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Head Lice / Nits |
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Head Lice or Nits
Pediculus Humanus Capitis - are wingless insect parasites that feed on human blood and lay their eggs (“nits”) on human scalp hair.
A louse is small, about half the size of a grain of rice and difficult to see. They range in colour from light brown to grey-black.
Lice feed every 3-5 hours and when a louse bites, it can cause mild irritation and itching. This itching can reduce your child’s attention span, interrupt rest and cause general discomfort.
What are nits ?
Lice eggs or Nits are oval shaped and are laid close to the scalp. The eggs are glued to the hair shaft, making them difficult to remove. They range in colour from white to dark brown, depending on their gestational age.
What is the life cycle of a louse ?
The female louse lives around 30 days and can lay up to 300 eggs (nits) during her lifetime. The eggs hatch in 7-10 days and are mature within one week.
Lice can survive without a meal for between 12 and 15 hours and in water for 48 hours. Thus frequent shampooing and/or swimming does not cure lice infestations.
How are lice spread ?
Lice cannot jump or fly. They are transferred almost exclusively by head to head contact with someone who already has lice.
Lice can be caught by children playing together or by the sharing of clothing, towels, hats, combs, hairbrushes, ribbons, pillows, earphones etc.
How can I reduce the risk of lice infestation ?
We recommend using a T36-C5 quality Tea Tree Oil based shampoo, supplemented with twice daily application of a T36-C5 Tea Tree Oil intensive skin therapy emollient applied neat to the hair, and well massaged into the scalp. We also recommend tying long hair back and avoiding the sharing of personal items that come into contact with hair.
When should I check for head lice ?
Check periodically throughout the year. If head lice are reported in your child’s class, check daily for 10-14 days to ensure early identification. If detected the whole family should be checked and measures taken to prevent spreading.
Inform baby-sitters, parents, neighbours or friends, school officials and people who have been in contact with the infected person.
How do I know if my child has lice ?
The most familiar symptom is itching, particularly toward the back of the scalp, and neck and behind the ears. The itching may also lead to a rash.
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However itching does not always occur. The sure sign of infestation is seeing the eggs (nits) attached to the hair shafts, and frequently, lice moving about the head.
The lice are most often found at the nape of the neck, behind the ears and at the crown of the head.
Are head lice a sign of dirty hair ?
No. Head lice are not a sign of poor hygiene. They do not discriminate between clean or dirty hair. If anything they probably prefer clean hair because they can hang on better.
Tea Tree Oil and its affect on Head Lice & Nits
T36-C5 Tea Tree Oil is extremely effective because it treats both the head lice and the eggs (nits), thus breaking the breeding cycle.
• Firstly, the unique consistency of the (patented) emollient smothers the head lice literally to death.
• Secondly, the tiny molecules of Tea Tree Oil enable it to penetrate the louse egg shell and thus act on the developing louse.
• Finally, the T36-C5 Tea Tree Oil being a natural solvent, effectively breaks down the louse glue that holds the nit to the hair shaft permitting the egg to be readily washed out or later combed out without damaging the hair shaft.
Egg shell penetration
Many chemicals in lice treatments are ineffective against nits because the louse egg structure is difficult to penetrate.
Tea Tree Oil has very small molecules compared to many insecticidal molecules facilitating easier and faster passage through the egg shell barrier to destroy the developing louse.
Are head lice immune to natural Tea Tree Oil ?
In our experience no. There is however increasing evidence that many organisms are developing resistance to certain chemical insecticides.
How does Tea Tree Oil act on head lice ?
Most chemical insecticides incorporate a single action against the organism. Tea Tree Oil uses several actions. These include damaging the louse organs plus it attacks it’s nervous and respiratory systems.
We have no record of head lice ever developing resistance to T35-C5 Tea Tree Oil.
Tea Tree Oil Safety usage in treatment of Head Lice
Chemical pesticides retain the potential to cause serious side effects, especially when they are applied to the head, and where the scalp is particularly permeable. Children tend to be more vulnerable to the toxic effects of chemicals since their immune systems are not fully developed until around the age of 12 or 13 with their natural detoxification mechanisms not yet fully employed.
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