Head Lice Information

The singular term for lice is louse, and having head lice is certainly a lousy affair. While it is at least fortunate that these parasites do not really spread diseases, all that itching can be irritating indeed, and one would rather not have them taking up residence in their head at all.

So just what are these annoying little creatures doing on our heads in the first place? Quite literally, they’re out for blood. Head lice, also known by the scientific name Pediculus humanus capitis, are parasitic insects that reside in human hair and scalp and live on human blood. Their eggs are called nits, which are oval-shaped and colored either white or yellow, and are so small that they are difficult to see, oftentimes being mistaken as dandruff. Attached firmly to the hair shaft, it only takes around a week for nits to hatch.

When the nits hatch, the young head lice that emerge are called nymphs. Though not yet mature, they already start feeding on blood. From the moment that they have hatched, it will only take approximately 7 days for nymphs to grow to adulthood. Fully-grown head lice have 6 legs, tan to grayish-white in color, and are as big (or as small) as a sesame seed. The average lifespan of an adult louse on a person’s head is 30 days. Incapable of flying or jumping, should it fall off someone’s head, it will eventually die in 2 days.

Head lice infestation (or pediculosis) is very contagious, and can easily be spread from one person to another by making direct contact with someone who has already been infested. This extends to objects that may have come into contact with infested hair, such as hairbrushes, combs, towels, ribbons or hats. They can also infest through clothing, or even in carpets, couches, beds, pillows or stuffed toys. There is, however, no risk of catching head lice from animals.

The basic symptoms of pediculosis are itchiness and irritation, and constant scratching of the affected area can cause skin infection. Anyone can be at risk of getting infested, the most frequent victims being families with pre-school to elementary school age children. Females, in particular, are more prone to getting head lice than males.

To avoid head lice infestation, one should not make personal contact with those already infested (especially their hair), nor should they share any of their personal belongings. To eliminate nits, nymphs and lice, washable clothes should be thoroughly machine-washed, while unwashable ones should be dry-cleaned. Other items should be kept sealed for a period of 2 weeks, and the household must be extensively vacuumed. Those suffering from pediculosis should be applied with lice-killing medication (pediculicide), but be advised that these products are essentially pesticides, so observe due caution in using them and follow the enclosed instructions carefully.