Fighting lice, what are they afraid of? What is pediculosis and why does infection occur? What products can repel insects? What methods can be used to combat parasites? Which methods will not bring a positive result. The most common myths about lice. Proper treatment and preventive actions.
Quite often, people faced with head lice turn to traditional methods for help, especially when children are infected with parasites. This is due to the fact that there is an opinion that folk remedies are absolutely safe and are not inferior in effectiveness to specialized ones.
But this is not entirely true; in most cases, such treatment does not bring positive results, you have to look for new recipes or carry out numerous treatments. Let's take a closer look at why this happens, what lice are really afraid of, and what methods of control are not effective at all.
What do they love and what are they afraid of?
There are quite a lot of myths regarding why lice appear, what are the causes of lice, what do they eat, what kind of lifestyle do they lead, and what means can be used to defeat them.
Let's try to understand all these points. So, head lice parasitize the human body, feed on blood, reproduce and lay offspring without leaving the host. Thanks to their piercing-sucking mouthparts, they easily pierce the skin and become saturated with blood, while the person experiences severe itching. Itching is a reaction to the insect's saliva. They need regular nutrition; without food, an insect cannot live more than a day.
Infection occurs only through contact; the idea that these parasites can fly or jump is erroneous. They don't have wings, so they don't have the ability to fly. The structure of the paws does not allow for jumping, but they are perfectly developed to stay on the hair.
They can crawl from a host to a new host when their heads touch. Also, if you try on the hat of an infected person, use his comb or other personal items where parasites may be located. Let's consider several opinions on what you can use to get rid of lice.
Shampoo
Some claim that if you are infected with lice, you can cure it with regular cosmetic shampoo; just wash your hair as often as possible and the insects will disappear.
This is a misconception; shampoo does not affect parasites in any way; the only thing that can be achieved is to cleanse the skin so that it is easier for lice to bite through and feed on them.
Pediculosis does not depend at all on whether a person is clean or not; lice do not get dirt, so cleanliness will not affect them in any way. The fact is that people who do not take care of personal hygiene often do not fight lice, which is why there is an opinion that they are more susceptible to infection, which is completely wrong.
Water
Parasites cannot be washed off with water and they also will not die under water, of course, if they are not placed under water for a long time, which is basically unrealistic, given that they parasitize on the head.
When washing your hair, swimming in a pool or any body of water, they cling tightly to the hairs with their paws and are not washed off with water. Submerging under water for a while will also not give any result, since the water does not penetrate the respiratory tract. Regarding nits, water also does not affect them in any way, since they are reliably protected by a strong shell.
Without power
This is the true truth, they really need regular nutrition, for this reason they are always on the human body and do not leave it. They cannot live more than a day without food.
Based on this, we can conclude that infection is possible through contact with a carrier, since they simply cannot be outside the human body. Of course, there are cases when infection occurs through personal items and hats, but this happens much less frequently.
Vinegar
Many of us have heard that you can fight parasites with vinegar. This substance is not capable of destroying insects and for pediculosis, as the main remedy it is powerless. Vinegar can really help, but only because the nits will be easier to detach from the hair and the combing procedure will be easier.
Hot air
There is an opinion that you can deal with lice using hot air, for example, by visiting a sauna or using a hairdryer. In fact, these parasites love warmth very much and often accumulate on the back of the head or behind the ears; these areas are warmest and a slight increase in temperature will not harm them in any way.
Very high temperatures can really kill them, but this is impossible due to the fact that they are on a person and they will also have a negative effect on him.
Use of specialized drugs and folk remedies
The fight against pediculosis has been going on for many years, and during this time a lot of different remedies have been found, some show a high level of effectiveness, and some cannot please us with good results.
For adult individuals, it can be treated using specialized means, and often one treatment is sufficient. With nits the situation is more complicated; they are protected by a shell through which poisons do not penetrate. It is necessary to resort to the combing procedure and repeat the treatment after some time, when young sexually mature individuals emerge from the nits.
Pharmacy drugs
Now in the pharmacy you can see a huge assortment of all kinds of anti-pediculosis drugs. They differ in release form, composition, and mechanism of action. When choosing, you need to take into account age categories (at what age can you use it), contraindications.
Be sure to study the instructions for use and do not change the dosage or regimen. You also need to remember that if used incorrectly and if safety precautions are ignored, it can cause harm to health.
The preparations use different active components and the concentration is calculated in such a way as to destroy parasites, but not harm human health. If you follow the instructions, you can quickly get rid of lice. Everyone can choose the most suitable form of release; let’s consider them in more detail.
Shampoo
This release form is suitable for use by young children. The treatment procedure is similar to regular hair washing, which is quite convenient and easy, and differs from, for example, using an ointment or emulsion.
Often one treatment is enough to get rid of all adults, but in severe forms it may be necessary to carry out several. After completely getting rid of lice, combing is carried out, after 5-7 days the procedure is repeated to get rid of young parasites that may appear from the nits.
Spray, aerosol
Refers to drugs that provide high efficiency. It is enough to apply to the hair and scalp, leave for a certain amount of time indicated in the instructions and rinse. The spray makes it very easy to apply, especially when your hair is long.
Creams and ointments
An equally effective form of release, but it has some peculiarities. They are much more difficult to apply than, for example, a spray, so they are often chosen for treating short hair. It should also be said about the greasy structure, which is quite difficult to wash off.
Persistent bitterness of wormwood
If you don’t want to prepare the composition yourself, buy the pharmacy version. Yes, today there are many supporters who believe that natural essential oils are effective and safe for human health protection against bedbug bites. True, they need to be used correctly. Scented compounds, to which people generally have a positive attitude, have a repellent effect on pests precisely due to their persistent, specific odor. When a person uses oils, aromatic particles envelop him in an invisible cloud, which prevent bedbugs from even approaching him.
The specific smell of wormwood grass is guaranteed to help rid the room of bedbug attacks. These pests have a keen sense of smell, and the pungent smell of grass can irritate their receptors. But this can continue until the bedbugs become very hungry. Practice shows that even the smell of wormwood will not be able to stop them from thirsting for blood.
Orange oil has also been a long-known effective remedy for fighting bedbugs. For humans, its smell is very pleasant, but for “unwanted household residents” it is pungent and frightening.
Orange oil smells pleasant and repels bedbugs - an excellent functional load
Traditional methods
As mentioned earlier, many people prefer folk remedies. Some really help in the fight against lice and show good results. Let's look at them in more detail.
Vinegar
First of all, you need to remember that a vinegar solution is prepared for processing; use in its pure form is prohibited. So, take ordinary vinegar 9% and dilute it in a 1:2 ratio with ordinary water. It is required to obtain a 5% solution.
Processing is carried out as follows:
- Apply to hair and distribute evenly throughout the strands.
- The head is covered with a plastic bag or cling film.
- Aged for half an hour, maximum 40 minutes.
- Wash off with shampoo.
- Combing is in progress.
Regarding the benefits, a simple and affordable remedy helps in the fight against parasites. There are also disadvantages: if the concentration is higher than permissible, you can get a burn.
Kerosene
This substance is very aggressive and its use in its pure form is strictly prohibited. There are quite a lot of recipes for products containing kerosene and you can choose the most suitable one.
The advantages include low price and high efficiency, but you should always remember the disadvantages, which include the danger of use, possible intoxication and burns. Cannot be used by children and elderly people.
Dust soap
A very popular remedy that works well against parasites. It must be used with great caution, the fact is that it contains poisons that can accumulate in the human body and are not removed from it on their own.
It is worth saying that in many countries its use is prohibited. The advantages include high efficiency and low price. The disadvantages include the presence of a dangerous poison in the composition. Cannot be used by children.
Hair helmet
Some argue that you can deal with head lice using hair dye; this method, as you can understand, is only suitable for women. It can really help, but only at the initial stage, as soon as infection has occurred.
Hydrogen peroxide
A solution is prepared from it, which is used to treat skin and hair. It can show a high result, but it only acts on adults, the nits remain intact, so you will need to comb out and repeat the procedure. Instead of peroxide, alcohol solutions are also used, but remember that these substances are not used in their pure form, as they will harm your health.
These products are affordable, show good results, have a low price and are easy to use. Disadvantages include the risk of burns if the solution is prepared incorrectly. It is also worth noting that it is ineffective against nits.
Mechanical methods
Treatment of pediculosis consists not only of a treatment procedure, it must be carried out comprehensively, also including combing, disinfection of the apartment, processing of things and clothes.
Regardless of which remedy was chosen, from traditional medicine or pharmaceutical preparations, combing after treatment is mandatory. This allows you to comb out dead adults, lice that are still alive and, most importantly, nits.
There are several types of combs on sale:
- Classical. It is a regular plastic comb with fine teeth.
- Metal. This comb allows you to comb out with maximum efficiency. Special notches on the teeth allow hair to pass through and nits to be retained.
- Electric. In the fight against lice, it can be useful if the hair is short, but it is ineffective against nits.
Combing must be done daily for several days until the parasites are completely eliminated.
External factors
One of the most important factors for normal life and reproduction is temperature. Favorable conditions are considered to be an air temperature in the range of 25-35°; parasites feed normally and multiply very quickly. For the nit to mature at this temperature, only 5-7 days are enough and a young individual appears.
Temperatures above 40° and below 10° are considered unfavorable conditions; they become very slow and cannot feed and reproduce normally. If the temperature drops to 0°, lice can hibernate, which lasts up to 60 days.
If the temperature rises above 50° they will die. Using hot air with a hairdryer is not able to destroy parasites, but it can make them weak and slow, which will make combing out much easier.
Smells
Lice smell very well and some cannot tolerate it, so folk recipes often use aromatic herbs, such as wormwood, mint, tansy, calendula and others. Essential oils of tea tree, wormwood, lavender, geranium, and cypress have an unpleasant aroma for parasites.
Essential oils can be used in head treatments and in disinfection solutions. They will not be able to cope with a severe infection, but at the initial stage they are effective. They can also be used for preventive purposes, applied to the back of the head and behind the ears.
Substances
Substances that are fatal to lice and nits are included in specialized preparations intended for the treatment of lice. These substances include permethrin, dimethicone, malathion, phenothrin.
Each substance has its own mechanism of action. Some affect the nervous system causing paralysis and death, others block the respiratory tract, and others corrode the chitin coating.
Even the most effective and powerful product cannot guarantee complete removal of lice and nits; for this reason, it is recommended to comb it out after treatment. It is also recommended to carry out repeated treatment in case there are live nits left and young individuals emerge from them, in order to destroy them and prevent them from reproducing.
Climate influence
Insects that parasitize humans live and reproduce in the home. The climatic zone where a person's habitation is located is of secondary importance.
The microclimate of the room is very important for bedbugs. In a well-heated house located in Siberia, insects will be as comfortable as in a dacha located on the shores of the southern sea.
Many years of experience have made it possible to accurately determine at what temperature bedbugs die.
- They tolerate very hot microclimates worst of all. If the temperature is more than 50 °C, the bug survives for less than 5 minutes. At 45 °C it can last for half an hour.
- Insect eggs are covered with a thermal protective layer, thanks to which they remain viable at 50 °C for 24 hours.
- Bedbugs tolerate low temperatures more easily. At a frost of 10 °C, they temporarily reduce activity, freeze, and enter a state of suspended animation.
- When the temperature drops another 5-7 °C, bedbugs can remain viable for up to 4 days.
- If the frost reaches 20 ° C, the insects will die within a few hours.
- Eggs tolerate low temperatures better. At -20 °C they can survive for 2 days, after which they die.
Linen bug
Frost has a detrimental effect not only on bedbugs, but also on the communication systems of an apartment or house.
In residential areas, you can place small items in the freezer. It is advisable to keep them there for a week.
In a private home, you can take sofas and armchairs out into the cold. Freezing the entire apartment is problematic. Walls, wallpaper, and water pipes may be damaged.
Myths
As mentioned earlier, there are quite a lot of myths about lice, then we will look at this issue in more detail:
- The cause of lice is uncleanliness. A person’s cleanliness in no way guarantees protection from lice, and absolutely anyone can become infected, regardless of compliance with hygiene rules, status, gender, or age.
- Lice are carriers of HIV infection. If the insect feeds on infected blood, when it enters the gastrointestinal tract, the virus will be destroyed under the influence of enzymes, so human infection is excluded.
- They prefer to settle on people who have blood type 4. Blood type does not matter at all; lice absolutely do not care what kind of blood they feed on.
- You can get infected from animals. These insects do not parasitize animals; infection is excluded.
- They can jump long distances, covering up to 5 meters in a jump. The structure of the paws and body excludes the possibility of jumping; they can only crawl; in 1 minute they cover about 20 cm. Only fleas jump.
- Lice can penetrate into the middle of the skin. This is impossible; when feeding, the parasite can only bite through the skin and penetrate into the middle with its proboscis; the body itself is much larger than the hole.
- Pediculosis does not cause any complications. Complications can occur if a person has a weak immune system or has allergic reactions.
- Bite sites take a long time to heal and may fester. If infection gets into open wounds, relapsing and typhus may develop, in addition, dermatitis and eczema may appear at the scratching sites.
- Drug addicts and alcoholics are not susceptible to infection, since their blood is not suitable for feeding parasites. Human blood is constantly renewed and cleansed; these findings have absolutely nothing to do with lice.
- In addition to blood, they feed on skin particles and dandruff. Their diet consists exclusively of human blood. Dandruff and dead skin particles only interfere with their nutrition.
Pediculosis is a disease that requires specialized medical care. You should not believe rumors and all kinds of myths.
Who are lice?
Lice are small bugs, up to 0.5 mm , that live in people's hair, such as on the scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows and pubic area. They are an insect with 6 legs and a gray or light brown body. Lice are very fast, but they cannot jump, like fleas.
The insect feeds on human blood through a special flagellum , so it chooses habitats with the thinnest skin to make it easier to suck the blood.
A fertilized louse lays thousands of nits during its 40-day life, which take approximately 14 days . Nits are attached at the roots of the hair and have a characteristic transparent white color.
Treatment of pediculosis
First of all, you need to understand that if, for example, a child in the family becomes infected, treatment should be carried out not only for him, but also for all family members. The likelihood of infection between family members is very high, and in order to prevent repeated infections and the proliferation of parasites, you should protect yourself.
It is necessary to select drugs according to age categories and taking into account contraindications. There are anti-pediculosis medications that are used from the age of 3 or 5 years, so they are suitable for all family members, unless, of course, there are contraindications. If you have illnesses, it is better to consult a doctor who will help you choose a medicine according to your individual indications.
Treatment of pediculosis should be comprehensive. After treatment, be sure to comb out. Remember that even the most effective drug in most cases does not destroy all nits, since they are protected by a shell.
Combing will help get rid of the remaining living individuals. It is also recommended to repeat the procedure after 5-7 days (you should study the instructions, the time interval may vary). This will help prevent re-infection in cases where live nits remain and sexually mature young individuals emerge from them.
In addition to processing and combing, you should take care of disinfecting things and premises. As a rule, lice cannot be outside the human body, because without food they die. But some individuals can still get on bed linen, bedspreads, clothes, combs, so all this must be treated.
These insects multiply very quickly and if you give them a little time, you will have to fight huge colonies of parasites. Severe stages of pediculosis are much more difficult to treat and require a lot of effort and time. Therefore, as soon as an infection is detected, you should immediately begin effective treatment and not waste time on experiments with the hope that they will simply disappear.
Anti-Bit and Pedilin shampoos, which contain powerful substances that destroy blood suckers, show high effectiveness. They are very simple and easy to use, just apply to damp hair, rub well into the skin and distribute through the hair, let sit and rinse.
Also very popular is Nittifor lotion, which has a prolonged effect of up to 3 weeks. Aerosol Para Plus is easy to apply thanks to the sprayer, convenient when treating long strands; one procedure is enough to completely destroy parasites. Nyx cream has proven its effectiveness, but this form of release is suitable for those with short hair; for long hair it is quite difficult to apply and rinse off.
Most drugs are contraindicated for pregnant and breastfeeding women, so you should consult a doctor. Treatment for children under 2 years of age is carried out under the supervision of a doctor.
FAQ
A disease such as pediculosis raises quite a lot of questions, let’s try to answer some of them.
How long do parasites live outside the human body?
This question arises due to the possibility of re-infection. When a person is infected with lice, an individual can certainly end up on the bed, carpet, or clothes.
Therefore, it is quite logical to understand whether after some time it can get on a person again and lice will appear again. Should absolutely all things be processed and put in sterile order?
If a louse leaves a person's body, it can live for a maximum of 72 hours. There is no need to disinfect everything around, and given the size of the insect, this will be impossible.
As a rule, they can only get on objects from the head, which means that they can be located, for example, on a comb, pillow, or headdress. Things that come into direct contact with the head are definitely better treated.
Why do anti-pediculosis drugs need to be used strictly according to the scheme, and also rinse the hair with a vinegar solution after treatment?
The substances used in the preparations are toxic; they are presented in safe concentrations for health. Time intervals allow you to use the drug without harm to health, so time limits must be observed.
Using a vinegar solution greatly simplifies the combing procedure. The fact is that when a louse lays nits, it attaches them to the hair with an adhesive substance, which securely fastens it. Vinegar allows you to break down this substance, which makes it easier to detach from the hair.
Why is it necessary to repeat the processing?
Almost all drugs should be used twice. This is not due to the fact that they are not effective or not promising. Often the first procedure removes all the adults and most of the nits, some nits remain on the hair and there is a possibility that some may remain alive.
Since it takes about 5-7 days for nits to mature, after this period a second procedure is carried out, which destroys the young individuals and prevents their reproduction.
Does the use of anti-pediculosis drugs worsen the condition of hair and skin?
This effect can really be expected. It is recommended to use restorative balms after treatment. In this case, there will be useful infusions of chamomile and nettle.
Is it possible to cure lice using a solarium and ultraviolet light?
Ultraviolet light copes well with microbes, but is powerless against lice. The solarium does not affect insects in any way.
Can pets get infected?
Animals are not afraid of human lice; they cannot parasitize on a pet’s body, just as fleas are not afraid of people.
Will a curling iron and hair dryer help get rid of parasites? Are they afraid of high temperatures?
The direct influence of these devices using high temperature will indeed kill them, but lice cannot be cured in this way; there is a high probability that the person will receive skin burns and severely damage the hair. Remember that nits are found on the hair close to the skin. But ironing clothes and bed linen will be very effective.
Can anti-pediculosis drugs be used for prevention purposes?
It is strictly not recommended to use the products if the person is not infected. All medications are toxic and it is impossible to give the body a load in the form of toxic substances unless necessary. There are no specialized means for prevention, but measures can be taken to reduce the likelihood of infection.
What odors, substances and factors repel parasites?
Almost all parasites can be repelled by smell. Lice are guided by their sense of smell in their life. By smell they find food and a pair for fertilization. To prevent a person from attracting ectoparasites, a certain smell must emanate from him. A pungent aroma repels lice, which can be very pleasant for the person himself.
Remedies for parasites
What are head lice afraid of:
- Essential oils. Lice do not like the smell of tea tree oil, lavender, and mint. To prevent head lice, just add a few drops of oil to your regular shampoo and wash your hair. The light scent lasts for a week, repelling parasites. The product is absolutely safe for hair, but may cause allergies. A sensitivity test should be performed first. It can be protected for a week while the smell is present.
- Lack of hair. The most effective method, with 100% results, is head shaving. Modern methods of treating pediculosis make it possible to avoid such radical measures. But neat hairstyles and hidden hair allow you to avoid lice. Girls need to braid their hair; adults should wear headscarves when in contact with people at risk.
- Tar soap or shampoo, dust soap, birch tar. After contact with “dubious” persons, it is recommended to wash your hair with one of the presented products. Adult lice die from such drugs.
- Hellebore water, tansy decoction, cranberry, lemon juice. The hair is treated with one of the products, left for about 20 minutes, and washed off with warm water.
- Special shampoos for lice. The same drugs are used as to combat head lice, but in a slightly different way. To protect yourself or your child from lice, it is enough to wash your hair with the chosen product once a month. Or immediately after returning home from a business trip, contact with dubious persons.
We suggest you familiarize yourself with: What nits look like on human hair, what color and shape they are
Protection against lice is effective as long as the odor persists. It should be updated once a week. It is recommended to use shampoos with insecticides in special cases when there is a real risk of infection - after contact with a sick person.
Usually, measures against bloodsuckers and various parasites are preventive in nature, and if it was not possible to prevent the appearance of lice, then all means are used. Methods for eliminating invaders are divided into pharmaceutical and folk remedies. Pharmacy products have a synthetic base, a special procedure for use and must be prescribed by a doctor. Some pharmaceutical products are available without a prescription and can effectively remove parasites.
Preventive measures for children
Absolutely anyone can experience lice infestation, regardless of cleanliness, blood type, status and age. As statistics show, children are most often infected, but there are reasons for this.
The fact is that children have more contact with each other than others, during walks, during games, when visiting kindergartens, schools, and camps. Since parasites are transmitted through contact, the spread among children accounts for the largest percentage.
In addition, children very often use each other’s personal items, do their hair with the same comb, try on hats, etc. You cannot completely protect your child, but you can try to reduce the likelihood of infection.
It is necessary to explain to the child why it is better to maintain a minimum distance during games, that you cannot take other people’s things and give them your own, girls must braid their hair, ponytails, and do their hair so that there is no loose hair in public places.
General preventive measures
Regardless of age, you should always remember about preventive measures that will help minimize the occurrence of head lice. Remember that pubic and linen lice are also transmitted through contact and personal belongings. Avoid close contact with strangers. In public transport, in queues, elevators and other places, maintain a minimum distance from each other.
Check your hair for parasites as often as possible. Of course, it will be quite difficult for the head to detect one individual, but it is possible. A disease detected in time is easier to treat and fighting a minor infection is much easier than dealing with huge colonies.
Maintain hygiene and cleanliness in the room. It is much easier to detect parasites if the scalp is clean, also regarding the main symptom of lice - itching, which can appear due to dandruff or dirt, and when lice appear, it will be difficult to distinguish the nature of the itching. You need to regularly change your bed linen, wash dirty clothes, and wash your combs.
Keep an eye on your personal belongings so that no one takes them to use, and also do not take other people’s things. When visiting places where there are common changing rooms, put your things in bags and tie them up, do not use shared towels, and do not share your own.
If your work involves communicating with a large number of people, you should be as careful as possible; you can use the following protective measures:
- Use essential oils that have a strong, repellent aroma. Lavender tincture also helps well.
- Combing your hair with a fine-tooth comb as often as possible will help detect and get rid of insects at an early stage of infestation.
- Use preventive shampoos from time to time.
Folk remedies for prevention
There are several folk recipes that will help prevent head lice. They are available, easy to use and, as a rule, safe for human health. The first thing to remember is that insects cannot tolerate strong odors, they try to leave the area where there is an unpleasant odor as soon as possible, so you can resort to the following measures:
- We make an infusion of lavender.
- Apply 1-2 drops to the back of the head and behind the ears.
The infusion can be replaced with essential oil, which is first diluted with water. Eucalyptus, geranium, bergamot, and tea tree oils have the same effect.
Remember that the use of essential oils has age restrictions. Children from 1 year old can use tea tree and lavender oil. Bergamot and eucalyptus can be used from 2 years of age, and geranium only from 5 years of age.
Smells
All animals and insects react negatively to sharp, specific aromas; lice are no exception . You can repel parasites from your hair using essential oils:
- Tea tree.
- Lavender.
- Cypress.
- Wormwood.
- Geraniums.
Parasites primarily inhabit the temporal and occipital parts of the head, so for preventive purposes it is recommended to apply essential oils behind the ears and on the back of the head.
