What are head lice?
Head lice are small insects that live on the human scalp, feeding on human blood several times a day. The "bite" these parasites make to suck blood does not hurt, but the substance the louse excretes to prevent the blood from clotting, can cause itching and allergic reactions. Without these blood meals, lice will die within 1- 2 days

 

Who gets head lice?
Head lice are found worldwide. In the U.S.A., infestation with head lice is most common among preschool children attending child care, elementary school children, and the household members of infested children. Although reliable data on how many people in the U.S.A. get head lice each year is not available, an estimated 6 million to 12 million infestations occur each year among children 3 to 11 years of age.

 

How do lice get into the hair?
Head-to-head contact with a person who has head lice, is the most common way to get lice. Head-to-head contact is common during play at school, at home, and elsewhere (sports activities, playground, slumber parties, or camp). Head lice move by crawling; they cannot hop or fly. Dogs, cats, and other pets do not play a role in the spread of human lice.
Head lice may also be spread by sharing clothing or belongings onto which lice or eggs may have crawled or fallen. Examples include:

• Sharing clothing (hats, scarves, coats, sports uniforms) or articles (hair ribbons, barrettes, combs, brushes, towels, stuffed animals) recently worn or used by an infested person; or
• Lying on a bed, couch, pillow, or carpet that has recently been in contact with an infested person. The risk of getting an infestation by a louse or egg that has fallen onto a carpet or furniture is very small.

What do head lice look like?
There are 3 stages in the life cycle of a head louse:

Egg/ Nit: Lice eggs are laid by the adult female at the base of the hair shaft nearest the scalp. Eggs are firmly attached to the hair shaft and are oval-shaped and very small (about the size of a knot in thread) and hard to see. Eggs often appear yellow or white. Live eggs can appear to be the same color as the hair they are on.

After hatching, the empty eggshell is called a nit. Eggs/Nits are often confused with dandruff or other debris. Eggs usually take about 8-9 days to hatch. Eggs that are likely to hatch are usually located less than ¼ inch (5mm) from the base of the hair shaft.

 

Nymph: A nymph is a young louse that hatches from the egg. A nymph looks like an adult head louse, only smaller. They must feed on blood to live. Nymphs mature into adults about 9-12 days after hatching.

 

Adult: The fully grown adult louse is about the size of a sesame seed, has six legs, and is tan to grayish-white in color. They may appear to be the same color as the hair they’re on. To survive, they must feed on blood. They live about 30 days on a person’s head, but will die within 1-2 days if they fall off. Adult females are usually larger than males and can lay about 8-10 eggs each day.

(Courtesy of the Government Centers for Disease Control)

 

Head Lice Treatments

Treatment for head lice is recommended for persons diagnosed with an active infestation. All household members and other close contacts should be checked; those persons with evidence of an active infestation should be treated.

Detect Lice
Because adult and nymph lice are very small, move quickly, and avoid light, they may be difficult to find. A close examination of the hair and scalp is needed to determine head lice infestation.   The Robi Comb may also be used to both detect and destroy lice in dry hair. The Robi Comb uses an audible signal to inform users if lice are detected. Find out more about the Robi Comb.

Kill Lice
Parents and medical professionals have become very wary of using dangerous toxic shampoos, chemicals, gels and oils to get rid of lice. Many of these treatments use Pyrethrum or Permethrin, the same pesticides found in household bug killers. There is growing concern about the health effects of putting toxins and chemicals on a child’s head and the negative effects these poisons may have on a developing child's health.

An alternative, chemical free way of killing lice is the use of the Robi Comb. The Robi Comb is an electronic lice comb, powered by a single AA battery. Robi Comb detects and destroys lice on contact simply by combing it through dry hair. When the Robi Comb's metal teeth touch lice, the lice get zapped, die and then get combed out of the hair. Unlike chemical treatments, the Robi Comb can be used as often as you like. It can also be stored and used repeatedly by the entire family.

In addition, it is widely reported that lice have been building up a resistance to the pesticides used in shampoos. Many chemicals just don't kill lice anymore. Lice however, cannot become resistant to the Robi Comb treatment.

A variety of other natural remedies such as olive oil, tree oil, petroleum jelly and mayonnaise have also been reported, but not proven effective in killing lice quickly- if at all. Flammable liquids, harsh chemicals, commercial poisons and other hazardous materials should never be used to kill lice and are harmful and even fatal in many cases.

Remove Lice & Eggs/Nits
Removal of lice and lice eggs/nits is an important part of the lice treatment process. Eggs hatch up to ten days after being laid, and their continued presence in the hair creates an ongoing infestation cycle. Any initial lice killing treatment, using any method, must be followed up by an additional treatment to kill newly hatched lice.

By using a Robi Comb daily for 10 days, the problem of newly hatched lice is solved. Robi Comb kills all the lice as they hatch, until there are no more eggs left to hatch. Breaking the cycle of new lice growing to lay new eggs, prevents ongoing lice issues.

Another way to quickly remove lice and eggs/nits is by using a Lice & Egg Shampoo and then combing the lice and eggs out of the hair. LiceGuard's SAFE Lice Egg Removal Shampoo is non-toxic and makes it easy to eliminate lice and eggs. It has an original formula that softens and untangles hair as well. In clinical trials, LiceGuard's SAFE Lice Egg Removal Shampoo was shown to TRIPLE the amount of Eggs and Nits removed through combing.

After eggs/nits have been loosened by the lice shampoo, a fine-toothed metal Egg & Lice Comb should be used to pull lice and eggs/nits off wet hair. For best results, use a quality unbreakable lice comb with metal teeth and a sturdy handle. For hygienic reasons, lice combs should be boiled after use.

Prevent Lice
To help control the spread of head lice, children with lice should avoid activities that may spread head lice and those who are lice free, should avoid situations that may lead to a (re)infestation.

LiceGuard Lice Repellent Spray can be used to help protect children from getting head lice. The patented formula is made with natural ingredients. It is non-toxic and contains no pesticides. One application in the morning provides all day protection against lice.  Helps protect against the transfer of lice when sprayed into hats, coats, helmets, etc. as well.

The following additional steps can help control the spread of head lice: Avoid head-to-head contact. Do not share clothing, combs or towels. Soak combs and brushes in very hot water. Do not lie on a bed, sofa or carpet recently used by an infested person. Machine wash linens and other items in hot water, then dry using the high heat drying cycle. Other items (stuffed animals, etc) can be dry-cleaned OR sealed in a plastic bag and stored for 2 weeks. Vacuum the floor and furniture where the infested person may have been, in order to collect fallen lice or hair/eggs.

Lice need to feed daily, and cannot live away from a human host. Taking the above suggested steps, will help end the possibility of re-infestation by lice, which have temporarily located on a household item, until returning to another head.