Lice are significantly different from most other human bloodsucking parasites. First of all, by the fact that their entire life cycle takes place on the body of people or their clothes, and they have developed many adaptations in order to survive in different situations in which their owners fall. In addition, practice shows that if lice appear on the head or pubis, then many today only dimly imagine how to deal with them, which gives additional chances to parasites for rapid reproduction and massive infection of others.
When dealing with lice, it is important to consider their high survivability. So, lice withstand many hours of immersion in water, do not freeze when a person is in the cold for a long time. But the main thing: their eggs - nits - are so firmly attached to hair or clothes that it is not easy to remove them manually or comb them out, and they are also much more resistant to insecticides than adult lice and their little faces.
That is why it is often necessary to fight lice in two stages.
On a note
It is also important that the whole fight against lice takes place on the human body, which means that there must be used the means that are as safe as possible for the infected and at the same time effective against lice.
Nevertheless, despite certain difficulties, the fight against lice and nits today can be carried out in a very short time: for this you need only to choose the right drug and be able to competently use it.
With this we will deal with you ...
Step 1. Choose the best tool.
Means for lice control are divided into several types:
- Pediculicidal shampoos, considered today the most popular for combating head lice. Most of them can be used for children.
- Lice Sprays - generally considered to be more effective than shampoos, but they are more difficult to apply to the hair and they often cause side effects. The most rational use of them against pubic lice. Special technical aerosols are also often used for the treatment of clothes with lice infested.
- Creams for lice - in addition to their consistency do not have significant differences from the previous types of products.It should be said that pediculicidal preparations in the form of creams, there is not much.
- Lice combs are remarkable in that they have no contraindications and do not cause any side effects. Simply put, lice are just combed out by them. However, the fight against lice and nits with the help of ridges requires a serious investment of time and effort. In many cases, combs are used as an additional way to increase the effectiveness of other products.
- And finally folk remedies for lice, among which may be dangerous, but effective - kerosene and vinegar - less dangerous, but more difficult to access - chemerichnaya water and cranberry juice - and very inefficient type of citric acid and garlic mask. It is interesting to note that some villages still actively practice plots and lice and prayers.
For children, it is best to choose a combination of shampoo and comb. For people with very sensitive skin, asthmatics and allergy sufferers - only combs from lice. With limited financial capabilities, you can use folk remedies, but at the same time act with extreme caution.
On a note
No matter how many different methods of lice control are used and no matter how many supporters they have,the most effective option has always been and is to remove hair on the infected part of the body. There is no risk of side effects, and the procedure itself does not require serious financial costs.
Step 2. Destroy adult lice and larvae
The fight against head lice and larvae is usually more simple (and effective) than the fight against nits, and the stage of the destruction of insects takes no more than an hour and a half.
Depending on the means, the procedure is carried out in different ways:
- When using shampoo, the head is first washed with a simple shampoo, after which a louse shampoo is applied to wet hair. The tool must be kept on the head for a certain time specified in the instructions. Then the shampoo is washed off, and the head is thoroughly washed with running water.
- Sprays are applied on dry hair until they are completely wet. Keep on the head strictly according to the instructions, then washed off.
- Creams are usually applied to slightly damp hair and thoroughly rubbed into the skin.
- Terms of use of folk remedies are different, but in most cases they are kept on the hair for much longer than specialized insecticides.
To increase the effectiveness of anti-lice drugs, it is advisable to cover the head with a scarf, plastic bag or swimming cap after applying the drug to the hair. However, for some means such a shelter head is unacceptable, and this is additionally indicated in the instructions.
On a note
Virtually all popular methods of lice control imply shelter of the head. When using kerosene and vinegar, especially in children, it is necessary to check the condition of the skin every few minutes to prevent burns.
To fight lice with a comb you need by carefully combing the strands of hair from the root. For this purpose, special rigid and thick metal combs are usually used. Some of them come with shampoo or spray. As a rule, all lice are combed in three to four days of procedures.
The fight against body lice requires the application of funds to contaminated things and packing sprayed things in bags for several hours. Washing things at temperatures above + 60 ° C or hanging clothes in the frost (below minus 10 ° C) is also effective for removing parasites.
Step 3.Remove dead and surviving lice and part of unstitched nits.
At this stage, the lice that are dead and weakened by insecticide are mechanically removed from the head, as well as those nits, the attachment strength of which to the hair has been reduced by the means. This stage of the fight against lice and nits is done using special combs. Ordinary plastic or wooden combs are not suitable for this procedure, since the distance between their teeth is too large, and they do not comb out nits.
On a note
Even special ridges often do not help to completely remove the nits - between the teeth and they have separate eggs. However, in practice it turns out that after several combing out, the lice on the head completely disappear.
Hair should be combed immediately after treatment with a pediculicidal agent and several more times over the next three to four days. In 95% of cases, such measures against lice prevent re-treatment of the hair with an insecticidal preparation.
Best recommended ridges with long teeth. In practice, wide combs with a short web give a less pronounced effect.But there is no statistically valid evidence that special electrical combs kill lice more effectively than simple ones.
Lice should be combed over a bath or a white sheet, so that after the procedure the parasites can be easily rinsed with water or shaken into the toilet.
Step 4. Finish the parasites finally
In severe infections, lice control usually requires repeated treatment of the affected area. To do this, after 8-10 days, the second step of the entire procedure is repeated.
The need for this step is usually due to the fact that during the first treatment not all nits are destroyed, and the larvae hatch from the survivors during the week. They are destroyed when re-processing.
If you initially plan to double treatment, combing comb can not be used.
On a note
Some shampoos and sprays have an ovicidal effect, that is, they destroy both nits and lice. They are usually very expensive and quite aggressive. Among them, for example, - Pedikulen Ultra alcohol-based.
In the description of a tool is always indicated whether it destroys nits.
After this step, only empty shells from old nits can remain on the head.They quickly fall off with regular washing of the head.
Step 5, prophylactic. Avoid lice infestation
All measures against lice may not be useful if competently and consistently avoid infection with these parasites. To do this:
- to avoid people with obvious signs of pediculosis - constantly combing the head, having white dots on the hair, clearly not following the rules of hygiene
- do not use other people's things, hats, hairbrushes
- avoid casual sex
- be careful in public places
- swimming pools use swimming cap
- make sure that children do not play with dysfunctional peers.
If these measures are observed, the infection most likely will not occur, and you will not have to fight lice. However, even if one or two steps are missed in the instructions above, lice can still be taken out. But this will require more effort and time, and sometimes more procedures. Therefore, it is most reasonable to act consistently, comprehensively, once and for sure.
Be healthy!
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