Head Lice fact and information sheets

Head Lice Page 1

About Head Lice:
Head Lice are a nuisance, but are not a health hazard. It has nothing to do with hair cleanliness, in fact
Lice love clean hair. Lice are transferred from head to head contact, but can be transferred through
sharing combs, brushes, hats etc
The BUG is looking for blood and warmth. When they have just fed, they become of darker color. Adult
Lice are small and can change color to match your hair color, making it sometimes difficult to locate
them. They will attach themselves 1 inch from the scalp to feed.
Head Lice have no wings, therefore they cannot fly however they do crawl and move quickly. They can
quickly fall from the hair follicle. You will find them behind the ears or at the back of the neck, but during
an infestation, you will not have to look too far to find them.


How to destroy or reduce Head Lice:
Nits (eggs) are much smaller than the adult Lice. They will firmly attach to the hair follicle and cannot be
shaken off unlike dandruffs. Head Lice are very gluey. Brushing alone will not work to get rid of them.
Even a special Lice comb might not work 100%. The most effective way to get rid of head Lice is to use
your thumbnail and index finger and squeeze the nits (eggs) from the top of the scalp right down to the
bottom of the hair follicle, followed by placing them into a plastic sandwich bag.
Adult male Lice can live only up to approximately 10 days, but a female adult Lice can produce from 50
to nits (eggs) within those 10 days. Female head Lice have a life span of 25 days, in those 25 days 15 of
them she will be hatching 8-10 nits (eggs) a day. It takes 10 days for newborn Lice to become an adult. It
only takes 16 days for a nit (egg) to become an adult female Louse and start laying nits (eggs).A head
Lice will live up to a maximum of 30 days on a humans head.
Terminology:
A Louse is the term used to describe an adult Lice, A full grown louse is the size of a sesame seed and
tan-grayish white in color.
A nit is the term used to describe an egg, the eggs are gluey and are oval shaped with white-yellowing
color




Head Lice fact and information sheets

Head Lice Page 2

What to look for:
The first sign of head Lice is usually a itching sensation and scratching of the scalp. Take Caution, some
kids may not experience the itching sensation or any symptoms at all. Other common signs can be
scratch marks on the lower neck and scalp and what looks like a rash.




Head Lice products:
Head Lice products do not prevent Lice. The home remedies have not been tested professionally.
Example: oil and vinegar treatment, pure tea tree oil treatments. We cannot prove its effectiveness that
they kill Lice.
Lice products sold on the market should not be used on children younger than the age of 6 years, if it is
required please verify with your childs physician if it is safe to use.
None of the products on sell on the market will kill 100% of the nits (eggs), this is why it is recommended
to use a second treatment 7 to 10 days later. Parents are still advised to remove the nits (eggs) with your
thumbnail and index finger. Cutting the childs hair will not solve the problem, as the adult Lice are 1
inch from the scalp. The closer to the scalp they are, more the chance that the nits (eggs) are alive. If
they are more than 1 inch from the scalp, it is probably an old nit (egg) since it takes more than 10 days
for the hair to grow up to 1 inch. Take caution that products that are sold on the market are very strong,
if they are used more than 5 times a year, this is considered to be too much.
It is very important to advice parents that ALL linen, bedding, pillows, blankets, clothing etc that the
child might have been in contact with to have it washed and dried in hot cycles. Teddy bears and
stuffed animals should be placed in plastic bags and tied up for at least a minimum of 10 days.
R & C is a product to spray on furniture do not use on hair. It is proven to be dangerous causing hair loss
etc. if used inappropriately





Head Lice fact and information sheets

Head Lice Page 3

Head lice, or the condition known as pediculosis, arent a reportable disease under the Health
Promotion and Protection Act. In fact, it's more appropriately defined as a social nuisance, not a health
problem. Therefore, coordinated efforts between parents, teachers, schools, and the community are
necessary to control outbreaks of head lice.
The aim is to control an infestation by prevention, early detection, prompt management, and effective
education of teachers, parents, and volunteers.
Although this problem may not be eliminated entirely, it can be handled effectively to minimize the
effect in the school community

Information that might be help:
http://www.eohu.ca/_files/resources/resource185.pdf
http://www.eohu.ca/_files/resources/resource183.pdf
http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice
http://www.cps.ca/en/documents/position/head-lice
http://www.headlice.org.
www.healthunit.org/school/headlice.html
http://lancaster.unl.edu/pest/lice/


Articles:
Comparative trial of treatment..
Human Lice