Their relatives live ahem, down south and look more like sea creatures than body creatures.
They're nasty and if your child comes home with them, until you clear them up, your child will not be able to attend school.
Here are a few facts about head lice from the Directors of Health Promotion and Education (DHPE):
- A louse is a parasitic insect that lives in the hair and scalp of humans
- The scientific name for head louse is Pediculus humanus capitis.
- Another name for infestation is pediculosis
- Head lice develop in three forms: nits, nymphs, and adults
- Nits: Nits are head lice eggs.
They are hard to see and are often mistaken for dandruff or droplets of hairspray.
Nits are found firmly attached to the hair shaft.
They are oval and usually yellow to white.
Nits take about 1 week to hatch - Nymphs: Nits hatch into nymphs.
Nymphs are immature adult head lice.
Nymphs mature into adults about 7 days after hatching.
To live, nymphs must feed on blood.
- Adults: An adult louse is about the size of a sesame seed, has six legs, and is tan to greyish- white.
In persons with dark hair, adult lice will look darker.
Adult lice can live up to 30 days on a person's head.
To live, adult lice need to feed on blood.
If a louse falls off a person, it dies within 2 days
While they say controlled use is not harmful for topical use, who really wants to put these harsh chemicals on their skin or scalp? And these chemicals, quite frankly, stink! Cautions Regarding These Chemical Treatments
- Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not use head-lice medications
- Consult a health-care provider before using lice-killing products on a person who has allergies, asthma, or other medical conditions
- Do not use extra amounts of lice-killing medicines
- Do not use lice-killing medicines on the eyebrows or eyelashes