HEAD LICE

 

There is a misconception about head lice, that they are somehow related to social circumstances or cleanliness. Head lice do not discriminate. They can infest anyone at any time regardless of social status or standards of hygiene.

 

HISTORY OF HEAD LICE

Head lice are small wingless parasitic insects that live in human hair, close to the scalp, and frequently spread among children. They are always a part of the community and will never be eradicated. The best that can be done is control them.

 

The louse is 2 – 3 mm long, a white to greyish colour and feed off blood from the scalp 8 to 9 times a day. Head lice live only on human beings not animals.

 

The female louse lays 150 to 300 eggs(nits) in its 21 day lifespan. The eggs are yellow-white in colour and are fixed with a natural glue to the hair shaft right next to the scalp.

 

Eggs are most frequently found on the hairline behind the ears or close to the forehead, congregated in places of contained heat, which is required for the eggs to hatch. Eggs take about 7 to 10 days to hatch.

 

 

HOW HEADLICE ARE TRANSMITTED

Head lice cannot jump  or fly, they are transmitted by hair contact: that is, when two heads come close enough together for the insects to crawl off one hair shaft onto another.

 

Eggs and head lice will not survive for long without the right temperature, humidity and food source. They will perish if they become detached from the hair shaft and lose regular access to food. They cannot live more than 1 – 2 days away from the head.

 

Brushes, hats and bedding may pose relatively minor risks of transmission.

 

 

FINDING HEAD LICE

A bright lamp or sunlight is important when looking for head lice. Behind the ears and along the hairline are particularly important to examine.

 

Lice deposit their eggs on the hair shaft 3 to 4 mm from the scalp. Hair grows at about 10mm per month. The length of infestation can be calculated by the position of eggs along the hair shaft. Any eggs found 10 to 15 mm along the hair shafts would be more than a month old and usually hatched or dead.

 

Thus, after treatment eggs found anywhere in the hair do not mean the child is still infested, more that all is required is the child’s hair be combed with a metal comb to remove dead eggs.

 

MANAGING HEADLICE

 

Prevention:

Managing head lice starts with awareness and prevention. It is important to:

-          tie long hair back

-          encourage children not to share hats, combs or brushes

-          check children’s hair WEEKLY (make it part of the weekly routine), looking behind the ears, around the crown, and under the fringes

-          brush hair thoroughly at least twice a day, brushing in all directions and ensuring that the brush reaches the scalp.

 

Treatment:

If eggs or lice are found:

-          the child should be excluded from school under the day after treatment begins

-          treat hair with a recommended insecticide without delay

-          treat other family members only if lice are found

-          follow the treatment instructions very carefully

-          pin long hair up in layers, as if putting in rollers, and apply the treatment layer by layer, saturating the scalp area. Apply from the back of the hair working towards the front.

-          do not use a hairdryer as the heat may impede the insecticide

-          after leaving the treatment on for the recommended time, comb out layer by layer, starting right at the scalp with each stroke, using a fine-tooth metal comb

-          where necessary pull remaining eggs out with your fingernails

-          check treated hair every day for 21 days, removing any eggs found with the comb

 

The eggs are fixed to the hair shaft with a natural glue produced by the louse and can be difficult to remove. It may be necessary to use fingernails to pull eggs off. A dab of vinegar applied to stubborn eggs can dissolve the glue. Dipping the comb in vinegar may also make it easier to remove the eggs, or applying a 1:1 aqueous solution of vinegar .

 

 

TYPES OF TREATMENT

Most products on the market contain insecticides in the form of malathion, permethrin or pyrethrin. There are also alternative products available containing natural pesticides. These products show varying degrees of effectiveness.

 

CHEMICAL TREATMENTS

 

Malathion (HL7)

-          effective against lice and eggs (nits)

-          apply sufficient lotion  so the hair is moist ( if not enough lotion is applied treatment can fail. The amount to be applied varies according to the length and thickness of the hair)

-          allow the hair to dry naturally (heat degrades Malathion)

-          repeat treatment generally not required

-          treatment left in the hair for 10 minutes and then washed out.

 

Pyrethrum (Lyban, Banlice)

-          naturally occurring

-          effective against lice, less so against eggs

-          a repeat treatment in 7 days is highly recommended

Pyrethroids – synthetic pyrethrins – (Nix)

-          effective against lice and eggs

-          repeat treatment generally not required

-          cosmetically appealing (doesn’t smell)

 

MECHANICAL TREATMENT

Robi Comb

-          electronic lice comb that detects and kills lice

-          How to use: put comb through hair. The comb makes a continual buzzing sound until lice are trapped in the comb’s tooth section and then buzzing stops.

-          The teeth electrically kill the lice while being harmless to the user

-          Clean the teeth of the comb and the buzzing will return. Continue treating the rest of the hair.

-          Do not use on wet hair.

 

REASONS FOR TREATMENT FAILURE

-          inadequate treatment, generally because the insecticide has not been adequately used

-          the person has been reinfested (often by another family member)

-          less commonly there may be resistance to a particular insecticide

 

IN CASE OF TREATMENT FAILURE

-          try a different insecticide with a different active ingredient.

-          if the second preparation fails, the only way to control your child’s head lice is to brush and groom the hair daily, removing eggs manually as they are found.

-          these treatments are not ordinary shampoos; they contain insecticides and while they are safe for occasional use, children should not be continually exposed to them.

 

 

CONCLUSION

The single most effective means of controlling head lice is for children’s hair to be brushed twice a day, checked once a week and treated if lice are found. Regular inspection and manual removal of eggs from the hair is tedious, but is as important as chemical treatment.

 

 

SOLUTION KIT

·         HL7

Chemical treatment, to be used as directed.

·         Tea tree shampoo and conditioner

Use as normal shampoo and conditioner instead of your current shampoo or conditioner. Lice do not like the smell of tea tree and thus can aid in prevention of reinfestation (use once weekly as prevention). 

 

Tea tree shampoo and conditioner is an effective cleanser to the hair and scalp and removes unwanted build up from hair left by other shampoos. It contains natural conditioning agents which repair and protect the hair, leaving it softer, cleaner, shinier and more manageable.

           

            Tea tree also improves the efficacy of conventional treatments.

·         Metal fine toothed comb

Very important to manually remove eggs. Is as important as chemical treatment.

 

 

 

 

 

HEADLICE

 

Our recommended products:

 

1.     Ego Moov Headlice Treatment

2.     Ego Moov Combing Solution

3.     Ego Moov Foaming Gel

 

Benefits of each product:

 

Moov Treatment

·        Completely natural treatment which kills both lice and eggs

·        Pleasant fragrance and is low irritant so suitable for younger children and those with sensitive scalps

·        Clinically tested

Moov Combing Solution

·        Makes lice and egg removal easy

·        Detangles hair

·        Comb has rounded teeth to help slide easily through the hair

·        Comb has stainless steel teeth so they do not bend

Moov Foaming Gel

·        Helps control headlice and eggs

·        Pleasant fragrance and is low irritant

·        Clinically tested

 

How to use each product:

 

Moov Treatment

·        Use treatment on days 1,7 and 14

·        Use on dry hair

·        Apply to hair behind the ears and back of neck first.  Apply enough so that the hair is wet

·        Massage into scalp and hair

·        Cover all hair, including the ears with the cap

·        Leave for 10 mins

·        Remove cap and then shampoo and condition as normal

·        Wash cap for re-use

Moov Combing Solution

·        Apply generous amt to the hair

·        Massage into the scalp particularly near the scalp

·        Divide hair into segments, starting at scalp and comb through hair

·        Continue until you have combed through all sections of the hair

·        Rinse thoroughly with warm water

Moov Foaming Gel

·        Use the gel in between the actual treatment days

·        Apply to the hair starting at the back of the neck and behind the ears.  Apply enough product so that the hair is wet

·        Massage into scalp and hair

·        Cover with cap and leave for 10 mins

·        Remove cap and then condition as normal

·        Rinse cap for re-use.

 

 

EXAMPLE OF 7 DAY TREATMENT PROGRAM

 

Day 1                             Day 3                             Day 5                             Day 7

Treatment             Foaming               Foaming               Treatment

Combing              Gel                       Gel                       Combing

Solution                                                                         Solution