Most people have become acquainted with lice during their lifetime. And if you have school-age children, you are almost guaranteed to come across leaflets from the kindergarten or the after-school-care about possible outbreaks of lice.
Often, having lice is considered a shame. The idea of having creeps is not the nicest thought either, but when it comes to lice, there is nothing to be ashamed of. For an infestation of lice has nothing to do with illness, lack of cleaning or poor hygiene. And lice also do not distinguish between freshly washed or greasy hair. For them, the scalp is simply the optimal living conditions.
Do I have lice? How to recognize head lice
To know if a treatment for lice is necessary at all, it can be an advantage to know what you are up against and what signs to look out for and whether it is an adult louse or a nymph.
The head lice go by the Latin name Pediculus capitis and are a parasite that feeds on the blood of humans. The lice are small, flat insects that have an elongated oval shape. The adult lice are between 2 and 3 millimeters long, while a newly hatched lice is only 0.5 – 1 millimeter long.
The lice can neither jump nor fly but move around the scalp by grasping its claws around the hair strands. The lice have mouthparts that are designed to bite and suck blood. The color of the lice varies from transparent grayish white to dark. The dark color occurs when the lice has sucked blood.
Treatments against lice
If you have lice, it can be treated with different types of lice repellent product that can be bought at the pharmacy, or with a tight comb – the so-called lice combs. Whatever form of lice treatment you choose, a close-up review should be part of the ritual. Both in terms of checking whether there are lice, but also to check whether the treatment with the lice remedy has worked and that all lice are gone.
Start the treatment against lice – now
Getting rid of lice can be an overwhelming task. But thorough time with the close comb is time that is well spent in the long run. It is especially important that you act immediately right away if you detect lice. Because the problem only gets worse if you sit it out.
Lice are unfortunately not loyal to their whereabouts but like to go exploring with a new host. Therefore, lice can be extremely “contagious”. And before long, the lice may have spread to the rest of the family and the rest of the circle of friends. So, it is never too early to start combing your hair.
Continue combing your hair for at least 2 weeks
Unfortunately, treatment against lice is not a one-time affair. It takes a lot of time and patience to get rid of lice. Therefore, it is also necessary to continue combing for a minimum of two weeks. During this period, at least four combs should be performed – evenly distributed over the entire period.
As a rule of thumb, you should only stop combing your hair when you have not combed adult lice out for two weeks and have not found a single nymph (lice-young) at the last combing.
It is especially important to get rid of the adult lice at the first combing, as this will put an end to the egg laying. Next, it is important to comb the hair often for nymphs so that they do not have the opportunity to grow.
Checklist for lice combing
- Close comb
- An ordinary comb or a hairbrush
- Access to water to wet the hair.
- Hair conditioner
- Damp white paper towel, toilet paper, napkin or similar
- Good lighting conditions
- Magnifying glass
- Hair clips or needles
- Possibly entertainment for the person to be combed. The time can feel long.
How to comb your hair for lice
Wet the hair with water + a little hair conditioner. When the hair is dry, it is easy for the lice to move around. But in wet hair with a bit of conditioner, the lice will sit still, just as they do not crawl to where you just combed. Be careful with the amount of conditioner. If you get in too much, it can be difficult to spot the lice.
Thoroughly comb the hair with a comb while it is wet. It is important that the hair is well straightened before you start combing. It is almost impossible to comb the hair if it starts to filter.
Comb the whole hair methodically and evenly with the comb. Be sure to work your way systematically through the hair with the comb. Start at the front and then work your way in one direction, bite by bite, until you are around the entire head. Feel free to take the trip a few times until you no longer catch more lice with the comb.
Start each stroke from the inside of the scalp. Then pull the comb through the hair all the way and out to the tip of the hairline. You can use hair clips or hairpins to hold the hair in place so you can also reach all the way down to the scalp. In addition, they can also help you keep the combed from the uncombed hair.
Move the parting while combing. That way, you also catch lice that sit and hide in the parting. So, it pays to be careful.
Wipe the sealing comb in a piece of damp paper towel for each stroke. That way, you remove intercepted lice for every stroke you take with the comb.
Look carefully at what you are combing out. It is important to keep an eye on whether it is eggs, nymphs, or adult lice that you are combing out. It can be difficult to distinguish, so here good work light and a magnifying glass can be useful. Take notes and plan ahead. Keep track of your combs by noting dates and finds. Did you comb adult lice? Did you find eggs or nymphs? These considerations can help you in the further process so that you know how long you need to continue the treatment.
"Pests in House and Home"
"Bed Bugs - Bites, Stings and Itches"
"Food Pests"
"Husets dyreliv" (Insects Around the House - Only danish)
"Skadedyr i træ" (Timber Pests - Only danish)
"Stuefluen" (Common Housefly - Only danish)