Head Lice Are No Reason for Shame

Don't panic if your child has head lice. They are common and are more of a nuisance than a health risk.

Head lice, also called Pediculus humanus, are parasites found on the heads of people. There are 3 forms of lice: the nit (head lice eggs found on hair shafts); the nymph (a baby louse that matures to an adult stage in about 7 days); and an adult louse (about the size of a sesame seed, tan to grey in color, they can live up to 30 days on a person's head). Nymph and adult head lice must feed on blood to live.

Hygiene has nothing to do with the spread of head lice. The lice spread by contact with contaminated clothing, combs, or other personal belongings, and by lying on a bed, couch, pillow, carpet, or stuffed animal that has recently been in contact with an infested person. The Centers for Disease Control says that preschool and elementary-age children, 3-10, and their families are infested most often. Girls get head lice more often than boys, women more than men. In the United States, African-Americans rarely get head lice.

If you suspect a problem, look for live lice on the scalp behind the ears and near the neckline at the back of the neck.  They live in the hair and suck blood from the scalp. Louse eggs (nits) are tiny and pearl colored and cling to the hair. The nits look like dandruff, but unlike dandruff, they cannot be easily brushed off the hair. The nits hatch in eight to 10 days.

People often mistake other insects for lice and dirt and debris for nits. Dead and hatched nits can hang on to hair for months, but live eggs are rare if they're more than half an inch from the scalp.

How can you deal with lice?

Richard J. Pollack, Ph.D., of the Harvard School of Public Health, and Mary Shepherd, a medical information specialist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, offer these tips:

• Buy a thin-toothed metal louse comb at a pharmacy. Clean and brush hair to clear tangles. Use an over-the-counter product to make removing nits easier. Comb the hair each day until you haven't found live lice for two weeks.

• Wash hair accessories each day to get rid of lice and nits. Wash and dry pillowcases, sheets, nightclothes, towels and stuffed animals to head off a new infestation. Use hot, soapy water.

• Check all family members' hair every two to three days for three weeks. Combing usually removes nits more effectively than shampoos. If combing doesn't work, however, over-the-counter remedies may help.

• Use a treatment that has permethrin or pyrethrins. Read and follow the product's directions carefully.

• You often need a second treatment in 10 days. If live lice persist 10 days after a second treatment, see a doctor.

• To kill lice and nits, machine wash all washable clothing and bed linens that the infested person touched during the 2 days before treatment. Use the hot water (130o F) cycle. Dry laundry using high heat for at least 20 minutes.

• Store all clothing, stuffed animals, comforters, etc., that cannot be washed or dry cleaned into a plastic bag; seal for 2 weeks.

• Vacuum the floor and furniture. Do not use fumigant sprays; they can be toxic if inhaled or absorbed through the skin.