Head lice

1
Head lice

• Advice for children and parents

2
Outline
How can we prevent head lice?
What are head lice? What are nits?
If head lice are found, what do I have to do?
How do we get head lice?
Detection combing how to do it
How do I know if I have head lice?
3
Its a myth

• Head lice arent found only in dirty hair !
• Head lice like all the heads with hair dirty or
  clean, brown, fair or red hair, long or short
• Having head lice isnt a disease !
• Its a normal infection which can be treated
• Head lice are parasites which need human headsto
  live on
• Head lice dont transmit any diseases

4
What are head lice ?
5
What are head lice?

• The Pediculus capitis
• Is an insect
• without wings
• 3 pair of legs
• Size
• length max. 4 mm
• height 2 mm
• Colour
• normally transparent difficult to detect
• become brown/red when they have taken
• a blood meal

6
What are head lice?

• Habitat
• They live in human hair, in warm surroundings
  behind the ears or around the nape of the neck
• They are parasites they feed on human blood
• Mobility
• Can swim
• Cannot jump but can move very quickly

7
What are nits?

• Nits are not lice !
• Nits are empty shells or dead eggs
• They are attached to the hair with a kind of
  strong glue deposited by the louse during the
  laying
• Nits can remain weeks or even months after
  infection

8
How do we get head lice ?
9
Head lice spread through contact
How do we get head lice?

• Direct contact from one head to another
• (by playing together, doing sports together )
• Indirect contact
• from objects such as armchairs, scarves, hats,
  towels
• in the swimming pool
• by exchanging cycling helmets, brushes, combs
• Head lice can infect anyone, not just children

10
How do I knowif I have head lice ?
11
How do I know if I have head lice?

• Some people will get an itchy scalp
• Some people dont know they have head lice
• Detection combing
• is the best method to identify head lice

12
Detection combing how to do it ?
13
Detection combing how to do it?

• PREPARATION
• Get a special detection comb at your local
  pharmacy
• Remove tangles with an ordinary comb
• Divide the wet (towel dried) hair into sections

14
Detection combing how to do it?

• STEP 1
• With the teeth of the detection comb touching the
  scalp at the top of the head, start combing
  towards the end of the hair, keeping the teeth of
  the comb in contact with the scalp as long as
  possible. Work on one section at a time
• STEP 2
• Keep a close eye on the comb for any signs of
  head lice. Wiping it on a tissue can help
  identify the head lice
• STEP 3
• Repeat the process moving round the whole of the
  head. It will take 10 - 15 minutes to do it
  properly

15
Detection combing how to do it?

• CONCLUSION
• If a living moving louse is found, you have head
  lice
• You must not be treated unless you find a living,
  moving louse
• Nits might be due to a previous infestation, but
  does not necessarily mean you are infected

16
Detection combing how to do it?

• ADVICE
• Make sure you have plenty of light - ideally
  natural daylight
• You can put a white towel on the shoulders or
  comb the hair over a white surface (wash-basin,
  bath-tub or white table) to help see the lice
  falling out of the hair
• Perform detection combing on all family members
  and anyone who is likely to have had
  head-to-head contact with the infected person

17
If head lice are found, what do I have to do ?
18
If head lice are found, what do I have to do?

• STEP 1
• Go to your local pharmacy to buy an effective
  head lice treatment
• STEP 2
• Read the leaflet before doing the treatment
• STEP 3
• Treat all infected persons of the family the same
  day
• STEP 4
• Inform school and everyone who was in close or
  regular contact over the last 2 weeks

19
If head lice are found, what do I have to do?

• ADVICE
• Decontaminate the environment to avoid
  re-infection
• Change and wash bed linen and clothes at 60C
• Everything which cannot be washed at 60C, e.g.
  synthetic clothing, brushes, combs, armchairs,
  helmets, soft toys can be decontaminate with a
  special treatment for the environment
  (insecticide aerosol)

20
How can we preventhead lice?
21
How can we prevent head lice?

• We recommend that you
• Tie back long hair
• Wear a bathing cap in the swimming pool
• Use a repellent at times of head lice epidemic
• Avoid sharing clothing (scarf, hat, helmet),
  brushes or combs
• If you find a living moving louse, tell anyone
  you have been in contact with. Advise them to use
  the detection method and if they find live lice,
  advise them to tell everyone they have been in
  contact with

22
The main points revised

• A head louse isnt dangerous but can be very
  annoying. They can be transmitted by direct or
  indirect contact with infected people
• Detection combing helps you to identify head lice
  
• If lice are found buy a head lice treatment at
  your local pharmacy and treat the infected
  person, the rest of the family and warn everyone
  who has been in close contact during the last two
  weeks
• If no lice are found prevent head lice be
  careful with sharing clothes and brushes, wear a
  bathing cap in the swimming pool and tie back
  long hair. Do a weekly check to be sure

23
For more information

• http//www.paranix.eu