What are lice afraid of
Hello! I was very anxious about the health of my daughter in the first years of her life.
Now imagine how worried I was when in the kindergarten she went to, one girl caught pediculosis. I then took a whole range of measures to protect the child from potential infection.
Head lice feed exclusively on human blood. Every two or three hours they arrange a “bloody meal” for themselves, digging their piercing-sucking proboscis into the scalp. The characteristic itching in this case occurs due to the saliva of the head louse, which it leaves when sucking blood.
Without human blood, lice can usually survive no longer than one day. Contrary to popular belief, head lice cannot jump or fly. They crawl from head to head when hair touches.
Head lice are not afraid of water. Even under water, lice can firmly grasp human hair with their tenacious paws. However, since water does not penetrate the respiratory tract of lice, they can survive for several hours under water. It is also impossible to wash off with water and nits.
For this reason, lice almost always live in the hair and do not, contrary to misconceptions, go to hats, plush toys or upholstered furniture. Head lice not found on a human head are usually already dead.
Vinegar is powerless against lice. Vinegar is not able to kill lice. But rinsing in vinegar can still make it easier to comb out nits after treatment with a pediculicide.
Head lice are not afraid of hot air. A favorite place for lice on the head is warm places behind the ears or on the temples. Therefore, these areas should be especially carefully checked if a head lice infestation is suspected. Hot air does not harm lice. The opinion that lice can be removed in a sauna or with a hair dryer is erroneous.
source: http://www.medlinks.ru/article.php?sid=46383
How to get rid of pediculosis, why are lice and nits afraid, what smell are they afraid of?
If for the destruction of adults it is enough to treat the head with a special agent only once strictly following the instructions, then in order to remove all the nits, you need to make a lot of effort and be patient.
Over the years of fighting lice and nits, people have invented a lot of ways to quickly and effectively get rid of these insects in the shortest possible time.
Pharmacy preparations
Industrial or pharmacy preparations are very convenient to use, they accurately calculate the proportions of all ingredients, and if you follow the instructions, the treatment will be fast and effective.
Pediculosis control products are available in different forms, they are all equally effective and each buyer can choose the most suitable method for treating the head.
Shampoo. Preferred by parents of young children. In order not to frighten the child with various ointments or aerosols, the head is treated in the atmosphere familiar to the child, in the form of a simple head wash.
As a rule, after the first treatment, all adult insects die, and after a short period of time (5-7 days), it is recommended to repeat the treatment.
Aerosol or spray. A very convenient form of the drug to use, you can carry out the procedure for treating the head yourself without resorting to anyone's help. It is enough to apply the product evenly over the entire surface of the head, withstand the time recommended in the instructions and rinse.
Creams and ointments. Products such as creams and ointments are only suitable for short hair, as they have a greasy texture and are poorly washed out. The principle of treatment is not complicated: it is enough to apply evenly over the entire surface of the head, hold for a certain time and rinse.
Folk methods
No less popular than pharmaceutical preparations. They are highly efficient and in many cases at a budget price. The most effective include the following:
Attention!
Vinegar solution. For cooking, you need to take a simple 9% table vinegar and dilute it with clean water in a ratio of 1: 2, so that you end up with a vinegar solution of no more than 5%.
The principle of application is simple:
- Distribute evenly throughout the head and hair.
- Wrap your head tightly with cling film.
- Keep 30-40 minutes.
- Wash off with shampoo.
Advantages: instantly kills live lice and weakens the fastening of nits, after such treatment they are more easily removed from the hair.
Disadvantages: if the acid concentration is incorrect (more than 5%), there is a high probability of getting a chemical burn.
Kerosene. Never used in pure form. To treat the head, a certain mixture is prepared, which includes kerosene. There are a lot of recipes for such mixtures and each person selects the most suitable one for himself individually.
Pros: High efficiency, budget price. Disadvantages:
- Toxic substance, not recommended for use by children and the elderly.
- There is a high probability of chemical burns and intoxication.
Dust soap. A very strong remedy that instantly kills lice and nits, but belongs to the category of poisons that tend to accumulate in the human body and are not removed from it on their own. DDT poisoning can be fatal. Prohibited for use in many countries.
Advantages: Very effective remedy for lice and nits.
Disadvantages:
- Powerful, aggressive poison dangerous to humans.
- Not available for sale.
- Strongly not recommended for children and people with poor health.
Hydrogen peroxide and alcohol compress. Hydrogen peroxide, as well as alcohol, are used to treat the head in a diluted form. They are highly effective in destroying living individuals, but are absolutely safe for nits.
Advantages:
- Affordable price.
- Easy to buy in every pharmacy.
- Just prepare a solution for treating the head.
- The solution is not difficult to use.
Disadvantages:
- There is a high probability of getting a chemical burn of the scalp.
- Does not kill nits.
Mechanical methods of struggle
In the treatment of pediculosis, mechanical methods of struggle are mandatory - special combs.
Comb types:
- Classical. Plastic comb with fine teeth.
- Metal. The peculiarity of this comb is that it has special notches at the ends of the teeth. When a hair with a nit passes through such teeth, the notch cuts the nit, this instantly kills the larva and removes it from the hair.
- Electric. Ineffective comb, only kills live lice, not suitable for long hair. Useless for fighting nits.
External factors
The most important factor for the life and reproduction of lice is air temperature.
High air temperature from 25 to 35 degrees is considered favorable. At this temperature, insects multiply rapidly: in just 5-7 days, a young individual emerges from the nit.
Unfavorable - the temperature is above 40 degrees and below 10. In the cold, the louse dies in a matter of minutes. When the air temperature drops below 10 degrees, insects move slowly, are not able to lay eggs, and at zero air temperature they hibernate for a long period of time (up to 60 days).
You can loosen lice by drying your hair and entire scalp with a hot hair dryer for at least 15 minutes. Insects will become slower, and it will be easier to remove them from the hair with a comb.
Smells
- Tea tree.
- Lavender.
- Cypress.
- Wormwood.
- Geranium.
Substances
Chemicals that adversely affect lice are part of pharmaceutical preparations, these include:
- permethrin;
- malathion;
- phenothrin;
- dimethicone.
All of them affect insects in different ways: some paralyze the nervous system, others corrode the chitinous shell, others act asphyxiating, but ultimately lead to the rapid death of adults.
Attention!
The most effective and efficient way to remove lice is an integrated approach. In the treatment of pediculosis, it is necessary not only to treat the head with a special tool, but also to comb out the nits mechanically every day, using a comb.
For preventive purposes, in the summer, one should constantly inspect the head for the presence of lice and nits, since absolutely any person can become infected with lice, regardless of his cleanliness.
source: https://hairsecrets.online/zabolevaniya/pedikulez/chego-boyatsya-vshi.html
What are head lice, as well as linen and pubic lice afraid of?
There are many ways to get rid of head lice. These are recipes passed down from generation to generation, and chemicals that can completely cure pediculosis.
Head louse - usually chooses prey with long hair. It feeds on blood, piercing all layers of the epidermis and making its way to the blood vessel.
Pubic - unfolds vital activity in places with coarse vegetation - in intimate areas, eyebrows, armpits, beard and mustache. The transmission route is contact, in the truest sense of the word. During intimacy, the insect clings to the partner's hairs. You can also get infected through bed linen or a towel.
Blue spots form at the bite sites - a consequence of the breakdown of hemoglobin. Wounds can be complicated by a purulent course.
How can you scare away bloodsuckers, and what does not work on them? By the way, there are many myths that supposedly bloodsuckers can be brought out with the help of conspiracies and prayers.
plain water
There is a belief: water has a detrimental effect on lice.
It makes no sense to rinse your head with cold water, the bloodsuckers will not die, and you risk getting hypothermia.
Are bloodsuckers afraid of pungent odors
Lice do not like strong odors. What has an attractive aroma for a person scares away bloodsuckers.
In order to kill insects, you should wrap your head: by such actions you will block the access of oxygen to pests, their respiratory tract will be burned by a sharp-smelling substance. How to influence the hair so that the bloodsuckers suffocate?
Lice are afraid of essential oils: the smell of mint, lavender oil and tea tree. Burdock oil will help after recovery, restoring the structure of the hair. Concentrates are widely used for preventive purposes: a few drops of a pharmacy are added to the shampoo.
Your curls will be protected from infection for 7 days. Before applying, make sure that there is no allergic reaction to the concentrated substance. Test for sensitivity by placing a few drops on the elbow area. In the absence of redness and itching, you can add oil to shampoos.
Lice cannot stand substances such as birch tar. They die from tar soap. Wash your hair with strong-smelling detergent and comb your hair with a fine-toothed comb.
A decoction of tansy, wormwood, rosemary grass, lemon juice, cranberries, hellebore water - have a suffocating effect on individuals and help peel off nits. One of the products is applied to the curls and kept for 30 minutes.
After the procedure, the hair is rinsed and combed thoroughly. Be sure to inspect the head for nits. If you miss one egg, pediculosis will return in a week.
In order to protect yourself from infection, it is enough to wash your curls with an anti-pediculosis shampoo once a month. It is not necessary to withstand the exposure time indicated on the bottle. You do not treat the disease, but act as a preventive measure.
Kerosene has been used for many decades. The tool is inexpensive, but effective. At least that's what many who have experienced the disease think. Kerosene acts as a toxic substance that has a suffocating effect on bloodsuckers. In relation to children and pregnant women, a folk remedy is not used.
The fuel has one minus - the unpleasant smell from the hair does not disappear for a long time. No cosmetic preparations will kill the persistent smell of fuel. Note: we would not recommend kerosene.
Attention!
Vinegar is an acid that dissolves the sticky substance that adults use to attach eggs to the rod. Use a weak solution of vinegar so as not to burn the scalp.
The substance itself does not kill the lice. The tool is suitable in order to prevent infection and improve the structure of the hair shaft.
Salt and alcohol combined with vinegar will help relieve the itching caused by head lice. The mixture is prepared by mixing a teaspoon of alcohol with 3 tablespoons of salt. Add 3% vinegar and apply as a compress. Apply to clean hair, do not wash off for 2 days.
Karbofos is used in hospitals during anti-pediculosis treatment of patients. The tool kills both adults and nits. The head is treated and wrapped for 30 minutes, then rinsed with acetic water and combed out with a fine comb. Minus - an unpleasant smell from the head for 10 days.
Temperature changes
There is an opinion: human head lice, as well as underwear, are most afraid of changes in ambient temperature. Is it so?
Not always the action of high temperature will help get rid of bloodsuckers. There are temperatures at which individuals will feel quite comfortable.
The normal temperature range of vital activity and laying offspring is + 24 - 30 C. A decrease in indicators slows down the development of individuals. They eat less often and do not lay eggs.
Zero temperature does not lead to the death of individuals, but to a state close to suspended animation. The insect sleeps for several days.
You can not get rid of pubic bloodsuckers by swimming in the hole. For insects, the water temperature from -1 to + 4 is quite acceptable to hold out for 10 - 15 minutes. And more in ice water the person will not sustain. As a result of exposure to low temperatures, nits also survive.
Dry hot air can slow down the development of nits and the vital activity of adults. With the help of a hair dryer, it is impossible to get rid of pests. To destroy bloodsuckers and nits, you need to use a hairdryer with a stream of hot air for at least an hour.
A bath, similarly, will save only very persistent comrades from lice: after all, not everyone is able to hold out in a steam room at high temperatures. Moreover, it is known: a hot bath greatly harms the hair.
Linen insects are destroyed by heat treatment of things at a temperature of +70 C. It is enough to wash the linen and leave to dry in the open air.
hairdressing tricks
A haircut. What head lice can't survive without is hair! That is why a radical and quick method of dealing with head lice in hospitals is shaving your head.
With women, this method is unlikely to work. Prevention and prevention of infection - remove hair under a headdress, or braid it.
Hair dye. Women in the fight against bloodsuckers resort to the procedure for staining curls. The method works, but under certain conditions:
- The paint must contain ammonia or hydrogen peroxide;
- After applying the paint, the head is wrapped for 30 - 40 minutes;
- The drug has not expired.
The method is effective for adults. The coloring pigment does not work on nits.
Hunger strikes are afraid of both larvae and adult lice. If the insect has fallen from the body of the host, it will not last more than 3 days. The larva lives without food for no more than a day.
What methods don't work
Bloodsuckers are not afraid:
- Magical rites, conspiracies and prayers. If a person firmly believes in the miraculous powers of the word, fix the result with an insecticidal preparation;
- Styling tools. Hairspray will help if you act directly on the individual. Fixing curls will not save you from the disease;
- Talismans. No charmed object hanging around the neck will protect against pediculosis;
- Holy water. This method is also not conducive to recovery. You need hot water, or better - boiling water, in order to remove the body lice. After washing, linen lice die.
With regard to bloodsuckers, a hair clipper works. This is a conspiracy, and a talisman and a repeller. The device saves from head insects, but with pubic ones it is not always effective.
myths
There are many myths about bloodsuckers among the people. Consider which of them is true and which is fiction.
Pediculosis affects the poor and the hungry. Neither wealth in the family, nor status in society protect against the disease. The composition of the blood is the same for everyone.
Bloodsuckers love the 4th blood group. Group affiliation does not affect infection.
Bloodsuckers in a jump overcome 5 meter distances. Lice crawl at a speed of 20 cm per minute. Fleas jump.
Attention!
Bloodsucker can penetrate deep into the epidermis. The size of the proboscis of the insect is much smaller than the body; the pest cannot penetrate the skin.
After successful treatment of pediculosis, there are no complications. In fact, after treatment in children, people with allergic reactions and weakened immune forces, complications are likely.
Wounds can fester, ulcerate and not heal for a long time. With the penetration of the infection, dangerous diseases develop - typhus and relapsing fever. Simple scratching can develop into eczema and dermatitis.
Alcoholics and drug addicts do not suffer from pediculosis, as “tasteless” blood circulates in the body. The human body is designed in such a way that the processes of renewal and purification take place every second.
Otherwise, we would already be dead after a few breaths of city air. The blood is cleansed of toxins resulting from the intake of alcoholic beverages, anyone can get sick with head lice.
The insect eats particles of the skin and dandruff. Lice feed exclusively on blood, and dandruff and epidermal flakes are foreign debris that prevents the epidermis from being pierced.
In most cases, following traditional methods is ineffective and leads to severe infection. A person is forced to buy a special drug that helps get rid of bloodsuckers.
Every missed minute is a new nit in my head. If the result is the same - why waste precious time!
source: https://prochizdoma.ru/chego-boyatsya-vshi/
My son has pediculosis in his class! How to protect yourself - that's the question!
“My son was diagnosed with pediculosis in class, what should I do to protect myself from this trouble?” “What is the best way to treat pediculosis: folk remedies or drugs from a pharmacy? They say that insects are “used to” the latter?
Man has known about pediculosis for a very long time, and therefore there are many ways to combat this disease.
However, every time we encounter this scourge, we feel completely confused and even afraid. And fear, as you know, gives rise to a lot of speculation and rumors.
Description of the life of the head louse
Infection with lice occurs when the heads of a lice carrier and an uninfected person come into contact, as well as through shared towels, combs and other objects. Head lice attach themselves to the hair with their claws and spend most of their time on or near the scalp.
Each female lays an average of 8 oval-shaped eggs (nits) per night, attaching them one by one to the hair roots.
After about 3 days, a young louse (nymph) hatches from the nit, leaving behind an empty white shell firmly attached to the hair. For 7 days, the nymph eats in the same way as an adult louse, 10 days - and she herself is able to lay nits
Pediculosis treatment
Isolate your child first to avoid infecting other children. Wash, and even better, boil combs, clothes and other things in contact with lice.
The most common way of "home therapy" is treatment with kerosene. Kerosene is mixed with vegetable oil and thoroughly rubbed into the scalp. After that, a bag is put on the head and left for 20-30 minutes. As a result of "torture with kerosene", the scalp can be damaged, and the hair will become very stiff.
Another homemade option is dust soap. But, unfortunately, these substances do not kill nits, which have to be selected manually.
Another radical way that provides a 100% guarantee of getting rid of lice is a “zero” haircut.
However, it is possible to offer a sparing hair health and a more effective way - the use of special anti-pediculosis products. Most drugs are effective against lice, but few are able to cope with nits.
Pair Plus - aerosol. As a rule, a single application allows you to achieve the desired effect. Requires careful use.
Cream Nix - cream. The amount of cream needed to treat the head depends on the length and thickness of the hair. When using the cream, you should be aware that this drug should not be used by people who are allergic to chrysanthemums.
Attention!
Children under 2 years of age are treated with the product only under the supervision of medical personnel. Pregnant and lactating women are advised to consult a doctor before using the drug.
It would seem that everything is clear: to process the head and comb out the nits. But in reality, everything is much more complicated. Those who are faced with this problem have a lot of questions, we will answer some of them.
FAQ
How long do lice live outside the host? The question is, should the whole apartment be treated somehow (including upholstered furniture, pillows and blankets)? Can head lice live and breed on clothing? Do you need to boil clothes or just wash them?
If a louse fell from its head onto the carpet, can it get back? What and how many times should be processed to be sure that they are no more? Can a louse live in a mattress (should it be processed)?
Outside the host, the louse remains viable for 72 hours. The whole apartment does not need to be processed, it is enough to apply an anti-pediculosis spray on objects that the head touched: a pillow, a pillowcase. But furniture and blankets can no longer be reached by lice, so these items can be left alone.
What is the reason for the restriction in the instructions for lice remedies: “no more than twice a month”, and why is it necessary to rinse the hair with vinegar after the remedy?
The limitation on the timing of the use of antipediculosis drugs is associated with the toxicity of these drugs. Rinsing with a 5-8% solution of acetic acid is necessary: it makes combing out nits and dead lice much easier and is a kind of disinfectant. The comb after combing is also recommended to be placed for some time in a 5-8% solution of vinegar.
Why is it not possible to "bring out" lice the first time? The use of almost all anti-pediculosis agents involves repeated application. This is due to the peculiarity of the life of the louse (the maturation period of the nits is 3 days).
After using drugs against lice, the hair becomes dry, itching appears. What to do? Concerns about the safety of the drug are not in vain: indeed, all anti-pediculosis drugs are relatively toxic. However, as they say, you have to choose the lesser of two evils.
Fear of infection sometimes makes us look for non-traditional, and sometimes curious methods of treatment. True, in such a situation it is not a laughing matter, but it is still worth refuting some statements.
Is it true that the use of ultraviolet light and solarium will help in the fight against insects?
Medicine knows only the antimicrobial effect of ultraviolet radiation. Unfortunately, the solarium will not help you get rid of lice.
Is it true that if pets (a cat or a dog) live next to an infected person, then they can become infected?
No, pediculosis does not threaten "our smaller brothers", since insects feed on human blood.
Is it true that lice are afraid of high temperatures? Is it possible then to get rid of them with a hair dryer or curling iron?
Yes, lice are afraid of high temperatures. However, a hair dryer, electric tongs is a very “hard” way to remove nits, so you can not only burn your hair, but also get a skin burn. Baking laundry is an effective method, but keep in mind that this will damage the appearance of the laundry.
Is it true that anti-pediculosis drugs can be used to prevent infection?
No. If there are no live lice, then it is not necessary to treat with anti-pediculosis agents. These drugs are toxic and should only be used when needed. Unfortunately, in the pharmacy assortment there are no such drugs that would help to avoid infection with lice. The only remedy is daily combing with a fine comb.
Note, if a person infected with pediculosis becomes ill with ARVI with a rise in temperature, then insects move from the skin to the very tip of the hair. This increases the spread of the disease.
The lice larva is protected by a strong shell, which makes it more resistant to temperature extremes. Nits can survive even if the environment around it warms up to 50 degrees. However, she is susceptible to low thermometer readings. At sub-zero temperatures, the larvae stop developing.
At what temperature do lice and nits die
Lice are susceptible to sudden temperature changes. When plus 20 degrees is observed in the environment, their life processes slow down. Lice become lethargic, weakly attached to the hair, their reproduction slows down. The female becomes less fertile. If the thermometer reaches plus 40, she completely stops laying nits.
Influence of cold
Some people, knowing at what temperature the bloodsuckers die, think that to get rid of them it will be enough to walk without a hat in the winter. However, this method does not work. Since lice live on the skin of a person who cannot have a temperature with a minus sign.
Interesting fact. Nits can go without a human body for a week. If comfortable conditions are created for the larva during this time period, then it will calmly turn into an adult and will be ready for reproduction. How lice breed, the rate of development, you will find on our website.
- at minus 5 lice do not breed, do not feed. In nits, development slows down;
- at minus 15 adults die. However, the vital activity of the larvae continues;
- at minus 20 nits die.
Lice have a more acute reaction to high thermometer readings. They have destruction of internal organs, leading to death.
Temperature control methods
Knowing at what temperature lice and their larvae die, it is possible to fight them effectively in specialized ways.
hair dryer
After that, dry with a hairdryer for a long time, bringing the device closer to the skin. The temperature regimes of the hair dryer should be at maximum levels.
To carry out this treatment, a diffuser is put on the hair dryer. This nozzle is included in the standard set. The usual procedure time is 10 minutes. Then a break is needed.
Since home hair dryers are not designed for long-term operation. After that, the thermal effect on the lice is carried out twice more.
Attention! Hairdrying does not kill the lice, but they become lethargic, cannot hold on to the hair, and literally fall out of it. As a result, lice are easily combed out of curls. And they will be weakened within an hour.
Immediately after the procedure, you need to comb out the hair with a special comb. To achieve the desired result, hair dryer treatment should be carried out for at least a week. This is because nits hatch in 7 to 10 days.
iron
Knowing the sensitivity of insects to temperature changes, many people have a natural question, is it possible to kill nits with a hair straightener. This method has found a worthy place for the fight against pediculosis.
To get the maximum effect you need:
- Rinse your hair with shampoo.
- Divide your hair into small sections.
- In order not to harm the curls, you can use heat-protective preparations.
- Processing should start from the back of the head.
- Slowly run the iron along the entire length of the hair, to the very ends.
- Next, comb out with a blood-sucking comb.
Treatment against lice and nits with a hair straightener should not be carried out for more than 2 seconds. Since too long contact can seriously damage the structure of the curls.
Bath
Since insect eggs can do without a person for a long time, they are able to endure extreme heat for a short period.
You can kill lice and nits only in a well-heated bath, where the air temperature reaches plus 80 degrees. Nits retain their vital activity up to plus 60. When taking this procedure, it should be remembered that it is necessary not only to bathe, but also to water the hair with the hottest water possible.
Iron
Using an iron or a steam cleaner is a great alternative to boiling water. This method is used both on linen and on soft toys, furniture, blankets.
Processing should be carried out with the maximum allowable temperatures. When ironing, it is important not only to pay attention to the front side of the product. Linen must be turned inside out, close attention is paid to the seams.
Cold
Only body lice can be destroyed by cold exposure, without harming human health. To cause their death, the product should be hung in the cold for 2 days.
Cold treatment for lice and nits can also be carried out in another way. To do this, things that were in use by the infected should be put in a plastic bag. Place in the freezer for several hours.
Under such conditions, the death of insects occurs within 3-4 hours. Then it remains to eliminate them from the seams, folds. After that, it is recommended to wash clothes, iron them with a hot iron.
Advantages and disadvantages
The temperature effect on lice has undeniable advantages over chemical treatments. First of all it is:
- absolute environmental friendliness;
- complete elimination of pediculosis. Since nits and lice cannot stand high and low temperatures;
- accessibility of the method;
- the possibility of using without prior preparation.
Like any method, temperature influence has a number of disadvantages, which include:
- injury risk. Careless use of high temperatures increases the risk of head burns;
- deterioration of the hair structure. Exposure to high temperatures damages curls;
One way to deal with lice is to change the temperature that is comfortable for them. Basically, this method is suitable for the destruction of body lice. Although recently there are various methods of heat treatment of hair on the human head. What lice are afraid of and how you can deal with them, knowing at what temperature lice die, we will consider in more detail.
But you can change the comfortable ambient temperature. With such changes, insects do not withstand for a long time and die. There are two options - to radically increase or decrease the temperature. Usually a louse can live for several days outside the human body. Acceptable temperature is from -5 to +40 degrees Celsius.
Temperature drop
Note! Some may think that walking in the cold without a hat will help get rid of insects. This is a big misconception.
Even being in cold air for a long time will not help get rid of the disease. In fact, walking on a frosty day without a hat can only catch a cold and freeze your ears. This will not affect the lice in any way, because they crawl over the skin and hair close to it. The skin retains a certain amount of heat. Therefore, for lice, the temperature drops slightly. For nits, this method will be completely useless - their cocoon reliably protects the nymph growing inside from many external adverse phenomena.
Therefore, this moment should be taken into account and accepted. Destroy by lowering the temperature, without harm to health, you can only linen lice.
To destroy lice in this way, you need to take all fabric products outside in frosty weather, hang them up and leave them for several days. At the same time, the temperature should be below -20 degrees - this is the threshold even for nits. It is worth paying attention to the fact that air humidity affects the frame and time of death of insects - the higher the percentage of humidity, the faster they die. After the necessary time has passed, all frozen lice and nits are gently brushed off or removed with a brush right on the street. Having returned the clothes to the house, it is recommended to carefully iron them with a hot iron, paying special attention to the inner seams - it is in them that insects like to hide most of all.
There is another faster method: all infected items are collected in a plastic bag, tightly tied and placed in the freezer. Within a few hours, not only adults are frozen, but also their nits. It remains only to carefully remove their remnants from the folds and wash the clothes.
Temperature increase
If we talk about the increase in temperature, then the more it differs from the temperature of the human body, the worse the insects feel. Temperatures from +54 degrees Celsius are considered fatal for lice.
Nits are a little more resistant to external changes, as they are wrapped in a dense cocoon that protects them from the influence of external factors. But when heated, the fatal threshold for the cocoon and nits is +60 degrees Celsius.
To combat lice, things and small personal hygiene items can be treated with boiling water. You can use an iron or steam cleaner to clean clothes, bedding, pillows, blankets, and upholstered furniture.
Read also The child has lice - what needs to be done
- American scientists have created a special hair dryer. They blow the scalp of a sick person for half an hour at a temperature of +50 degrees. For insects, this is not a very favorable temperature at which they weaken and cannot move quickly, hold on to their hair. This temperature is hardly perceptible to a person, so he does not experience discomfort during the procedure. At the end of the treatment, insects, along with nits, are combed out with thick metal combs;
A special hair dryer for treating the head is currently common in clinics in the United States of America. Recently, they are only beginning to appear in some expensive dermatological centers in other countries.
Note! Despite the effectiveness of the procedures, it is recommended to combine with mechanical treatment with a thick comb. Mechanical treatment should be carried out at least twice a day until no lice and nits are found in several combing procedures.
The influence of temperature fluctuations on the development of lice
More inquisitive readers can look at the table and find out how temperature changes directly affect the vital activity and reproduction of lice.
The method of destroying lice with the help of a temperature difference can be considered one of the best. After all, this means that you can treat pediculosis without the help of chemicals and the risk of getting serious side effects. In this case, both a decrease and an increase in temperature can be used, or a combination of both methods.
For many who have encountered these insects, the question arises where lice live except for the head. A louse happens, it is on this that its habitat depends. Lice can be:
- Head.
- Clothes (linen).
- Pubic.
All three varieties are very similar to each other, their body shape, color, size and location distinguishes them.
The head louse prefers to live in the hair on the head, the linen louse lives in the underwear and clothes of its owner, the pubic louse lives in the hair growing on the pubis, eyelashes and eyebrows, occasionally in the armpits.
What do pubic lice look like
Insects feed only on human blood, as well as. Therefore, the question of how many lice live without food can be answered, which is no more than 2 days.
Insects, depending on their variety, cause three types of pediculosis:
- Head.
- Clothes.
- Pubic.
- Itching of the skin from bites, depending on the location of the colony of lice.
- Bite marks.
- The presence of nits.
- Hair in general becomes sloppy and untidy.
Who can get infected and how
You can get lice after contact with a sick person., which is typical most often, insects actively breed in places where there is a large crowd of people, that is, in prisons, children's camps and kindergartens, military hospitals.
Pediculosis most often affects children, since it is they who spend a lot of time together, playing and exchanging personal items, for example, hats, combs, hairpins, toys. Lice do not know how to fly, they move by crawling, but this does not prevent them from traveling from one head to another.
This is because the public has been saying for many years that these diseases are characteristic only of the marginalized, but this is not so.
Pediculosis is more common in children
Many people seek to find out the answer to the question of how many lice live on clothes. If this question is about linen lice, then it can be answered in such a way that the insect is able to live on the linen and clothes of its owner for up to 46 days, getting out on his skin in order to drink blood.
Also, many people are interested in the question of how long lice live after treatment, and some, confusing them with bed bugs, think about whether they can live in pillows and bedding.
The structure of the body of these insects is such that they can live and function only on a person, wool and hair of other mammals, their blood is not suitable for lice.
The head louse dies without human blood in two days, its nits can go through a full life cycle and hatch, but they will die almost immediately without food.
linen lice
The pubic louse dies without food in 4-5 hours, and its nits immediately after hatching. Linen louse can live without a human body in its bedding and pillows, provided that it has access to a food source up to 5 times a day.
Having found uninvited guests at themselves or their loved ones, most people seek to immediately process them with the help of pharmacy products. These products can kill insects in just one application., the action of many of them is so strong that, for example, it kills all adults in 20-30 minutes, but it is somewhat more difficult to deal with nits, since their shell serves as a powerful defense.
Special aerosols that kill insects instantly and washing linen and clothes at high temperatures are well saved from linen lice.
How can you treat hair and clothes from lice
Numerous shampoos, sprays, ointments, creams and aerosols will help get rid of uninvited guests today. Many of them are excellent at destroying adult insects, but are not able to kill nits, so after using them, you need to use a special comb in order to comb out the nits.
Shampoo your hair the easiest way, for example Nok, Veda. Sprays Nyuda, Para-Plus, Lavinal are also used. Upholstered furniture and bedding should be treated with A-PAR aerosol.
Swimming in a pond can lead to lice infestation
Scientists have also found that insects survive at temperatures from minus 5 to plus 42 degrees, and then die at lower and higher temperatures. These temperatures are quite acceptable for people, and lice can easily be thrown off their heads and clothes at them.
Many people are afraid to use pharmaceutical preparations for lice treatment, believing that they contain a lot of chemicals and prefer to use folk remedies such as hellebore water, vinegar, cranberry juice, tar soap, decoctions of tansy and wormwood. After treatment with these means, lice do not disappear completely, so their single use will not be enough.
The main methods of prevention are personal hygiene, refusal to use other people's personal belongings, namely combs, hairpins, hats.
You should be careful when choosing a hotel or inn, as some unscrupulous hoteliers handle poorly or do not change bed linen and towels after previous guests. The same applies to the choice of hairdressers and beauty salons, it is very important that the tools from a previous client are carefully processed.
In conclusion, it is worth saying that contact with people with obvious signs of illness should be avoided.
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