Although lice appear on other areas of the body, head lice are especially common among children, particularly those ages three to 12, according to KidsHealth.org. If you do not remove lice when they are in the egg or baby stage, they can grow to become relatively huge, which is about the size of a sesame seed.
Significance
Head lice are extremely small, wingless insects that feed on blood from the scalp after they attach to human hairs. Baby lice, which are called nymphs, emerge from eggs called nits, which are roughly the size of dandruff, according to KidsHealth.org. Nymphs require about seven to 14 days to reach much larger adult size. Children are susceptible to developing head lice due to the amount of time they spend in close contact with other children such as in school or daycare.
Causes
Head lice are highly contagious, but they do not indicate a lack of proper hygiene, according to MayoClinic.com. Pets cannot transmit lice, either, and lice also do not spread by jumping or flying from person to person. Instead, they infect the heads of children through contact with another person who has lice, home furnishings infested with lice, and personal items carrying lice. Human-to-human contact involves a child's head touching the head of an infected person such as while playing. Examples of contaminated home furnishings that can lead to head lice include pillows and towels, and contaminated personal items can include barrettes, brushes, combs, hats and headphones.
Treating Younger Children
Treatments to get rid of huge head lice depend on the age of the child involved. MayoClinic.com recommends wetting the hair of children younger than two and combing through it with a fine-toothed comb or a comb specially designed to remove nits. Such combs are often able to remove lice attached to wet hair, but you may have to repeat the treatment every three or so days for up to two weeks. Moreover, KidsHealth.org warns that when a child with head lice is two years old or younger, you should never use a medicated treatment; always remove the insects by comb or by hand.
Treating Older Children
Children older than two usually require medicated treatments, such as non-prescription shampoos with permethrin or pyrethrin. MayoClinic.com suggests trying products available in stores first and following the directions carefully. If the lice are resistant to store-bought treatments, a doctor can write a prescription for products that contain medications like benzyl alcohol, lindane or malathion. Again, following directions carefully is essential for successfully removing huge head lice, nymphs and nits.
Prevention
Children and parents can take certain precautions to help prevent both huge and smaller head lice. For example, children should avoid touching the heads of other children with their own heads, and should not share personal items that come in contact with the head such as bandanas, helmets and ribbons. Children should also refrain from placing their heads on items that a person with lice recently used, such as bedding and carpets. Parents can help, as well, by examining family members who have had contact with a person infected by lice every few days in order to begin treatment immediately if lice or lice eggs appear.
