We have noticed recently a spate of people looking for head lice treatment. Head lice is unfortunately a recurrent problem with school age children and so we thought it would be useful to provide you with some information regarding head lice and their treatment.

According to Choice Magazine, the rate of infestation in 1985 was about 0.5%. Now experts think up to 20% of primary school children, could be infested at any given time with some primary schools having been found to have up to 70% of students infested at a time. This makes it an important topic to understand and deal with.

What are Head Lice?

Head lice are tiny parasites that live exclusively in human hair, usually on the head, nape of the neck and behind the ears, and are especially common in school children between the ages of three and twelve. They feed on the blood of their host.

The first indication of head lice is itching and scratching. You can usually see white or grayish crawling forms (about the size of a sesame seed but with six legs) and/or yellowish white eggs attached to the hair shafts close to the scalp. The eggs are sometimes mistaken for dandruff, or residues of shampoo. Red bite marks or scratch marks are often seen on the back of the neck. Sometimes itching may simply be a result of dry air, so ideally the lice need to be identified to confirm that this is the problem.

It typically takes several weeks exposure to the lice before itching develops, so lack of itching does not necessarily mean that the person does not have head lice.

Where do Lice come from?

Experts believe they have always been with us. Dried eggs have been claimed to have been found on the remains of the ancient mummies.

What are nits?

Nits are the commonly known name of the louse’s eggs. They are a smooth oval shape, slightly smaller than a sesame seed and attach to the hair, close to the scalp.

How do humans catch head lice?

Head lice do not hop, jump or fly. In fact 95% of lice are transmitted by close head to head contact. You can also get head lice by sharing objects such as combs, brushes, hats, coats, furniture, or pillows however lice can only survive for at most 72 hours once they’ve left the human body of their host. Most die within 24 hours.

Can pets catch them?

Head lice are very specialised and only eat human blood and they only live on the human scalp. Body lice are similar, but not the same.

Do lice prefer dirty hair?

Lice actually prefer clean hair, but that doesn’t mean they don’t like dirty hair – they like any hair. Lice don’t like oily hair however, or very short hair. For long hair it is best to keep it plaited to reduce the risk of catching lice.

Can I just wash them off?

No. Lice go into a state of suspended animation underwater and are thus able to survive the washing process.

Can I use a lotion or shampoo?

There are countless numbers of lotions and home remedies on the market. Whilst they kill the lice, they don’t kill the eggs however and more likely than not, a few days later the lice will be back again.

How do lice grow?

Head lice are insects and go through a life cycle. The first stage is an egg. The eggs are laid by adults on hair close to the scalp. If found much further along the hair, the eggs will generally be old and are most likely already hatched or dead. The eggs are light in colour and described as pearly, grey, whitish, and silvery. They are small and about the size of a pinhead. Lice eggs hatch in 7-12 days.

Strictly speaking, nits are the eggs after they have hatched. The lice that emerge are called nymphs. Nymphs grow and molt 3 times before they become adult lice after 9 to 12 days. For this reason re-treatment should be carried out about 7 days after the first treatment to kill off any juvenile lice (nymphs) that have hatched since the first treatment.

As adults, female lice can lay about six eggs each day with from 50 to 100 eggs being laid before they die. The adults are small being about 3mm in length. The whole lifecycle takes about a month.

So how do I get rid of lice?

Because of the lice’s life cycle there is unfortunately no quick fix for lice and no such thing as a single treatment therapy. There are basically two groups of chemical treatments available, based on their active ingredients:

• Insecticides: maldison (malathion), pyrethrins (combined with piperonyl butoxide) and synthetic pyrethroids such as permethrin and bioallethrin. These products are registered with the Therapeutics Goods Administration and have to be clinically tested prior to sale.
• Herbal: various combinations of essential oils and herbal extracts. These products do not have to be clinically tested before sale.

Effective Treatment

If your child is heavily infested, it’s best to try an insecticide-based product first — you need something that works and there’s very little clinical evidence to show that most herbal products are an effective first line of treatment. Maldison is generally considered to be more effective – however permethrin or pyrethrin-based products are less is absorbed through the skin.

For a very effective Maldison based product we recommend Chem-Care’s HL7 shampoo, conditioner and lice comb and which also have a preventative action. Additionally KP24 have a whole range of lotions, creams and mousses as well as preventative sprays and combs to choose from.

It is important to understand however that whilst insecticide based products are more effective they are chemically based and as such can in some cases cause skin and scalp irritations and/or aggravate allergies or asthma.

If you’d prefer to use a herbal based product instead, essential oils, such as tea tree, lavender and eucalyptus contain volatile compounds that are often used to form the basis of some insecticide lotions. Some experts think these compounds may have some potential, but this doesn’t guarantee their success in a formulation. Liceblaster is one of the few herbal based products which has conducted trials. According to Choice Magazine two university trials of Liceblaster involving school children suggest it is effective. It is made from a combination of herbal extracts and tea tree oil. We additionally recommend another herbal based product formulated with very similar ingredients branded for our dispensing pharmacy in North Rocks. This comes in a pack as the Dual Action Headlice Resistor and Eliminator Pack and which also includes a free lice comb and application glove. There is further information on this pack in the new products section of this newsletter.

How do I clean combs and brushes?

Pull any hairs or debris of the and then clean between the teeth as thoroughly as possible before sterilizing in boiling water. As combs and brushes are fairly inexpensive you may wish to replace them instead.

Should I wash the bedding?

Washing the bedding will not get rid of the lice. Give the bedding a good shake outside and vacuum the bedding and the mattress.

What about furniture carpets and toys?

Vacuum the carpets and furniture as thoroughly as possible. Toys can be sealed in a plastic bag for 3 weeks. After that any lice will be dead.

Is there anything I can do to stop my children catching lice?

Don’t let them share hats, combs or towels. If your child has long hair tie it up for school and if one of your children has lice, you must check all other members of the family and treat them to prevent re-infection.

If your child has live head lice, most Australian states require them to have started treatment to be allowed at school.

Further information or advice

If you have any further questions regarding the effective treatment of head lice or would like us to recommend you a product based on your personal situation, then please call our friendly Health Account Management Team
on 1300 765 888 or email us at pharmeasy@pharmeasy.com.au.