Vitality News Health Articles

Many people do not feel comfortable in talking about head lice treatment but the fact is most of them need to know about it. Humans suffer from three types of lice according to the part of body they affect. There are pubic lice living around the genitalia, body lice and hair lice. But the people suffering from the problem the head lice or hair lice are comparatively large in number.

Although people are often embarrassed by having a lice infestation on the scalp, this has nothing to do with being dirty or lacking in personal hygiene. These tiny insects are very mobile and can easily jump from one person to another just by sitting very close together, or sharing a brush, comb, scarf or hat.

Without human beings, lice will begin to die in a matter of a few weeks. Some household items cannot be washed or sprayed with pesticide and that is where knowing this fact is useful. Plastic bags can seal off the lice and lice eggs and get rid of the lice off of that item that previously would not have been possible.

Lice are so tiny that it may be hard to even tell if you need to start a head lice treatment at all. Usually a note from school warns of an outbreak and the search is on. The insects are very small and may be difficult to see, but one clue is the discovery of nits on the base of hair shafts. These lice eggs look like tiny grains of rice and are glued to the hair. Every one must be killed or removed for a head lice treatment to be complete.

Check the scalp with a special fine toothed comb to remove nits and any live or dead lice after treatment for a couple of weeks. You should find dead adult lice after you have treated with a lice spray, shampoo, or lotion purchased over the counter. If not, you may require a prescription product that is stronger, so ask your doctor for one. For complete removal and success in this endeavor, treat your clothing, bedding, furniture and carpet too.

For those who would prefer to avoid the usual insecticide head lice treatment products, there are nontoxic herbal products available. Health food stores stock these or, alternately, they can also be purchased online. Home remedies are also quite effective, cheap and non-toxic too. But these are quite messy, as they require covering the scalp with mayonnaise, petroleum jelly or oil, covering the head in a plastic shower cap for hours or even overnight and suffocating the lice. A lice comb takes care of the nits. The downside of home remedies is that several treatments may be required and the hair needs to be washed clean with a lot of shampoo.

Lice is not a subject that people talk about at the dinner table, but head lice treatment should be information you need to know. The three common lice are pubic, body lice, and hair lice. Although a lice infestation is a cause for embarrassment for many, it has nothing to do with dirty hair or a lack of hygiene. The tiny insects can jump from one person to the next when they are sitting close together. Over the counter lice sprays or treatments usually kill all the lice, but sometimes you will need a stronger product that requires a prescription.

- norman horowitz