Head Lice

What is Head Lice

Head lice are flat-backed, greyish insects that live on human scalps. They are extremely common - most children will get them at least once or twice. Infestations are most common in children aged four to 11.

They feed by biting the scalp and sucking blood. The female head louse lays 5-8 eggs per night and glues them to the base of the hair, close to their food source (blood). These eggs are nits and look like small shiny white bumps on the hair. The lice hatch in about ten days, but the egg case is left behind to grow out with the hair.

Those affected will usually complain about constant scratching - this can lead to disturbed sleep and associated problems such as irritability and poor concentration

What are the Causes of Head Lice

Head lice are spread by head-to-head contact lasting 30 seconds or longer.

Head lice do not jump or fly. They creep from one head to the next and need to be near the skin to survive. Infestation with head lice does not indicate a lack of hygiene - lice have no specific preference for clean or dirty hair.

An average infected head has around 10 lice. If left untreated, this can rise to 20 lice.

Lice cannot be spread by towels, bedding, clothes, furniture, pets or brushes.

Traditional Medical Treatments for Head Lice

Regularly examine your children's scalps - look for nits close to the skin, behind and above the ears and on the back of the neck. You may see spots of blood, or scratched areas on the scalp.

It is no longer recommended or required for all family members to be treated with insecticides if one member of the family has head lice. Only those in which a living, moving louse have been observed should be treated. Detection combing should be used on all family members to determine this.

Where someone does need to be treated, chemical insecticides can be used.

These can be obtained at your local pharmacy. Ensure you follow the instructions carefully.Other methods include wet combing.