Do salt…. Besides making your hair messy and oily, mayonnaise is unlikely to treat head lice. Here's why, and what you can try instead.
Obe Fitness is an online platform offering thousands of on-demand workouts and 20 live classes each day. After trying Obe Fitness for 30 days, we're…. Sustainable fashion involves producing clothing in an ethical and environmentally conscious way. See the sustainable clothing brands our expert….
Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Medically reviewed by Alana Biggers, M. Determining length of infestation Home treatments When to see a doctor Medical treatments Prevention About lice Takeaway Head lice are parasitic insects that commonly live close to the scalp. How to treat lice at home.
When to see a doctor. Medical treatments for lice. Steps you can take to prevent lice. A little more about lice. The takeaway. Super Lice. Lice Emergency? Read this next. Medically reviewed by Judith Marcin, M. These services are effective but often costly. Remind your child that while having lice can be embarrassing, anyone can get them. Having head lice is not a sign of dirtiness or poor hygiene. The pesky little bugs can be a problem no matter how often kids do — or don't — wash their hair or bathe.
Dealing with head lice can be frustrating, but be patient. Follow the treatments and prevention tips from your doctor, and soon your family will be lice-free. Reviewed by: Michelle P. Tellado, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What Are Head Lice? It's best to treat head lice right away to prevent them from spreading. Even though they're tiny, you can see head lice. Here's what to look for: Lice eggs nits. These look like tiny yellow, tan, or brown dots before they hatch.
Lice lay nits on hair shafts close to the scalp, where the temperature is perfect for keeping warm until they hatch. Nits look a bit like dandruff, but aren't removed by brushing or shaking them off. Unless a child has many head lice, it's more common to see nits in the hair than live lice crawling on the scalp. Lice eggs hatch 1—2 weeks after they're laid. After hatching, the remaining shell looks white or clear and stays attached to the hair shaft.
This is when it's easiest to spot them, as the hair is growing longer and the egg shell is moving away from the scalp. Adult lice and nymphs baby lice. Adult lice are no bigger than a sesame seed and are grayish-white or tan.
Nymphs are smaller and become adult lice about 1—2 weeks after they hatch. This life cycle repeats itself about every 3 weeks. Most lice feed on blood several times a day, and they can survive up to 2 days off the scalp. With lice bites come itching and scratching. This is due to a reaction to the saliva spit of lice.
But the itching doesn't always start right away. It depends on how sensitive a child's skin is to the lice. It might take weeks for kids with lice to start scratching. They may complain, though, of things tickling or moving around on their heads. Small red bumps or sores from scratching. Some kids have mild irritation from scratching, while others may get a bothersome rash.
Scratching a lot can lead to a bacterial infection. Watch for swollen lymph nodes glands on the back or front of the neck, and red, tender skin that might have crusting and oozing. Doctors can treat a skin infection with an antibiotic. How Are Head Lice Treated? A louse can live up to a month if it can feed on blood several times a day.
If lice fall off the scalp, they will die within a day or two. The female louse can lay up to 8 nits per day. The eggs hatch in about a week 6 to 9 days. In another 7 days, they grow to be adults and can start laying eggs. Knowing the life cycle will help you to understand the treatment of lice. There are no over-the-counter or prescription treatments that totally kill both lice and nits. Nits cannot be washed out or brushed out of the hair. They must be picked or pulled out with a special nit comb or by hand.
Various natural remedies exist for treating lice but there is no scientific proof that they work. Head lice shampoo is an insecticide. It should be used with caution. Many lice medicines are not recommended for children under 2. Check the instructions for suggested age limits. If you are pregnant or have a weakened immune system, ask your health provider if it is safe to handle lice shampoo.
Read the label to be sure how long the medicine should be left on the hair and how it should be washed out. Many medicines are left on for 10 minutes. Do not use more or keep it on the head longer than what is recommended. Wash the hair with regular shampoo. Do not use a conditioner. It can keep the lice medicine from working. Rinse well with warm water and towel dry. Do not use the towel again until it has been laundered. Use a regular comb to get out any snarls.
This comb will need to be treated later see Environmental Control below. Wear gloves and apply lice medicine only to the scalp. Avoid getting the medicine on other parts of the body. If it gets in the eyes, flush the eyes with water right away. Stay with your child while the medicine is on the hair. Sometimes it will be easier to remove the nits if you wet the hair with white vinegar while you are combing the nits out.
Vinegar helps loosen the "glue" that holds the nits to the hair. Separate and comb small sections of hair at a time. Use a nit comb to remove the nits. Metal ones work best. Combing can take more than an hour, depending on hair length and the number of nits. You may have to pick out the nits with gloved hands if other methods do not work. Place nits and lice in toilet and flush or place in a small plastic bag. Seal the bag and throw it away. If lice are still active and no dead lice are found, call your health care provider.
These lice may be resistant to the medicine. Do not use more than one head lice medicine at a time without asking your doctor. Do not rewash hair for 1 to 2 days after the lice treatment. It may reduce the effectiveness of the lice medicine. Continue to check hair and use the nit comb to remove nits and lice every 2 to 3 days for 2 to 3 weeks. This process should be done for as long as nits and lice are still found on the head.
Many lice medicines recommend a second treatment in 9 to 10 days.
0コメント