Vacuum contacted surfaces. Use a vacuum connected carpets, furniture, car seats, beds, and different items that person been successful interaction with the caput of the idiosyncratic with infestation wrong the past 24 to 48 hours. (18) Seal up different items. Although it is seldom necessary, you tin besides spot pillows and stuffed animals successful a tightly sealed integrative container for 2 weeks to suffocate immoderate imaginable remaining nits oregon lice. (3) Avoid sprays. Not lone is fumigating the location with pediculicide spray not needed successful bid to power caput lice, inhalation of fumigant sprays tin beryllium toxic. (18) While 1 whitethorn deliberation a astute mode to forestall the dispersed of lice is to support children location from school, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) disagrees. In fact, the AAP and the National Association of School Nurses contend that “no-nit” policies that support children from attending schoolhouse until each lice nits are removed should beryllium discouraged. Instead, simply dainty the infestation accordingly and discourage children from immoderate nonstop head-to-head interaction with different kids and adults. It’s besides a bully thought for parents to cheque successful with classmates who apt had head-to-head interaction with the infested child. (3) Complications of Head Lice Complications According to the CDC, caput lice are not known to transportation disease. But it’s possible, arsenic a effect of scratching, to make a secondary bacterial tegument infection. (1) Research and Statistics: Who Has Head Lice Research and Statistics The wide prevalence of lice is hard to determine, but it’s estimated that among children ages 3 to 11, determination are betwixt 6 cardinal and 12 cardinal caput lice infestations annually successful the United States, according to the CDC. (1) Head Lice successful the Hair of Black Children Black Americans and Head Lice According to the CDC, Black children successful the United States are acold little apt to upwind up with a lice infestation than children of different taste groups . It’s thought that the lice astir often recovered successful the United States are little equipped to successfully grasp onto the signifier and width of Black hair. (1) But determination is statement astir whether this mentation is accurate, says Candrice R. Heath, MD , adjunct prof of dermatology successful the Lewis Katz School of Medicine astatine Temple University successful Philadelphia. “It’s besides speculated that the usage of oils and tightly coiled hairsbreadth shafts whitethorn beryllium reasons that lice hap little often successful the hairsbreadth of Black children.” Of course, that doesn’t mean that Black children don’t get lice. They do. So it’s important to show immoderate signs, specified arsenic scalp itching, careless of a person’s contention oregon ethnicity. It’s besides important to accommodate lice detection and lice removal techniques based connected the texture of the child’s hair. For instance, caput lice checks often impact utilizing a comb with teeth that are intimately spaced together. “When these modular lice combs are utilized connected tightly coiled hair, it tin beryllium a situation to adequately comb from the basal without causing breakage oregon scalp pain,” says Dr. Heath. Instead, 1 mightiness request to detangle the hairsbreadth with a wide-toothed comb earlier utilizing a lice comb. And erstwhile combing retired hairsbreadth during treatment, wetting and coating hairsbreadth with conditioner volition let for a smoother comb-through. Related Conditions of Head Lice: Body Lice and Pubic Lice Related Conditions Head lice are not the aforesaid arsenic assemblage lice oregon pubic lice. Body lice mostly impacts those surviving successful precise cramped, crowded conditions who besides person mediocre hygiene. These lice reside connected covering oregon bedding, but crawl onto tegument respective times a time to feed. They’re the lone benignant of lice known to dispersed disease. Learn More About Body Lice Pubic lice are chiefly dispersed via intersexual interaction and impact the hairs successful the genital and anal areas. They are not known to transmit immoderate diseases. ( 19 ) Learn More About Pubic Lice Q & A's Resources We Trust Mayo Clinic: Mayo Clinic Q and A: Getting Rid of Head LiceCleveland Clinic: Head LiceNationwide Children’s Hospital: Head LiceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention: Parasites — LiceAmerican Academy of Pediatrics: Head Lice: What Parents Need to Know