Chances are, you know what lice are and even a few basic detection methods. But these tiny, creepy crawly pests are a little more enigmatic than you think. For instance, did you know…
1. You can have lice and not know it for up to a month.
A person has to be bitten over 10,000 times before they feel any itch from a lice bite. This means that lice could hang out in your hair for over four weeks undetected!
2. Itchy scalp isn’t the only symptom.
Obviously an itchy scalp or seeing bugs in your hair are good indicators that you have lice and should look into treatments for lice. However, you may also want to look for symptoms such as swollen glands under the neck and/or pink eye. These incipient signs of infection could also be head lice removal signals your body is sending to you about the creepy little intruders.
3. It’s not necessarily the live lice that are the problem.
Usually, there are only about 10 live lice crawling around on your head at any given infestation time. What makes lice so pernicious is how fast they breed. Lice lay dozens of eggs at a time, and they only take about a week to hatch, meaning you could be dealing with a rolling infestation that requires treatments for lice for months on end if you’re not aggressive about lice treatment. Speaking of ways to get rid of head lice…
4. There are many treatments for lice out there, but professional lice removal is probably your best option.
Many people think that it’s just a matter of buying “Rid” shampoo at the store and calling it a day when they get lice. However recently, strains of lice that are resistant to DIY treatments have been cited in over half the country. Furthermore, over-the-counter treatments for lice may only kill live lice — you still have all the eggs to worry about, and those can be trickier to destroy! We highly recommend leaving your lice purge to a professional outfit that knows what they’re doing.
5. There are things you can do to reduce your chances of getting lice.
You probably all have the good sense not to share combs, towels, etc. with people. However, we bet you didn’t know that lice love clean hair because it’s easy to move around in. Thus, being paranoid and washing your hair twice a day in the hopes of defending against lice might actually encourage them! We’re not saying to not wash your hair of course — but a little oil build up is a good thing and has long been proven to be good for your hair anyway. Another tactic is to rock up-dos, as there is less hair to target in a “jump” from one head to the next. Hairspray also keeps stray hairs in check and makes for a more contained hair situation.
Just remember, if you do get lice, it’s not the end of the world. You just need to take a deep breath, let go of the heebie geebies you’re probably feeling, and get that taken care of, preferably by a professional. Get more on this here.