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Headlice
It's that time again, the holidays have almost finish and back to school, where headlice attack will begins it's new term also.
This is starting to be a regular and common problem that we see in community pharmacy. We hope that the information below may assist parents in treating and preventing headlice infestations.
Also known to as "nits", "head Louse", "Utu", or "Kutu bugs".
Anyone can catch headlice it is not a sign of personal hygiene. Usually occur in school children before spreading to adults and their families.
Description of Headlice
They are small,flat insects about 2-3mm long that breed all year long. They live and feed on the human scalp by sucking up blood upto 6 times daily.
Contrary to belief head lice can not jump, fly or swim. They crawl very quickly through the hair holding tightly with their claws. Usually transmitted from person to person when the heads come close together.
Female lice lay their eggs close to the scalp. The egg or nit attaches itself like "glue" to the hair shaft. The eggs hatch 7-10days and a louse will survive for upto 30-40days.
For the best headlice treatments visit our website www.pharmacyonweb.co.nz, No prescription require.
Signs Of headlice
· Itchiness and scratching
Occurs behind the ears, back of the scalp and neck. Scratch marks or rash in these areas can be a sign of headlice but not all children complaint of itchiness.
· White Specks (Nits or Eggs)
These are stuck firmly to the base of the hair but empty egg cases can be found 1cm from the scalp.
· Lice on the scalp
Very tiny and difficult to see, may need a magnifying glass. However, adult lice can be found using a fine tooth lice comb and combing wet hair over a sheet of white paper.
Treatments
At www.pharmacyonweb.co.nz we have a great range of products to treat headlice infestations. We have headlice shampoos and creams, either natural or insecticide base.
Tips:
· Always check the instructions on headlice shampoo as some needs to be applied to dry hair
· Products which require damp hair, first slightly towel dry to remove excess water.
· Do use a conditioner before headlice treatment and towel dry head only as some products maybe heat sensitive
· Some products may require a second treatment
· Prevent treatments from getting into eyes by using a face cloth or towel
· Use treatments for the correct period of time as stated on the product instructions
· Use a fine tooth comb afterwards, this is very important as this helps to kill any lice that survives, remove dead ones and removes the nits(eggs). Comb each section of the head at a time so that all areas of scalp is covered.
· Repeat the treatments in 7 days, to killed eggs that may have survived and hatched.
· If the eggs cannot be remove by fine combing then try buying a headlice conditioner which is formulated to help the eggs to slide off the hair shaft. Another simple and less expensive method is to buy cider vinegar from your supermarket or grocery store and keep dipping your lice comb into it then comb the hair which has resistant nits attached to it.
· Remember to wash hair ties, hats, brushes also.
· Try not share combs or hair brushes
· If your child have long hair then tie it back so that it will not have contact with other childrens hence lessen the spread of lice
· You can use tea tree oil shampoo as preventative measures or maybe a few drops of concentrated tea tree oil in your normal shampoo.
· It is now quite common for headlice to become resistant to certain products or ingredients so alternating with different products each time may help to lessen this.
· Always treat Headlice shampoos as Poison, SO KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN
If you have any questions or enquiries, please send us an email
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and one of our pharmacist will happily assist
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