Head lice are tiny bugs that feed on blood from the human scalp. An infestation of head lice is widespread among children who get lice from direct contact with someone who already has head lice. Most first-world countries have a rule about children who have lice. If a child has lice, they can't come to school until they have a note from someone who checks for lice that they no longer have lice. Sadly, in Israel, the rules are not strict, and lice are prevalent among children.
Symptoms
Disclosure – you may start feeling itchy from reading the symptoms. Don't worry, it's psychological, and you probably don't have lice!
- Itchiness of the scalp – the most common sign that you have lice is itching, usually on the head, but it also can be on the ears or neck. Most lice checkers will tell you that if you are itching to the point that it's hard for you to sleep, then you have lice.
- Lice on the scalp – Lice are usually visible to the naked eye. Certain types of lice are so transparent that you cannot see them without looking very closely.
- Finding nits on the scalp – Nits are eggs of the lice insects. Nits stick to the hair, they are very tiny, but they can also cause itchiness.
- Sores on the scalp – when the lice insects bite someone, sometimes, they leave small sores on the scalp.
Treatment
The simplest way to treat head lice is to comb out your hair and remove them from your scalp. It would be best if you bought a special lice comb which has very tightly spaced combs.
- Brush your hair carefully with a regular brush.
- Put a thick layer of conditioner on the hair (this will stop the lice insects from moving, and it will trap them)
- Start combing your hair with the lice comb
- In between combing – wipe the comb in hot water and on a paper towel or wipe to see if you caught the lice or not.
- Make sure to comb in multiple directions to get every angle of the scalp.
- Make sure to comb around the ears and the low hairline (lice tend to stay in those areas).
- Make sure to wash your sheets, pillowcase and pajamas, and put your hair comb in the freezer for a few hours to kill the lice.
Once you comb through your hair and find all of the lice, try to keep your hair up in a ponytail or bun. For children, try to keep their hair in a high ponytail or bun.
Prevention
- As mentioned earlier, try to put your hair in a high ponytail or bun, especially around children.
- Many oils and shampoos repel lice insects (usually rosemary oil or shampoo with a rosemary scent).
- There are also prescription creams and oils that help prevent a lice infestation.
- Check your children for lice regularly
- Try not to be near children's hair or scalps.
Headlice is very annoying but easily treated. All you can do is take precautions and check your child for lice regularly (once a week or so).