NIX FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- General Lice FAQ's
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Head Lice FAQ
- What are Head Lice?
- What should you do if you have Lice?
- What do Head Lice/Nits look like?
- Where do Head Lice they come from?
- How do you get Head Lice?
- What are the most common symptoms of Head Lice?
- How do Lice grow?
- What is the Life Cycle of Lice?
- Can Head Lice be controlled?
- Can Lice fly?
- Are Lice only found on children?
- Do Lice transmit disease?
- Do Pets carry Lice?
- Can Lice survive off the body?
- How can you tell if Nits are alive or dead?
- Will Nits fallout?
What are Head Lice?
Head lice are small insects (about 1/8 of an inch in size) that live and breed on the human scalp. They live approximately 40-50 days and go through three stages in their life cycle: eggs, nymphs and adults. They are about the size of sesame seeds, brownish in color, and can be detected by carefully inspecting the scalp with a magnifying glass and plenty of light. You should know that head lice are treatable, very rarely cause serious health problems, and don't warrant great concern.
What should you do if you have Lice?
Don't panic, Head lice affect millions of people each year, especially school age children. Head lice are treatable and are not known to carry diseases. If you are concerned about being "dirty" - Contrary to popular belief, anyone can get head lice. You don't get head lice because of poor personal hygiene; in fact, head lice prefer clean hair.
What do Head Lice/Nits look like?
Head Lice are tiny brown insects about the size of a sesame seed. Visible Nits are tiny, whitish ovals. They are firmly glued to the hair shaft, most often near the scalp. Nits may be mistaken for dandruff but unlike dandruff, nits cannot be brushed off or removed by normal shampooing and washing.
Where do Head Lice they come from?
Anyone can get head lice--it has nothing to do with cleanliness or poor hygiene. Head lice are common among school-age children, particularly those in elementary schools. Head lice are transferred from one person to another through close physical contact or from sharing items like hats, combs, brushes, headphones, etc.
How do you get Head Lice?
Head lice spread easily from person to person because they can survive away from the human body for approximately 48 hours, and nits can survive for up to 10 days. Lice are often spread by sharing hats, helmets, scarves, headphones, brushes, clothing and other personal items. Any objects that come in contact with an infested person can spread lice. Pets can be carriers but cannot become infested themselves.
What are the most common symptoms of Head Lice?
Since head lice need blood to live, their "stinging" of the scalp usually causes itching, which can lead to scabs or blood spots. Scratching behind the ears or the back of the neck is another possible sign. Because lice generally feed at night, infected persons will experience the most discomfort and itching while trying to sleep. However, itching is not always present. You should also look for red marks on the scalp and neck and check the head for lice and nits. To most easily see nits check for them in natural light or a minimum of a 60-watt bulb light with a magnifying glass.
How do Lice grow?
Female head lice lay approximately 8 eggs a day, which usually hatch in 7 to 14 days. Within their 23 – 30 day lifecycle they will lay up to 400 eggs.
What is the Life Cycle of Lice?
Head lice begin their lives as eggs--empty eggs are called "nits."(The word "nitpicking" stems from the time-consuming process of going through a person's hair to remove head lice and their eggs.)Eggs and nits are oval-shaped, tiny and greyish-white, and attach to the hair near the root with a waterproof glue-like substance that cannot be washed out or blown away like dandruff. The female louse may lay over 100 eggs on the hair near the scalp. The eggs hatch in approximately seven to nine days and the nymphs begin feeding on blood through the scalp. Adult lice may live about three weeks or a bit longer. If the nits are found an inch or more from the scalp, the lice have probably hatched or are dead.
Can Head Lice be controlled?
When head lice are removed from the scalp or hair, they usually die within a day or two. Similarly their eggs generally perish within a week when removed from the scalp or hair.
Pets do not host or transmit human lice, and you should not be concerned about treating them. There is also no need to treat your home for infestation. Other members of the household, however, shouldn't share personal items like combs, brushes, hats, towels, or bedding with anyone undergoing treatment. Any of these items that have been used by the one with lice should be disinfected.
Bed linens, clothing, towels, and other items that have been used by an infested person should be washed in hot water and detergent, then dried on high heat and ironed. Combs and brushes should be boiled in water for two minutes or soaked in hot water (above 130°) for at least 10 minutes and then washed thoroughly with soap and water.
In extreme cases, items like toys that can't be heated can be placed in a freezer for a few days, but this is rarely a treatment that's required.
Can Lice fly?
No, head lice are wingless insects that can't jump or fly, but they can crawl at a rate of 12 inches per minute.
Are Lice only found on children?
No, you can get lice at any age but it is most common for children between the ages of 5 and 12.
Do Pets carry Lice?
Head lice is exclusively a human disease, however, a louse can be transmitted to a pet that can transmit it back to the family. Head lice do not live off animals; they feed only on human blood.
Can Lice survive off the body?
Lice cannot survive for more than 48 hours away from a human scalp. Nits can survive for up to 10 days but need a blood meal from a human one-hour after hatching. For that reason human head lice cannot survive for long periods of time on animals, but animals can be the carrier of the lice. For instance, if two children are playing with a dog, the dog can ‘transport' the louse from on child to another.