How To Identify A Head Lice Infestation

By Author: M. Gordon
Total Articles: 2
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Head lice are human parasites that live on the scalp and bite every few hours to feed. They are transparent in color, but right after they feed, they are a darker brown or gray color due to the blood they intake.

If you are on vacation at the beach and your children keep scratching their heads, it may just be from sand and sea–but beware–it could be head lice! If your oldest has just returned from a sleepover and you notice a rash behind her ear or at the back of her neck, maybe she’s sensitive to heat or a particular shampoo. Or maybe it’s time to find some all natural head lice shampoo.

Head lice are human parasites that live on the scalp and bite every few hours to feed. They are transparent in color, but right after they feed, they are a darker brown or gray color due to the blood they intake. Head lice have six legs, they are wingless and they are about the size of a small ant. The babies, or nymphs, are smaller of course, while a mature louse is quite visible to the naked eye––if you can catch a glimpse of it. Lice tend to scatter quickly when the hair is disturbed and they feel ...
... they are being hunted.

Speaking of those mature lice, the females lay eggs (nits) in the hair. These nits are attached with a glue-like substance to the side of the hair shafts and are not easily dislodged. They are a lighter color in lighter hair, and a darker color in darker hair, and are about the size and shape of a small sesame seed. Eggs are most often found in close proximity to the scalp.

To check for head lice, find a spot with great light. Sunlight is the best, but a bright spotlight will serve the purpose. Magnifying glasses are recommended.

There are several ways to detect lice and eggs:

The Head Shake. Shake head and hair vigorously over a white sheet (outside) to see if any bugs drop out. This method will not release any nits from the hair.

The Dry Check. Divide long hair into four sections with clips or by making ponytails. With a fine-toothed comb, look through one section at a time, fanning through small amounts of hair beginning very near the scalp. A nit will be attached to a hair shaft like a leaf to a stem. Unlike dandruff, nits will not flick off or out of the hair.

For short hair, rest your child’s head on his or her arms on top of a table. Slowly backcomb the hair from the nape forward, allowing the hair to fan as you go. Do this on both sides of the head in the back and then on each side, from the back of the ear to the center. Check both sides of the top of the head by backcombing from the front to the crown. You’ll want to follow the hairline all the way around the head.

The Wet Check. Wet hair, apply a conditioning head lice product and comb out any tangles. Divide hair into quadrants and comb through small sections of hair with a metal nit comb. Begin on the scalp and pull the comb all the way down and off the hair shafts. This is the only way nits can be removed from the hair. Wipe the comb on a white paper towel to see if nits or bugs have been harvested. Repeat throughout the hair, paying special attention to the nape and the area behind the ears.

If you discover head lice in your family, proceed with lice treatment using an all natural head lice shampoo. There are several good head lice products available. When it comes to lice treatment, it is important to use an effective lice shampoo and other head lice products on everyone who has come in contact with the infested child. Enzyme-based lice shampoo is the most effective head lice product. Lice cannot become resistant to these enzymes that make the bugs molt prematurely and kill them on contact.

Head lice are everywhere these days. Anywhere kids connect, lice can spread. They don’t jump or fly, but they can crawl quickly from head to head, which is the way 99% of head lice are shared. It is estimated that 6 to 12 million people are affected with head lice each year; children, ages 4 to 11, are the most likely recipients.
Resource: http://www.happyheadsproducts.com