Do you have a child who has been dealing with head lice? Are you worried you could possibly have caught head lice as well, but are feeling a little hesitant to ask someone to look for you? Remember, head lice are not a sign of poverty, poor hygiene, or a messy person. Head lice are simply a part of life and have been for centuries. In fact, if you live in a household with children between the ages of 3-10 you are much more likely to be exposed to head lice than other adults. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children these ages are the most likely to bring home head lice. Every year in the United States, up to 12 million of them do!
Here are a few things to remember when checking yourself for head lice:
-As embarrassed as you may feel, it really is more beneficial to have a professional at Lice Clinics of Texas check your scalp for you. A friend, physician or family member would also be able to check your scalp and clearly see symptoms. However, the professionals are much more accurate at determining between rashes and real symptoms, dandruff or head lice eggs.
-If you determine that you’d rather just look for a problem yourself, get two mirrors and face them together. The most common place for head lice to hide on the head is behind your ears, the nape of your neck and the crown of your head. Head lice are the size of a small sesame seed. After feeding, they are browner in color. Often, they are very difficult to see, especially in darker hair, because they are translucent in color and can blend in with hair color.
-Get yourself a nitpicking comb. This tool will help you separate hair near the roots and brush through it to determine if you see any nits. Lice eggs, or nits, are usually white in color and do not flake off as easily as dandruff or dead skin. Check the comb after each time you brush through. It could pick up traces of head lice or eggs. Keep a clean bowl of water and a white towel handy to help you see what you brush off.
-What else do I need to look for? Watch for redness, rashes, bumps or irritations on the scalp. As head lice feed they secrete saliva that keeps your blood from clotting so they can feed several times in the same spot throughout the day. This saliva is usually what causes the human scalp to itch and feel irritated.
-Pretty sure you have head lice? The average adult who discovers they have head lice will have 15-20 active adult lice on their scalp. This means that you have actually had head lice for several weeks, giving lice eggs time to hatch and grown into full adult lice. Come into Lice Clinics of Texas today to talk about your BEST treatment options to eliminate head lice quickly and stop the hassle.