One health concern among children especially is head lice. Lice are tiny, wingless insects that infect the scalp of a person and are transferable or spread through contact of another infected person. These creatures feed on tiny amounts of blood extracted through the scalp. Their bites can become inflamed and thus one of the most common symptoms of an infection is itching of the scalp. Lice are visible to the naked eye and can be diagnosed with a simple head exam. Eggs, also called nits, are laid close to the hair shaft and hatch one to two weeks after being laid. Actual lice are brown or tan in color and are no larger than sesame seed. It is more often to see nits than actual live creatures crawling on the head unless the infestation is heavy. These creatures are highly contagious and difficult to get rid of because of the close proximity of nits to the hair shaft. Being a health concern, it is important to start treatment as soon as possible to avoid a worsening of the infestation. Treatment includes a few steps; the first step being to wash to scalp with a medication shampoo or lotion containing at least a 1 percent solution of permethrin. After washing the hair, a lice comb should be run thoroughly through the hair to remove the dead creatures and eggs still attached to the hair shaft. All clothes, bed sheets and other soft permeable fabric should be washed in hot water they can live outside the scalp for up to two days. Treatment should be repeated in a week to ensure the creatures are completely removed.
 |
 |
|
Read our disclaimer here |
We ship US domestic, US military and international orders. |