Once a parent starts to notice that his child is constantly scratching his head, they immediately find it safe to assume that the child has got head lice.
However, a parent can only know for sure once he has closely inspected his child’s hair and scalp for the dreaded parasite. So how can you really tell if the pests you find are head lice?
Because head lice are extremely small they are a little tricky to spot and recognize but the symptoms they bring about in their human hosts can easily signal that they are in fact there.
The head lice awareness first signs of a head lice infestation include having the ticklish sensation of subtle movement on the scalp and should be a good enough cue for the parent to check for the presence of lice while irritation and further infestation may not have yet occurred.
Afterwards, a constant itching is produced as the lice bite onto the child’s scalp. Inspecting your child’s hair is also important if you are aware that he has been in contact with a person already identified to have head lice.
Begin checking for head lice by first inspecting in areas such as the nape of the neck or behind the child’s ears. The head lice thrive best in these places because they are the most warm and moist. Afterwards you can start looking for the different types of lice and identify them according to their physical features.
Adult lice are small and you’ll find them to be tiny pests of a tan colour that quickly move about the child’s hair. You can tell female and male louse apart because the females are larger, but they both can survive for up to 30 days during which the female can lay up to as much as 100 eggs. They are built to survive on a host’s head with the help of hooked front legs that allow them to securely attach themselves to the hair.
In contrast, Nymphs are smaller and younger head lice. Their color depends upon that of their host’s hair since they can camouflage themselves according to the color of their environment.
Lastly, lice eggs – also known as nits – are tiny sacs that latch on to the bases of hair strands where they are able to survive and eventually hatch. They can be of a brown or white color, but can also be clear.
They are secured to these hair shafts by a glue-like substance produced by the adults making them very difficult to get rid of. However, you can remove these nits by sliding them along and off the hair strands.
The parent must also watch for the lice symptoms of red blotches and bumps, or even rashes. These irritations from the louse bites on the scalp may lead to scratching and can become infected and may ooze.
You must not resort to using chemical substances to treat the infestations because these are toxic and can be absorbed into the child’s bloodstream if it is applied onto areas of the scalp that may be raw or wounded.
As an alternative, you are better off using natural treatments such as Neem Oil which stops the head lice from reproducing and will make them easier to exterminate.