When a child comes home scratching, or is sent home with the dreaded head lice notice, a cold fear grips a parent.
They've heard the rumors; deep down they know them to be true.
The first thing they will think is, "Oh no, have they got head lice?" If they have been there before, they know the drill.
If this is a new problem that has never been encountered however, that question is quickly followed by "Well, what does head lice look like?" Head lice are one of a few different types of louse that invade the body.
Due to their stature, they all can be a little difficult to accurately identify.
Their effects are inescapable however and the telltale head lice symptoms difficult to ignore.
First of all your child may complain they can feel something moving around their head, causing tickling and irritation to their scalp.
Another dead giveaway is the itching and scratching caused by the bites and faeces of the wee nasties.
Itching may not start straight away however as it takes a while for the saliva to cause the irritation, so it pays to actively seek them out.
This is especially important if you know they have been exposed to a carrier.
In order for head lice to survive they must congregate where it is warmest and most humid, so you will find them at the nape of the neck or behind the ears where the hair is thickest.
Part the hair in these places to try and identify the infestation.
What to look for: Adult lice: These are tiny creatures, about the size of a sesame seed.
They are tan and move at lightning speed through hair.
The female louse is slightly bigger than the male.
Both live for around 30 days.
In this time the female will lay around 50 - 100 eggs.
Head lice are well adapted to live on a human head, with powerful front legs.
Each front leg is appended with a hook, this allows them to get a firm grip of the hair and move through with the greatest of ease.
Nymphs: These are immature head lice which look just like their parents, only smaller.
Their colour changes to blend in with their surroundings, so the darker the hair, the darker the colour of the nymph.
Lice eggs, or nits: These are tiny brown, white or clear tear shaped drops that cling vehemently to the hair shaft close to the scalp where it is warmest, and are extremely difficult to remove.
They are attached with glue produced by the adult that wraps right around the shaft, like a donut.
This is almost impossible to break, resulting in the egg needing to be slid right down the shaft to the end of the hair in order to remove it.
Live eggs are brown and the clear or white eggs are dead.
As well as lice, nymphs or eggs, you may see small red bumps where they have been biting or you may see signs of a rash.
Scratching can lead to infection, in which case there may be scabbing and oozing.
This area will be tender and red to the touch.
At this stage I strongly advise against the use of a chemical treatment for head lice.
Some of the chemicals used are highly toxic, all stating that they should not be used on broken skin, as this gives them ready access to the bloodstream.
Children's scalps are highly permeable as it is, absorbing up to 60% of anything applied to it.
Due to the dangers of these chemical preparations, a natural remedy is always preferable, if not essential.
Please be sure to choose a natural head lice treatment, preferably one containing Neem Oil, as this renders them unable to breed, therefore unable to build up a resistance.
They've heard the rumors; deep down they know them to be true.
The first thing they will think is, "Oh no, have they got head lice?" If they have been there before, they know the drill.
If this is a new problem that has never been encountered however, that question is quickly followed by "Well, what does head lice look like?" Head lice are one of a few different types of louse that invade the body.
Due to their stature, they all can be a little difficult to accurately identify.
Their effects are inescapable however and the telltale head lice symptoms difficult to ignore.
First of all your child may complain they can feel something moving around their head, causing tickling and irritation to their scalp.
Another dead giveaway is the itching and scratching caused by the bites and faeces of the wee nasties.
Itching may not start straight away however as it takes a while for the saliva to cause the irritation, so it pays to actively seek them out.
This is especially important if you know they have been exposed to a carrier.
In order for head lice to survive they must congregate where it is warmest and most humid, so you will find them at the nape of the neck or behind the ears where the hair is thickest.
Part the hair in these places to try and identify the infestation.
What to look for: Adult lice: These are tiny creatures, about the size of a sesame seed.
They are tan and move at lightning speed through hair.
The female louse is slightly bigger than the male.
Both live for around 30 days.
In this time the female will lay around 50 - 100 eggs.
Head lice are well adapted to live on a human head, with powerful front legs.
Each front leg is appended with a hook, this allows them to get a firm grip of the hair and move through with the greatest of ease.
Nymphs: These are immature head lice which look just like their parents, only smaller.
Their colour changes to blend in with their surroundings, so the darker the hair, the darker the colour of the nymph.
Lice eggs, or nits: These are tiny brown, white or clear tear shaped drops that cling vehemently to the hair shaft close to the scalp where it is warmest, and are extremely difficult to remove.
They are attached with glue produced by the adult that wraps right around the shaft, like a donut.
This is almost impossible to break, resulting in the egg needing to be slid right down the shaft to the end of the hair in order to remove it.
Live eggs are brown and the clear or white eggs are dead.
As well as lice, nymphs or eggs, you may see small red bumps where they have been biting or you may see signs of a rash.
Scratching can lead to infection, in which case there may be scabbing and oozing.
This area will be tender and red to the touch.
At this stage I strongly advise against the use of a chemical treatment for head lice.
Some of the chemicals used are highly toxic, all stating that they should not be used on broken skin, as this gives them ready access to the bloodstream.
Children's scalps are highly permeable as it is, absorbing up to 60% of anything applied to it.
Due to the dangers of these chemical preparations, a natural remedy is always preferable, if not essential.
Please be sure to choose a natural head lice treatment, preferably one containing Neem Oil, as this renders them unable to breed, therefore unable to build up a resistance.
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