Page 52 - (DK) Home Doctor: Providing practical advice on home treatments

50 COMMON CONDITIONS: SKIN, HAIR, AND NAIL PROBLEMS

Head lice

Head lice are gray-brown insects about the size of a sesame seed that
live on or close to the scalp. They lay eggs that hatch into more lice, and
the oval off-white egg cases (nits) remain glued to the bases of hairs.
They look like dandruff but can’t be brushed off. Because head lice are
easily passed on by close contact they can affect anyone, but are more
common in children. You may see your child scratching his or her head,
although itching may not develop until some time after infection. Nits in hair

See your doctor first
PRACTICAL TECHNIQUE
Make an appointment to see your doctor if you
aren’t sure whether you have lice, or if you have Detection combing It is difficult to find
lice but don’t know which treatment to use. lice by just looking in the hair, so use the following
process. It takes about 15–30 minutes.
● Shampoo and rinse your hair and apply a generous
What you can do yourself amount of conditioner. Comb with an ordinary comb.
● Insert a detection comb at the hair roots, with the
You can treat head lice yourself, but you only need teeth flat against the scalp. Draw it up to the hair tips.
to do so if you find live lice in the hair. ● Check the comb after each stroke, and remove any
lice by wiping it on a tissue.
● To detect head lice, use detection combing (see
● Make sure you cover the entire head, combing
PRACTICAL TECHNIQUE, right). If you find lice, check over a white towel so you can see any lice that fall.
family members and tell anyone who has had ● If you find lice, rinse your hair, let it dry, and apply
recent close contact with you or your child so they a head lice preparation. Alternatively, rinse and repeat
can be treated if necessary. combing. Repeat 3 more times at
4-day intervals. If you find live
● Apply a head lice preparation to kill the lice (see
lice in a subsequent session,
DRUG REMEDIES, right).
repeat combing 3 more
● If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, or treating a times, at 4-day intervals,
baby under 6 months old, you should not use head until none are seen.
lice preparations. Instead, you can use repeated Combing method
detection combing (see PRACTICAL TECHNIQUE, right), Work backward and
which is also an option if you prefer not to use forward and from
insecticides. side to side over
the whole head.
● Head lice die quickly once they leave the scalp
but, as a precaution, wash brushes, combs, towels,
and pillowcases, and don’t share hats, scarves,
brushes, and combs with anyone else. DRUG REMEDIES

Head lice preparations (see p.184)
Seek further medical advice kill lice. Normally, you rub the preparation into the
hair and scalp and leave it on for a set period of time,
Arrange to see your doctor if: depending on the particular product. You then
shampoo your hair and comb out the dead lice.
● You find live lice 2 or 3 days after the
A second treatment may be necessary.
second application of a head lice preparation
or after combing regularly for 2 weeks