Despite being very common at school age, it is possible to prevent head lice with simple care. Hard to get through the first years of the school unharmed by lice. What mother or father hasn’t had their hair standing on end in the face of an infestation at their child’s school? And the hype is no wonder; if a single child is affected, an entire class can suffer an infestation.
And why are lice more common on the heads of little ones? The explanation is simple: the propagation takes place through direct contact, being the agglomeration in schools and daycare centers the favorable situation for these parasites to proliferate.
On the scalp, these small insects feed on blood and lay their eggs, the so-called nits, those tiny white dots that stick to the strands of hair. In a maximum of 10 days, these eggs hatch, starting the infestation, which presents the first signs of intense itching. The dermatosis caused by lice is called pediculosis, and there are three types: the pediculosis of the scalp, the body, and the pediculosis pubis (“boring”). The latter can be acquired through sex.
As head lice are not easy to treat, as they multiply quickly, preventing an infestation can prevent many problems. Let’s list some simple measures below or visit a doctor like lice doctors San Diego for example to treat you:
How To Prevent Head Lice And Avoid Infestation
- Frequently examine the heads of children;
- Do not share items that touch your head, such as combs, towels, hairpins, hats, helmets, and headphones;
- Change bedding routinely;
- It is recommended that children wear their hair up to school; do not store garments or pillows, blankets that may be infested with lice in closets;
- For 10 minutes, soak hairbrushes or other utensils in hot water. (Lice that do not feed on blood die in less than 48 hours.)
How To Treat Lice
scalp lice
Lice settle at the base of the hair, where they feed on blood
- Clothes and personal cloth utensils used in the last 48 hours must be washed with water at a temperature above 50 degrees Celsius and dried in a clothes dryer at the highest temperatures;
- Comb wet hair with a fine-tooth comb to remove the nits;
- Oral medication, only if guided by a doctor;
- Treatment of family members is essential. It is rarely necessary to cut the hair of affected people.
It is still recommended that you continue to examine children’s heads for two to three weeks after the end of treatment to make sure that the problem has been brought under control.
