Forms of Head Lice
Following are three forms of head lice:

Nit: Nits are tiny head lice eggs and are often confused for dandruff. They are usually yellow to white and oval in shape. Nits are 0.8mm by 0.3mm in size. They are strongly attached to the hair shaft. Nits take one week to hatch.

Nymph: The nit hatches into a nymph. Nymphs are young lice. They are smaller in size and can move quickly. They are yellow to rust colored. Nymphs mature into adults about 7 days after hatching. They live by sucking blood from the scalp. Nymphs are commonly found behind the ears and at the neckline.

Adult:  The adult louse is 2-4 mm long with six legs. Adult lice can live up to thirty days on individual’s head. To live, adult lice suck blood from scalp. The color of adult lice is rust.

It is very easily transferrable, just the simple contact of heads or sharing of pillows may lead to it being transferred from one scalp to another.  It is a medical condition caused by the colonization of the hair and skin by the parasitic insect Pediculus humanus capitis.   Most often head lice will be found only in the scalp area however in rare cases it may also be found in other hairy areas of the human body.  The source of food for head lice is human blood and they usually feed once or twice in a day by piercing the skin with their tiny needle like mouthparts. One main symptom of head lice is a lot of itching in the infested area such as the scalp.

Excessive scratching of the infested area could cause sores, which eventually could become infected.  It must be noted that head lice cannot be considered a disease but actually a condition or a cosmetic problem for the carrier.  There are hundreds of millions of cases of head lice each year and still there is no method or product that could assure 100% destruction of the eggs and hatched lice after a single treatment.  However, there are a number of different treatments one may adopt in order to get rid of these little microscopic pests such as, chemical treatments, combs, shaving, natural products, hot air and last but not the least silicone based lotions.

The most common treatment of head lice is using medicated shampoos, cream rinses, and nit combs.  Lastly, it should be noted that some lice have become immune to some but not all insecticides used in commercially available products, therefore it would be most appropriate to have a physician or pharmacist prescribe or recommend a treatment.

Head lice are becoming a bane to the parents, as they are very common among the children; especially the school going ones. Head lice once attached to a head don’t go away easily. They multiply at a fast rate where as it takes longer to get rid of them. When it comes to getting rid of head lice, it is important to remove head lice eggs or nits. Because if you fail to get rid of head lice eggs, you will not be able to get rid of head lice completely.

There are a number of medicines and shampoos available in the market that is thought helpful in removing these parasites from human heads. Many use chemicals and medications that kill head lice while head lice home remedies use products that can be easily purchased and are very effective if the instructions are followed. Unfortunately many medications do not kill the larva inside the lice eggs and hence there arises a need to use these products again over a fixed time period. This time period may last from a few days to a few weeks depending on how strong the used chemicals are. However, these chemicals guarantee a complete removal of the lice but nits cannot be removed by the use of these products.

The nits are very small and they are attached to the hair shaft by a type of glue secreted by the adult lice. The nits are to be removed using a comb with tiny, very close teeth or to be picked by hands. Since these nits are very tiny and difficult to see especially with light colored hair, a lot of people prefer to sit in the sunlight and pick the nits by hand. A lot of effort is needed in this process and it is very time consuming. The close teeth combs are easily available in the markets and are an easy way to pull the lice and nits. An easy way to get rid of lice and nits is to oil your hair before combing with the close tooth comb.

In order to get rid of lice people get their heads shaved but that is not the solution. It might work for men but it is not advisable for girls where as cutting the hair short helps. If the lice are not removed on time, they become a cause of social embracement. It is not shameful to have lice but it is shameful not to remove them.