The head louse is a tiny, wingless parasitic insect that lives in human hairs and eats small amounts of blood drawn from the scalp. Lice (the plural of louse) are a very typical issue, particularly for kids. They're contagious, annoying, and often difficult to get rid of.
While they're annoying to deal with, lice aren't dangerous. They do not spread disease, although their bites can make a kid's scalp itchy and inflamed, and scratching can result in infection.
It's best to deal with head lice rapidly once they're discovered since they can spread quickly from person to person.
Signs of Head Lice
Although they're very little, lice can be seen by the naked eye. Here are things to search for:
Lice eggs (called nits). These appear like small yellow, tan, or brown dots prior to they hatch. Lice lay nits on hair shafts close to the scalp, where the temperature is best for keeping warm up until they hatch. Nits look sort of like dandruff, only they can't be gotten rid of by brushing or shaking them off.
Unless the problem is heavy, it's more common to see nits in a child's hair than it is to see live lice crawling on the scalp. Lice eggs hatch within 1 to 2 weeks after they're laid. After hatching, the remaining shell looks white or clear and stays strongly connected to the hair shaft. This is when it's easiest to identify them, as the hair is growing longer and the egg shell is moving far from the scalp.
Adult lice and nymphs (infant lice). If head lice is not dealt with, this procedure repeats itself about every 3 weeks.
With lice bites come itching and scratching. The itching might not constantly start right away-- that depends on how sensitive a child's skin is to the lice. It can sometimes take weeks for kids with lice to begin scratching.
Small red bumps or sores from scratching. For some kids, the irritation is moderate; for others, a more annoying rash may develop. Excessive scratching can cause a bacterial infection (this can cause swollen lymph glands and red, tender skin that may have crusting and oozing). If your medical professional believes this is the case, she or he may deal with the infection with an oral antibiotic.
You may have the ability to see the lice or nits by parting your child's hair into little sections and checking for lice and nits with a fine-tooth comb on the scalp, behind the ears, and around the neck of the neck (it's rare for them to be discovered on eyelashes or eyebrows).
A magnifying glass and brilliant light might assist. It can be tough to discover a nymph or adult louse-- often, there aren't numerous of them and they move quick.
See your doctor if your kid is constantly scratching his/her head or complains of a scratchy scalp that won't go away. The physician should have the ability to tell you if your kid is infested with lice and requires to be dealt with. Not all kids have the classic signs of head lice and some can be symptom-free.
Likewise be sure to talk to your kid's school nurse or childcare center director to see if other kids have actually just recently been treated for lice. If you find that your child does, certainly, have lice or nits, call the staff at the school and child care center to let them understand. Find out what their return policy is. A lot of generally allow kids to return after one topical treatment has actually been finished.
Are Lice Contagious?
Lice are highly contagious and can spread rapidly from person to person, specifically in group settings (like schools, childcare centers, slumber parties, sports activities, and camps).
Though they can't fly or jump, these small parasites have actually specifically adapted claws that let them crawl and cling securely to hair. They spread out mainly through head-to-head contact, however sharing clothes, bed linens, combs, brushes, and hats also can pass them along. Kids are most susceptible to capturing lice because they tend to have close physical contact with each other and share personal products.
And you may wonder if Fido or Fluffy might be capturing the pests and passing them on to your family. However felt confident that pets can't capture head lice and pass them on to individuals or the other way around.
Treatment
Your doctor can suggest a medicated hair shampoo, cream rinse, or lotion to kill the lice. These may be non-prescription (OTC) or prescription medications, depending on what treatments have already been attempted. Medicated lice treatments generally kill the lice, but it might take a couple of days for the itching to stop. For very resistant lice, an oral medication (medicine taken by mouth) might be recommended.
Make sure that the medicine is safe for your child's age. While non-prescription hair shampoos are safe for kids as young as 2 months, other medicines are only safe for kids 2 years and older. It's essential to follow the instructions precisely because these products are insecticides. Applying excessive medication-- or utilizing it too often-- can increase the risk of harm. Follow the instructions on the item label.
Treatment may be unsuccessful if the medication is not used properly or if the lice are resistant to it. After treatment, your medical professional might suggest combing out the nits with a fine-tooth comb and also might advise duplicating treatment in 7 to 10 days to kill any newly hatched nits.
Eliminating By Hand
If your kid is 2 months old or more youthful, you need to not use medicated lice treatments. You'll need to eliminate the nits and lice by hand.
To eliminate lice and nits by hand, utilize a fine-tooth comb on your kid's damp, conditioned hair every 3 to 4 days for 3 weeks after the last live louse was seen. Wetting the hair www.liceremovallosangelescare.com in advance is suggested since it momentarily debilitates the lice and the conditioner makes it easier to get a comb through the hair.
There's no need to buy electronic combs that declare to eliminate lice or make nits much easier to get rid of. No studies have been done to back up these claims. You also do not require to purchase unique vinegar options to apply to the scalp before picking nits. Great old-fashioned water works just great.
Wet combing is also an alternative to pesticide treatments in older kids. Petroleum jelly, mayo, or olive oil are often used in an attempt to suffocate head lice, these treatments may not work. If medicine doesn't work and you want to try these techniques, talk to your physician.
Ensure you get rid of nits thoroughly each week for a minimum of 3 weeks in a row, and see your kid carefully to see if any live lice return.
For more information, contact:
Lice Removal Los Angeles Care
777 S Alameda St #29
Los Angeles, CA 90021
310-935-1644