No one likes to think about these tiny parasites that hide in your hair and feed on your blood, but head lice infestations are very common, especially among children. Adults, however, are not immune and can also become infested when in close contact with their children.

There is a terrible stigma attached to head lice--anyone who has head lice is assumed to be unclean. The truth is, head lice can affect anyone, rich or poor, clean or unclean. Some schools go overboard, enforcing a “no nit” policy and forcing children to stay home from school needlessly. This only adds to the hysteria that many people feel when they are informed that their child’s school has an outbreak of head lice.

Here are the facts on head lice:

Head lice need a host to survive- Lice cannot survive away from a warm scalp, therefore treating your furniture and clothes with potentially harmful chemicals is not necessary.

Heat can kill- Head lice cannot withstand high temperatures, so putting hats, scarves and other items that may have come in contact with the scalp of someone with head lice will kill these pests.

Head lice feed on blood- Had lice are parasites that require blood to live. The female louse needs blood to nourish her eggs. Without access to a host’s blood the adults and eggs will die.

Females lay their eggs at the root of hair shafts- Adults can be seen easily with the naked eye. The eggs may be more difficult to see. The females lay their eggs at the hair root and paste them there with a substance that makes them difficult to remove. They may be easier to see when the hair is wet (darker).

Head lice are becoming immune to many agents used to kill them-- Many agents used to kill head lice can be harmful to certain individuals. The best way to remove head lice is to purchase a special louse comb from the drugstore. These combs have very small teeth. Comb through very small sections of hair from root to tip, frequently rinsing the comb to remove the nits. This process may need to be repeated daily for several days. It is important to remove all the nits--leaving even a few behind may start the cycle all over again. There is no need to cut the hair off; doing so may cause further anguish for the person affected.

Vacuuming is effective at removing any loose hairs with nits from furniture, pillows, stuffed animals, etcetera- Experts used to recommend bagging such items for a period of time; this is unnecessary as lice cannot survive for more than 24 hours without a host.

If one family member has head lice, other family members should be screened- Lice can spread through close contact with others, so if your child has head lice, the entire family should be checked.

Head lice cannot jump! - Lice have no wings or hind legs and are incapable of jumping. They CANNOT jump from one person to another. They can, however, move very quickly.

Don’t become panicked if you, or someone in your family, has head lice. Purchase a specially designed comb and be meticulous in combing through the hair. Check daily until two consecutive days yield no nits. Apply heat via a clothes dryer to any items such as hats, scarves, hair ties, and towels. Combs and brushes can be immersed in boiling water briefly.

Related Links:

Video: Bothersome Bugs from Health Guru

Head Lice from Kids Health.org