Health & Fitness

Head lice are unfortunately something that schools, especially grade schools, have to be concerned with on a continual basis. A single child with head lice can very quickly break into an epidemic. All it takes is the sharing of a brush or a nap carpet to allow these little insects to crawl over to a new host.

It is estimated that each year up to 10 percent of the returning student population at grade schools will start off the school year with a head full of lice. That 10 percent, if not treated effectively, can quickly escalate. Head lice mean school absences, and school absences mean lost funding. Schools are thus very interested in treating head lice outbreaks quickly and efficiently.

Many people dont know this, but head lice are actually a type of insect. They are parasites and much like mosquitoes and fleas, they survive by drinking blood. Contrary to popular belief, head lice dont come from animals or from poor hygiene, and they dont carry any diseases. They are pesky though, and once they set up shop on someones scalp, they can be very difficult to get rid of.

Nitpickers of the World Unite!
Nitpicking is the process whereby one literally picks the nits, or lice eggs, out of anothers hair. Its a tedious and time consuming ordeal, but in the end nitpicking is absolutely necessary. In order to ensure that the lice wont return, you have to make sure that every last nit is removed from the hosts hair.

Battling lice is a two-part affair. The first part of the lice battle entails killing the majority of the live lice. This is usually done by using a specially formulated shampoo that is poisonous to the lice. This step will generally take care of the majority of live lice and many of their nits. After youve shampooed most of the lice away, then you have to remove any remaining nits, or eggs. This is most effectively accomplished by using a head lice comb.

You have to be careful when choosing an anti-lice shampoo. Not all of them are safe or effective. Shampoos that contain the chemical lindane are particularly suspect. Some reports have shown that lindane use has been linked with neurological malfunction and potentially even death. Pyrethrin is another chemical that is commonly used to battle lice. Unfortunately, lice are becoming immune to pyrethrin and parents are having to use increased dosages in order to be effective.

There Are Non Toxic Ways to Treat Lice
There have been some pretty interesting new developments in the realm of anti-head lice shampoos. A few companies have developed shampoos that use non toxic herbal extracts instead of powerful, toxic chemicals. These new shampoos have proven to be both effective and safe.

After youve thoroughly shampooed the lice infected hair, then you get to start the nitpicking. This is where a good head lice comb comes in. These specially designed combs have teeth that are crafted to sift out lice eggs and remove them from hair. There are even some new electric models that vibrate to ensure that nits are removed both quickly and effectively.