Head Lice Nits and Cooties, Oh My!

A parent’s first reaction after realizing their child has head lice is usually, “Oh no, not my child! We are clean and shampoo her hair regularly!” You may not have had a clue that your child was infested with head lice. (We called them “cooties” when I was young and in school.) He or she may not have been scratching and their hair could have looked as gorgeous as it always has. The little note gives you a rude awakening! These pests are annoying, but embarrassing uncomfortable. Parents see an infestation of lice as a reflection on their parenting skills. This is NOT true! Head lice, nits, and cooties do not care how much money you have, what social class you think you are in, or how clean you are.

Head lice are small insects that take up housekeeping on the scalp especially around the ears and neck. They will make the head feel itchy but do not carry disease or cause any illnesses. They are merely an embarrassment and a real pain to get rid of, but they do need to be treated.

Head lice grow to about 2mm and have a lifespan of about twenty days. They are gray or brownish in color and have six legs but no wings. They do not fly but can be transferred from one person to another. The female will lay between five and six eggs each day that are attached to the hair near the scalp. If you find nits more than ¼ of an inch away from the scalp, the infestation has probably been around for a while. The eggs or normally yellowish or white in color and take about eight days to hatch. They may be taken for dandruff flakes, hardened hair spray, or dry scalp residue. If the whitish spot cannot be moved with the finger they are nits. If you are unsure, you should see your doctor or local health department.

Although head lice are found in people of all ages, it is much more common for them to occur in children. Especially children who are in school, day care, or day camp in close contact with other children. Girls seem to be especially vulnerable but probably because they get closer to each other when they talk. The length of their hair does not seem to be a cause for the infestation of head lice.

Your first hint that your child may have head lice will be if they are scratching their head or increasingly irritable. Children may have head lice for several months before the condition is discovered. Lice survive for less than 48 hours away from their host, so if the hat or scarf has not been used for more than two days, you can safely not worry about delousing it.

There are many ways to get rid of head lice, some are old home cures, and others are medicines and special shampoos sold at your local pharmacy. If you are going to try home remedies, be sure you look at these remedies closely before you try them out. It is true you can suffocate head lice but be aware of the side effects of using Vaseline, olive oil, or mayonnaise on your child’s hair.