Head lice are tiny, wingless parasitic insects that live in your hair and survive by extracting blood from your scalp. They most commonly appear in young school-aged children and their families. Although they do not spread disease, head lice are highly contagious, and eliminating them requires proper use of medications and thorough cleaning procedures in your home.
Symptoms
Head lice most typically appear in children between the ages of 3 and 12, with girls experiencing outbreaks more frequently than boys, according to the Nemours Foundation. If your child has lice, irritation from their presence may trigger itching and subsequent scratching. Additional signs of infestation may include the presence of red bumps or soreness caused by scratching. If your child is particularly sensitive to lice bites, she may develop signs of a more serious skin rash, and repeated scratching may trigger a bacterial infection.
Detecting Lice
You can also detect lice through direct observation of live babies or adults, or lice eggs on your child's scalp, the Nemours Foundation reports. Typically, lice lay their eggs---also called nits---near your child's skin at the base of hair shafts. Before hatching, nits look like brown, tan or yellow dots similar in size to flakes of dandruff; when they hatch, they leave behind a telltale clear or white shell. It takes baby lice roughly one to two weeks to reach an adult size roughly equal to that of a sesame seed. Adult lice may appear gray, whitish or tan in color. In most cases, you will see more nits in your child's hair than live adults.
Medications
If you use medications to treat lice, nonprescription shampoos that contain permethrin or pyrethrin are common options, according to the Mayo Clinic. To gain the best possible results, you will need to follow the instructions included with these products as closely as possible. In some parts of the U.S., lice have become resistant to the effects of pyrethrin and permethrin. If this is the case in your area, your child's doctor may recommend prescription lotions or medications that rely on other active ingredients. Options here include benzyl alcohol lotion, malathion and lotions, shampoos or creams that contain lindane.
Non-Medicated Treatment
You should not use lice medications on children under the age of two, the Nemours Foundation explains. To eliminate lice in these circumstances, you will need to remove nits with a fine-tooth comb while your child's hair is wet and conditioned. You will need to comb through your child's hair every three or four days after a lice outbreak begins, and you must continue treatment for two weeks after you last observe live lice. Be aware that folk remedies for lice elimination such as mayonnaise and petroleum jelly are not effective.
Additional Steps
To thoroughly eliminate lice from your home, you will need to take several additional steps, the Mayo Clinic notes. First, clean bedding, clothing and other washable items in hot, soapy water and dry them at high temperatures. Seal any unwashable items in airtight bags for several days. Also make sure to thoroughly vacuum your furniture and floors.
