How to tackle headlice

So what are head lice?

Well, head lice are tiny parasitic insects, around 2mm long, that live on the head and feed on human blood sucked from the scalp.

'Nits’ are the empty eggshells of head lice. They are usually found glued to the hair shafts near to the scalp where it is warm. Each female louse lays 4 to 8 eggs for the next 16 days, and after 7 to 10 days, the baby louse emerges, leaving an empty shell case that appears white but still sticks to the hair shaft.

As hair grows at about half an inch per month, the distance from scalp to nit will tell you approximately how long your child has been infested.

Head lice like to travel by walking from head to head (they are unable to fly or jump!). Anyone can pick up head lice no matter if their hair is clean, dirty long, short, curly or straight. They really have no preference.

Even though anyone can catch head lice, children are more commonly affected than adults because they tend to have more close contact in school and in the playground.

However, incredibly, about 60% of children seem unaware by their presence!

How to prevent and treat head lice

It’s almost impossible to stop your child from catching head lice. But checking their hair weekly is a good way to catch them early on when there are not so many of them. The Full Marks Detector comb has been designed using a special grey colour to make spotting the dark coloured lice and white eggs even easier to see.

Lice like to live in warm places, so start by checking behind the ears and at the base of the scalp. Look for nits attached to hair near the scalp.

Luckily for the children of today, the treatments that were used when I was a child have improved. Back then, the child got a clean shave if head lice were found, but today there are many quick, easy and effective treatments.

Above all, newer treatments don’t have the nasty smell that is associated with head lice treatments of the past.

Wet combing

One method of getting rid of lice is combing the hair, which physically removes the head lice. It requires lots of time and dedication by the adult, particularly when dealing with a child with long, thick and curly hair!

Treatments, Insecticide based

If your child has a severe infestation, the combing can be tedious and you may want to try a lotion that contains insecticides. These can be effective in treating head lice though there are some drawbacks.

Insecticide treatments are usually applied to dry hair and left on the head overnight for as long as 12 hours. You then rinse it off with shampoo the next morning, and then “wet comb” the hair with a removal comb to remove the dead head lice.

Insecticide based treatments containing Permethrin only kill the head lice, whereas liquids that contain Malathion kill both the lice and eggs. Both need to be applied a week later to kill any lice that have hatched after the first application.

Also, some insecticide lotions are strong smelling and may not be suitable for sufferers of asthma and sensitive skin!

Non-Traditional Insecticides treatments

If you don’t like the idea of using insecticides that act by poisoning head lice, there are new treatments on the market called non-traditional insecticides that kill lice by interfering with their physical function.

Treatments that are free of pesticides are equally effective at killing head lice, and may have the advantage that they can be used by asthma or sensitive skin sufferers.

Some of these new treatments are also effective very quickly. For instance, there is a product called Full Marks Solution that works in minutes, rather than hours.

All you have to do is spray or apply the solution onto your child’s hair, dependant on which format you choose, and leave it on for only 10 minutes. You then comb through the hair with the free comb provided in pack to remove any dead lice and the eggs. Then wash the hair.

When treating head lice it is recommended to repeat the treatment 7 days later to ensure any lice emerging from newly hatched eggs are killed.

Unlike some treatments, this specific product uses ingredients that are usually used in making cosmetics and work in a simple way to kill the lice.

The active ingredients in Full Marks Solution work together to dissolve the outer coat of the louse, causing lice to dehydrate shrink and die. Full Marks Solution and Spray also has no nasty smells meaning they are much more pleasant to use.

Of course if there is a case of head lice in the family, it is a very good idea to check the rest of the family, even if they appear not to be infected. Other family members should not be treated unless a live moving louse is found on their head.

It is also good to let your child’s school know, as your child is probably not the only one suffering from lice.

This article was published on Tue 1 September 2009