Facts of Lice
Signs & Symptoms
1. Itching… Sometimes. Although itching is the most obvious sign of lice; NOT everyone actually itches! Some people who have lice may not itch at all. During the life cycle of a louse; nymphs (baby bugs that hatch from the nit/egg) and adult lice deposit their feces on the scalp. Some people are allergic to the feces being scratched into their lice bites if they have open sores. (While head lice do not spread blood born pathogens, infection or disease, the scratching of the feces into the lice bites and open sores, can at times cause an infection).
More commonly, people are allergic to the saliva from the lice bites.This can cause itching… however, not everyone is allergic to the lice bites! When the louse feeds on the scalp it injects an anticoagulant to prevent the blood it is feeding on from dotting.The itching symptom is caused by the allergic reaction to this anticoagulant contained in the saliva of head lice when they bite our scalp to feed on our blood. Not everyone is allergic to the lice saliva to the same degree. That is why some people will not have any itching symptoms at all. So that means not everyone will itch when infested with human head lice.
We always remind clients to do their weekly maintenance checks which we teach at their follow-up appointment.
2. Rash on back of neck or behind ears.
3. Scabs on scalp.
4. Swollen lymph nodes.
5. And sometimes… there is NO sign at ALL!!!
Lice Prevention
Do not share combs or brushes
Do not share hats, helmets, hair bows, hair ties
Air hug for no bugs
No Whispering in ears – your heads touch when you do that!
Take your own pillow to a sleepover
Use Lice Ladies Defend Shampoo & Conditioner
Use Lice Ladies Prevent everyday, alternatively use essential oils in your hair products to aid in prevention. We like peppermint simply because it is not as harsh and drying as other essential oils. These oils are not full proof, but they do help, since lice do not like the scent of essential oils.
Keep hair up in braids, pony tails or messy buns whenever possible
Do your weekly 5- minute maintenance checks!
Kids can get lice anywhere – hugging friends at school, playing with neighborhood friends, Disney World, youth group, taking selfies with heads touching, whispering to each other, etc… People also do not understand that head lice are increasingly resistant to pesticides, and if ALL of the nits (eggs) are not physically removed, they will continue to hatch into baby bugs. The labels on the pesticide shampoos have false claims that they kill lice and nits, this is NO longer true. There have been “Super Lice Bugs” for several years now. This news is NOT new!
We tell parents that kids need to try to do their own part by not touching heads – that is the only way to be sure you do not get lice. Of course, with young children, they are not physiologically developed enough yet to have a sense of personal space. Therefore, parents need to be doing a weekly check. We teach our clients to do a once-a- week maintenance check with a good lice comb that takes 5 minutes per child.
Lifecycle
Pictures
