Who are these lice, unattractive insects, yet very attached to our hair? They are indeed parasitic insects, drinkers of blood, which have taken our head for thousands of years and which we are not about to get rid of … young and old!
Lice are incapable of living alone in nature, and are also found in most animals … They do not fly more than they jump, but they cling to the slightest hair that passes because they are provided large pliers, capable of grasping the end of the first hair that comes to brush against them.
Practical consequence: they are always transmitted by contact
- Face to face, …
- But also, by exchanging hairbrushes, or a cap …
It is for this reason that children are regularly infested: 1 in 2 children will contract lice, most often around the age of 7. If adults had the same behaviors, they would have just as many lice! These strike all year round but the risks increase with the summer camps and the start of the school year.
It itches.
The 1st signs that should alert are itching! Lice feed on blood, and bite 3 to 4 times a day for their meals. These repeated bites cause severe itching.
To find out, it’s simple: just comb the hair, with an anti-lice comb, over a white surface, the sink, or a large sheet of paper. Lice will be easily distinguished once detached from the hair, but be careful, they are no bigger than a pinhead! So as not to confuse it with dandruff, watch it carefully, you will see it moving. A small magnifying glass will be of great help to you.
To confirm the diagnosis, the presence of only ONE living louse is sufficient.
Be careful, lice avoid the light! They hide in thick hair and are difficult to find. But they have favorite places: the back of the neck and behind the ears, where it is hot. Why ? Because that’s where the females will lay their egg: the nits. The speed of contamination is frenetic, a female: it’s 300 eggs!
The observation of nits still stuck to the hair is not a reliable criterion, especially if they are at a distance of several cm from the scalp. It is often the trace of an old infestation, which you will no longer have to worry about.
Especially not a question of hygiene!
Clean or dirty hair… No difference! Laboratory tests surprisingly show that lice prefer clean hair because it is easier to climb into it)
Contagious is not the right word … but lice are easily transmitted by contact. It will also be necessary, in all cases, to control the whole family!
Lmost important is to “de-dramatize”
Children should not be made to feel guilty … And it works! The city of Tours has introduced school games on this subject. As a result, less than 2% of children have lice, unlike the national average of close to 10%.
You must explain to the children:
- No longer sticking your head in other people’s hair while playing,
- Not to exchange brushes or caps,
And for girls: tie up long hair, especially in times of risk, that is to say: during summer camps and back to school
Especially no grandmother’s remedies
Lice will not go away on their own and above all, an infestation must be treated quickly: remember that a SINGLE female lays 300 eggs, … which, ten days after hatching, will give adult lice reproducing in their turns!
Avoid especially the remedies of grandmothers … Mayonnaise does not work. Concentrated Essential Oils which, on the other hand, can be toxic for your child.
Recent experiments show that lice survive all ordinary shampoos, the swimming pool, the sauna, the extreme cold … They are resistant to everything! … and are even still alive after washing in the washing machine at 50 ° C! A word of advice, wash your linens at 60 ° C. And anything that does not go through the machine should be isolated in a plastic bag for 3 days with an effective anti-lice.
Always treat
Two years ago, American researchers sounded the alarm: in the United States, almost all head lice were resistant to conventional treatments! Today, this is the case everywhere, on the whole planet! Neurotoxic insecticides, standard treatments for over 70 years, have become ineffective
The old neurotoxic products are therefore replaced by oil-based products (coconut oil or silicone oil, depending on the brand), aimed at smothering the parasites. But these oils are only effective at 70% on average … that is to say that 1 in 4 children will not be cured, … is will inevitably be a source of new contaminations in the entourage. ..
To effectively treat a child, it is therefore necessary to aim broad: schools should, for example, establish a “lice day”, during which all affected children would be treated simultaneously. This is the only way to stop epidemics. For this same reason, a family should be fully controlled and, if necessary
Three out of four products ineffective
It must be treated the same day, with a suitable product. Many products exist today. Not all are created equal. Parents spend three times more than they should on anti-lice products, according to the Familles Rurales association, which recalls that two-thirds of treatments are not 100% effective.
Another study carried out in France tested 21 anti-lice products in the laboratory … and the results are alarming: only 6 are effective (1)! This means that 3 quarters of the products sold today … do not eliminate lice!
A word of advice: Talk about lice without fear and, … do not hesitate to ask your pharmacist for advice.
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