Head Louse

Head Louse are small, blood-sucking parasites that live in the hair. Head lice live for most of the time on the scalp, gripping tightly with special claws.

Head Louse are small, grey or brown in color and look like tiny beetles. The females lay about eight eggs (nits) a night and glue each one to the base of a hair. After seven days a new white louse hatches and leaves the egg case attached to the hair. The attached empty egg-case is often a good pointer that the cause of head itching is due to lice. Often the lice themselves, unless very plentiful, may move so quickly they can be difficult to see.

The newly hatched white louse (nymph) starts to feed on blood from the scalp or the skin just below the hair line or behind the ears. Within ten days of hatching it is fertile and able to produce more eggs.

The creatures are rarely seen unless searched for but may be most apparent around the edges of the hairline or behind the ears.

Scratch marks in these areas will also give warning of the likely diagnosis. Combing the hair with a nit comb over white paper may indicate head lice if they can be combed out and if they have been present longer than a week; the egg-cases may be seen still attached to the hair.

What causes head louse and lice?

Head lice cannot fly, hop or jump and so the only way they can travel from head to head is by walking. This is why they occur so frequently in young children, who constantly put their heads close together. They cannot be passed on by sharing hats, combs or towels.

Head Louse Treatment

Symptom of Head Louse

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Health Tip

Steam baths are cooler than saunas, with average temperatures between 37-40 degree C. To enjoy steam bath safely, follow the same guidelines as for sauna. And be sure the tub is clean and well chlorinated to avoid folliculitis, a skin infection that can result from poorly maintained hot tubs.