Head lice are more than just irritating. They are insect parasites that live on human blood. When they nest in human hair and on the scalp, they cause itching and burning that could lead to infection. Before finding head lice treatments and waging war on these little creatures, it is helpful to separate fact from myth.
Fact: Head Lice Are Easily Transmitted
Lice move easily from one body to another, through human contact or through contact with common items. This is why the condition is so common in elementary schools, where children play closely together, sometimes touching heads when reading books together, sharing secrets, and so on. A single case of lice in a classroom can spread like wild fire. Children do not even have to touch one another to contract these parasites; they can try on a hat or rest their head on a cushion that has recently been used by someone who is infected.
Myth: Contracting Lice Is A Sign Of Poor Hygiene
These little parasites are not picky; they will land and settle in wherever they can find the opportunity. Even if your home is spotless and your children are impeccably groomed, you and your family are as susceptible to infection as anyone else. It is a matter of exposure to the organisms, not your cleanliness. In fact, because they thrive on human blood and not on dry skin cells or other body debris, they are not any more or less attracted to an ungroomed body than a groomed one.
Fact: Lice Can Be Treated
There are several head lice treatments available over the counter; some are new and some have been around for years, while others are relatively new. Chemical pesticide treatments have become popular over the years as the go-to treatments for infestation. They are used as a shampoo wash and come with a “nit comb” that removes any eggs left behind. Home remedies like mayonnaise and petroleum jelly have been used in the past to varying degrees of success. There are also enzyme based home lice treatments that are fairly new on the market.
Myth: In Order To Be Effective, Head Lice Treatments Must Be Harsh
Chemical head lice treatments are, in fact, pesticides. They are harsh; they can cause irritation and they are hard on your hair. Because they have no effect on the eggs, or nits, you must use these treatments repeatedly until there is no longer any sign of parasites. While these treatments have historically been more effective than home remedies, they are not the best answer. There are natural products that have been developed recently to eradicate head lice and have far fewer negative effects than their synthetic counterparts.
Fact: Lice Are Evolving
Antibiotics that are effective fighting a given infection today may not work a couple of years from now. This is because the bacteria they were developed to kill evolve so that those antibiotics are no longer harmful to them. Head lice have done the same thing over the years. Head lice treatments that once worked are no longer effective because today’s lice are not the same lice that the treatments were originally developed to treat. New treatments must be used to fight today’s parasites.
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