Written by Editorial Team
Lice (जूं in Hindi) infestation is one of the most common and annoying problem during the school and play-school years. The thought of tiny insects crawling on your head surely gives one jitters, think about the ordeal your little one goes through when he/she mercilessly scratches the head. Often, the reason behind this behavior of your child goes unnoticed by you, which in turn is leading to a wholesome haven for lice in your child’s head! Sometimes, this may cause difficulty in sleeping or concentrating on studies.
Read below on how to detect lice and remove them gently:
A head lice is a tiny insect measuring about 3mm with 6 legs and crawls on scalp and hair. It feeds by sucking blood and lays eggs (nits = लिखें). The eggs appear to be small white flakes about the size of a pin head, stuck firmly to the hair and are mostly found close to the scalp. Sometimes you may overlook lice, since they are small, move quickly and difficult to spot in dark colored hair. Similarly, nymphs or baby lice may be difficult to spot in light-colored hair since it is light in color. These nymphs develop into an adult lice in about 1-2 weeks
Some of the symptoms of lice are:
Yes, head lice is very contagious. These small creatures have claws that enable them to cling to hair or even another person and are most widely spread when children are in groups – schools, sport camps, child care centers etc. Apart from head to head contact, they can also spread through shared clothes, using shared combs and brushes, through beds and hats and other hair accessories.
Lice are very contagious. They can easily travel from one person to another. This is the case when young children sit together, play and peer into the same book with heads close to one another. Apart from this, lice can be passed on through the medium of comb, scarf, cap, clothes, pillows and sharing the same bed.
If your child has any allergies or medical condition, its best to discuss freely with the doctor, who may suggest a different medical shampoo
There is no quick fix or a one-time shampoo to get rid of this mess. Strictly follow the intervals between shampooing, these are devised to break the growth cycle of lice and essential for lice-free hair.
4. Neem Leaves: Boil neem leaves and rinse off the hair, make this the last rinse
5. Clip the hair:Consider clipping the hair, it’s just going to make the task more manageable. Nit picking by hand would also become easier
6. Onions to the rescue! Crush onions or grind them in a mixer, pass the paste through a sieve and apply the obtained juice on the scalp. Let it remain for about an hour and wash off
7. Try this paste: Crush 7-8 almonds, add 3 tbsp lemon juice, apply this paste on the scalp, let it remain for about 30 mins and rinse off
8. Try Vineger: Massage and rinsing hair with a mixture comprising 50% water and 50% white vinegar
9. Olive oil: Simply apply olive oil mixed with lime juice, cover the head with a shower cap and wash off with a shampoo containing tea tree extracts, neem or Biotique Henna Shampoo
10. Try Mouthwash: Try rubbing Listerine mouthwash on the scalp and rinsing off with the regular shampoo. Listerine has antibacterial properties
Lice often poses an embarrassing situation and gives an impression of poor hygiene. It’s best to deal patiently with this, combing regularly using the nit combs followed by anti-lice shampoo. Encourage your kid to avoid sticking head closer to his/her friend and this may lessen the agony of itchy, pesky creatures on the scalp. Lastly, you need to diligently watch your child’s head, the earlier the lice is detected, easier the removal. Why not bond with him over a light head massage?
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