Head Lice

Communicable infections are common in children: in the last year, nearly five in ten children caught head lice at school, according to new research1 undertaken by CHIC. However, most parents are confused as to how to treat their child when they 'catch' this condition, with many not realising that with advice and medicines from the pharmacist, the problem can be treated easily and quickly.

Also called Pediculus humanus capitis, head lice are parasitic insects found on the heads of people. Head lice are more common among children, especially boys and girls between the ages of six and eight years old and are typically associated with the school environment where children are in close contact with each other. However, there are some major misconceptions about head lice:

• Head lice CAN NOT JUMP from head to head and are only spread by close, prolonged head to head contact
• Head lice ONLY LIVE IN THE HAIR and not on clothing
• Head lice live in both clean and unwashed hair therefore ARE NOT INDICATORS OF lack of CLEANLINESS
• COMBING hair DOES NOT GET RID OF HEAD LICE, it can only help detect them.

How are head lice spread?
Head lice can be spread whenever there is direct contact of the head or hair with an infested individual. Lice can also be spread through the sharing of personal articles like hats, towels, brushes, helmets, hair ties and so on. There is also a possibility that head lice can be spread via a pillow, headrest, or similar item whereby during direct contact with the pillow/rest, the head lice are left behind and transmitted onto the next user.

How long do head lice live for?
Head lice can survive on a human host for approximately 30 days. Head lice generally cannot survive longer than 24 hours off the host. A female louse lays up to 3-5 eggs per day - these eggs are commonly known as 'nits'. It takes 7-10 days for the eggs/'nits' to hatch and another 7-10 days for them to mature and lay their own eggs.

What do head lice look like?
There are three forms of lice: the nit, the nymph, and the adult.

Nit: Nits are head lice eggs. They are hard to see and are often confused for dandruff or hair spray droplets. Nits are found firmly attached to the hair shaft. They are oval and usually yellow to white. Nits take about 1 week to hatch.

Nymph: The nit hatches into a baby louse called a nymph. It looks like an adult head louse, but is smaller. Nymphs mature into adults about 7 days after hatching. To live, the nymph must feed on blood.

Adult: The adult louse is about the size of a sesame seed, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white. In persons with dark hair, the adult louse will look darker. Females lay nits; they are usually larger than males. Adult lice can live up to 30 days on a person's head. To live, adult lice need to feed on blood. If the louse falls off a person, it dies within 2 days.

How are head lice diagnosed?
Check your child's hair regularly (about every 1-3 weeks) combing your child's wet hair through with a normal comb. Then use a plastic detection comb (available from your pharmacy) to comb from the roots to the tips of the hair, keeping the comb as close to the scalp as possible. You need to look closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs, or adults. Finding a nymph or adult may be difficult; there are usually few of them and they can move quickly from searching fingers. If crawling lice are not seen, finding nits within a 1/4-inch of the scalp confirms that a person is infested and should be treated. This method is called the detection method.

Treating head lice
In you think your child has contracted head lice, GPs recommend visiting the pharmacist first, as here, the condition can be correctly and accurately diagnosed. If head lice are confirmed, there are several different ways of treating - both conventional and alternative methods. It is important to ask your pharmacist for advice on the most suitable way for you.

Most conventional head lice treatments are applied to the head in two stages, seven days apart. Once the pharmacist has recommended a suitable OTC preparation, follow the steps below to treat:

Step 1: Treating an infested child
Before applying treatment, remove all clothing from the waist up.

1. Apply the medicine according to label instructions. If your child has extra long hair, you may need to use a second bottle
2. Dress the child in clean clothing after treatment
3. A nit comb should be used to remove nits and lice from the hair shaft. If live lice are still found 8-12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not retreat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair. The medicine sometimes takes longer to kill the lice
4. If no dead lice are found 8-12 hours after treatment and lice seem as active as before, seek further advice from the pharmacist
5. After treatment, check hair every 2-3 days and use a nit comb to remove any nits or lice you see
6. Continue checking the child for 2-3 weeks after you think that all lice and nits are gone
7. If parents' think the head lice have not disappeared, then again, they should re-visit the pharmacist for further advice.

Step 2: Treating family members

1. To kill lice and nits, machine-wash all washable clothing and bed linens that the infested person touched during the 2 days before treatment, using a hot water cycle OR dry clean clothing that is not washable, (coats, hats, scarves, etc.) OR
2. Soak combs and brushes for 1 hour in alcohol or wash with soap and hot water
3. Vacuum the floor and furniture.

If these measures are followed, then the child should be rid of head lice and other family members prevented from transmission.