Head lice infect each year approximately 12 million people around the world. Most people think children can only get head lice. However, any person can have head lice.
What Are Head Lice?
Head lice are tiny insects, their nits/eggs are the size of a sesame seed. They live on human heads, and they cause your scalp to itch. Other symptoms of head lice include a tingling scalp and red bumps on your scalp and neck.
How Are Head Lice Spread?
By far the most common way lice can be spread is when people hug and their heads touch. Another less common method of transmission is by coming into contact with hats, helmets, combs, and brushes that were used by a person with head lice.
Head Lice Removal
Head lice infestation is a highly treatable condition. This is good news for people who suffer from the condition. In fact, there are several lice removal actions you can take to get rid of head lice.
1. Hire a professional who knows how to get rid of head lice. Some lice removal service uses safe and effective head lice removal treatments to eradicate head lice. This is by far the most effective lice removal treatment.
2. Apply a generous amount of olive oil to your hair. Olive oil covers head lice and prevents them from breathing. In order for this treatment to be effective, you must keep olive oil on your hair under a shower cap for hours. Head lice are resilient, and it takes time for them to die after they stop breathing.
3. In addition to either of these methods, clean, or avoid for a short time, those items that have come in contact with the head lice. Head lice can only survive up to 48 hours without being on your head. If you or a loved one gets head lice, select one of these lice removal methods to effectively get rid of head lice.
4. In order for any method to be completely effective in removing head lice, it must be combined with vigilant combing with a quality head lice comb.
Methods which are common, but not recommended because of their toxicity and/or ineffectiveness are:
1. Using an over-the-counter product that contains pyrethrins. Pyrethrins seek destroy the nervous systems of head lice, pyrethrins is an active ingredient found in common head lice removal treatments. Head lice continue to become readily resistant to pyrethrins and toxic, therefore, this method is absolutely not recommended.
2. Getting a prescription for benzyl alcohol lotion. Your doctor can prescribe this medicine for you. It will get rid of live head lice in two applications. When you use this lotion, the head lice removal technique takes about two weeks to get rid of the lice. This method is effective for people over the ages of 6 months, but is even more toxic than using pyrethrins.
3. Apply heat to your hair. An effective natural head lice removal treatment is to use the heat from your hair dryer to kill the lice. This method can be risky because of amount of heat needed and length of time can cause burning.