How To Check For Head Lice

If you know what allows lice to thrive and survive, you will have a much better idea of what to do in order to combat them. Lice like to breed in clean healthy heads of hair. They have a life cycle of 30 days and will lay up to six eggs every day. These eggs, called nits, are the most difficult to get rid of as they stick to the hair shaft and are often difficult to see with the naked eye.
Head Lice Home Cure

Often you will be informed by the school your child attends that they have contracted lice. Sometimes, however, you may not and may only discover the infestation when you child complains of itching and may also break out in a rash, particularly at the nape of the neck or behind the ears. The first thing to do is to ensure that you child has lice and is not just suffering from dandruff which can also cause itching. The main reason for this itching is that the lice will attach themselves to the skin with their big front claws and this causes an irritation,

The first thing you want to do is to check their skull for the adults. Taking a comb and parting the hair from the forehead to the nape, separate the hair and look closely for any lice. Lice are around the size of a sesame seed and can range from white through to brown. They often disguise themselves by taking on the color of the hair that they live in.

The second step is to part the hair on either side of the first parting and check along the parted hairline for any lice here. You will also want to look at the three prime locations which are:-

1. Along the nape of the neck
2. Around the back of the ears and
3. In the crown

Lice are partial to breeding in the warmer area of the head. If you find that you do not have any adult lice, then it's time to check for nits - these are the lice eggs

The reason you may have eggs but no adults is that sometimes the adult is somewhere in the head you have not checked as yet, or perhaps it has already died, but has laid eggs that will be hatching shortly. It's always prudent to check.

The final step can be made much easier with a magnifying glass as the nits you will be looking for are very small. Another problem that is often encountered is that nits are white and are therefore a lot harder to locate on blonde children.

Nits will be laid on the hair shaft around 1/2 inch from the skin. They are clear to white and are difficult to remove with your fingers. If you can remove or move them by blowing, then they are not nits and it is then probable that you are dealing with dandruff.

Knowing that your child has lice can be very daunting. Once you know for sure, then it's time to more on to how to treat your child. There are so many different chemicals available and perscribed by doctors, but you don't have to use chemicals on your children. In fact, it has become evident that some of the pediculocides that are for sale at the chemists are no longer as effective as they used to be. Lice have built up an immunity to them. Using a variety of natural home cures will benefit both your sanity and your childs health. Check out my Head Lice Home Cure Lens for more information.