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About Aroma Health tm Canada
Hair Care Naturally -Head Lice Protection
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Head lice
Head lice affecting the scalp (Pediculosis capitis) is a very common problem, especially in school children. There are various treatments, but whatever approach is used they can be a persistent or recurring nuisance.
The main symptom, if noticed by the individual, is an itchy scalp.
The cause is a tiny insect which lives on the scalp, and feeds by sucking blood through the skin. The head louse grips on to the hair with its six tiny claws.
The female lays its eggs (nits) in sacs which are glued to a hair. These take seven to ten days to hatch. The lice then take seven to fourteen days to become mature and ready to reproduce. The total numbers of lice thus rise very quickly.
Head lice do not jump, fly, or swim. They spread by direct contact, "walking" from one hair or head to another. They happen in the best circles, and do not mean that you or your child are unclean or dirty, in fact some people say that head lice prefer clean headsAbout half of the children affected will notice itching of their scalps which draws attention to the problem. The lice themselves are small, about the length of a match head, and may be difficult to see, as their colour is often close to the hair colour.
Newly laid eggs are usually close to the scalp (about 1.5cm or about 0.5in) and as the hair grows this, and subsequently the empty sac, once it is hatched, will move further from the scalp.
When the egg is still in the sac it is small and rather dull in colour, and difficult to see. Once the egg has hatched, (7-10 days) the sac is white, and easier to see.
Head louse (Pediculus capitis) only affects humans, and cannot be passed on to, or caught from animals.
The best way to check on the presence of lice, if you are not sure, is to use the following lice detection regime: - Wash the hair as normal
- Apply conditioner liberally, including the full length of long hair.
- Lay out white tissues over which you will comb first, to get rid of any knots
- 4. Comb the hair through with a normal comb first, to get rid of any knots.
- With a fine tooth comb ("nit comb"), starting from the roots of the hairs, comb out along the complete length of the hair. After each stroke check the comb for lice and wipe it clean. Work systematically around the whole head of hair.
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