Rick Bolt's Blog Random Musings from a Random Bloke

 

What are head lice?

Head lice are small creatures approximately 3 – 5mm in length that live exclusively on human hair and feed off the blood of humans. A live adult is called a louse, its egg is called a nit and a newly hatched louse is called a nymph. They range in colour from white-ish to brown. The average life span of a louse is 35 days. An adult female can lay up to 8 eggs per day for around 16 days.

Head lice or pediculosis capitis for the scientific types, is an infestation which occurs on the human head.
We know head lice have been around for thousands of years. In fact research suggests that the earliest forms of head lice emerged 1.8 million years ago! Around the same time that humans started to differentiate from homo erectus! These pesky creatures have cleverly adapted themselves to live in an extreme range of environmental conditions – all they really need to survive is warmth and blood.

The words “head lice” or “nits” as they are colloquially known, make parents cringe all over the world. The stigma attached to having head lice is universal, however how unwarranted. Head lice will live in clean or dirty hair, they don’t discriminate. Around 25% of all Australian school children have live head lice on any given day. So in a classroom of 30 kids – at least 7 in every room have head lice. Studies have found rates as high as 70% in some Queensland classrooms!

Just the very thought is enough to make you start scratching. Your child having head lice is nothing to be ashamed of. We need to get past this stereotype of head lice being a sign of poor parenting, and just get onto trying to control them! We need to stop asking “who gave my child nits?” as this really doesn’t help and the sad fact is that your child has probably given the head lice to just as many other children.

How does having head lice effect my child?

This is a good question, and one that is often lost in the whole stigma. Firstly, it should be noted that head lice themselves do not spread disease, however when a child starts scratching and breaking the skin they are leaving themselves open to a secondary bacterial infection, which can cause problems.

The main affect head lice have on children is itching. This is a key sign to look out for as a parent of care giver. A child who seems to be frequently scratching their head or neck should be checked for head lice. See the section on “how to check for head lice“.

Head lice feed four times a day, each time they feed they bite through the scalp of the child to feed on the blood. The itching is caused by the saliva injected at the bite to stop the blood from clotting, this causes irritation to most humans. Multiple bites combined with itching from the child can quite often also lead to inflammation of the scalp.or untreated cases of head lice can almost certainly affect a child’s ability to achieve academically, and make and keep friends.

How to check for head lice

Some children with head lice show no signs! Never assume because you child is not itching that they have no head lice. ALL children should be checked for head lice once a week.

Dry Method

1. Situate your child with adequate lighting, either in direct sunlight, under a lamp or use a torch if no other sufficient light is available.

2. Start at the nape (base of the hairline at the back of the neck) and use the tail of a comb to section off approximately 1cm of hair. Check for both adult lice and eggs. Anything that moves should be of concern! The eggs (nits) appear and oval shaped white/beige dots on a hair shaft usually close to the scalp. These may look a little like dandruff, but unlike dandruff they don’t brush off easily.

3. Repeat this process from the nape to the crown, then follow the same process from each ear to the crown. Lastly section the hair from the forehead through the crown, checking each section thoroughly.

4. If any head lice or eggs are found the child should be treated. (See our section “How to treat head lice“)

Conditioner Method

1. Situate your child with adequate lighting, either in direct sunlight, under a lamp or use a torch if no other sufficient light is available.

2. Apply conditioner to dry hair, ensuring that all hair is coasted with a layer of conditioner from root to tip. Massage conditioner through hair and leave for a minute or two.

3. Detangle the hair using a regular comb. For especially long or thick hair, use a wide toothed detangling comb, followed by a regular comb.

4. Start at the nape (base of the hairline at the back of the neck), section off a small portion of hair and slowly comb through the hair with a nit comb. (Independent studies have shown the cheap plastic version to be just as effective as the more expensive metal version)

5. After passing through one section of the hair, wipe the conditioner from the comb onto a tissue, paper towel or white towel. Inspect the conditioner for signs of adult lice and eggs.

6. Continue sectioning the hair and combing through from the scalp right to the tip. Be sure to wipe the comb after each pass through and check for lice or eggs.

7. Repeat the process from the nape to the crown, then follow the same process from above each ear to the crown. Lastly section the hair from the forehead through the crown, passing the come through each section from scalp to tip and wiping the conditioner from the comb after every pass through.

8. If any head lice or eggs are found, the good news is you’ve already removed some. You will, however, still need to treat the child. (See our section, “how to treat head lice“)

An untreated infestation of head lice will not go away! The longer you leave head lice the harder they are to treat and remove

Are head lice treatments dangerous?

As we learn more and more about the effects of the products we use on our family every day, we start to question what chemicals we are using on our children. You should be aware of the dangers of using some head lice treatments on your family. We have provided information below on the contents of Insecticidal head lice treatments for you to make an informed decision on whether or not to use these products.

Insecticidal Head Lice Treatments

Permethrin - is a common synthetic chemical which is used as an insecticide on wheat and cotton crops. It is also used to kill parasites on chickens and other poultry. It is not known to harm most mammals and birds and is poorly absorbed by the skin. It is however, highly toxic to fish, insects and cats. It has also recently been linked to the poisoning of dogs when used for tick prevention.

Permethrin functions as a neurotoxin, affecting the neuron membranes causing paralysis in its victims.
The US Environmental Protection Agency has classified Permethrin as a carcinogenic. It is shown to cause lung and liver tumors in mice. In laboratory tests it has been shown to inhibit the activity of the immune system and cause chromosome aberrations in both human and hamster cells.

According to the Australian Office of Health Protection – Permethrin is slightly irritating to the skin and eyes of rabbits and causes skins sensitisation in guinea pigs. The following quote is taken from the website of the department of health: ” Permethrin-based products tend to be of low toxicity but their irritation potential varies, ranging from nil to moderate depending on their strength and on the properties of other chemicals in the product. Similarly, some permethrin products cause allergic skin reactions whereas others do not. Information on human toxicity of permethrin is limited, but paraesthesia (numbness, itching, tingling and burning sensations) has been reported.”

Bioallethrin - is a raw synthetic material used for the manufacture and preparation of insecticides. It is used in insecticides on potatoes, pumpkins, tomatoes, melons and more.

The World Heath Organisation toxicology assessment of Biollethrin shows slight to mild skin and eye irritation in rabbits. The WHO hazard classification of Biollethrin is class II – moderately hazardous.

Malathion - aka maldison, is an organophosphate insecticide of relatively low human toxicity. It is widely used in agriculture and residential landscaping for mosquito control.

Malathion is used in a range of head lice products with claims that it kills all head lice and eggs, however UK studies show it to be only 36% effective on adult lice and even less so on eggs.

Malathion is classified by US EPA as having “suggestive evidence of carcinogenicity but not sufficient to assess human carcinogenic potential.” This suggests that there has not been enough research done to rule Melation out as a carcinogenic. Tests on rats have shown liver tumors to be present but only after excessive exposure to Malathion.

Pyrethrin - Pyrethrin I and Pyrethrin II are a pair of natural organic compounds that have potent insecticidal activity. Pyretrhins are contained in the seed cases of Pyrethrums (Chrysanthemums), these are grown commercially to supply the insecticide.

Pyrethrins are neurotoxins that attack the nervous system of all insects. Care should be taken using this substance around humans and animals. Overdose and toxicity can cause a variety of symptoms, especially in pets, including drooling, lethargy, muscle tremors, vomiting, seizures and death. Cornell University (USA) studies have reported the following toxicity symptoms in humans – asthmatic breathing, sneezing, nasal stuffiness, headache, nausea, incoordination, tremors, convulsions, facial flushing and swelling, and burning and itching sensation.
Pyrethrin is extremely toxic to fish and marine life, moderately toxic to birds, and significantly toxic to bees.

Effective head lice treatment

1. Use a water spray bottle to dampen the hair thoroughly. If you do not have access to a spray bottle, use your hands to splash water on the head and thoroughly dampen the hair. Avoid getting into the shower to do this to save water. You need the hair to be damp, but not dripping wet.

2. Comb the hair through with a regular comb, and then systematically rub the EnviroCare Head Lice Treatment Shampoo through the hair. Pay particular attention to the area around the nape and the hair above and behind the ears. An average head of short-medium hair should require 4 – 6 pumps from the 375ml bottle (roughly 20mls)

3. Make sure the shampoo is worked through evenly and massaged from the roots through to the tips of the hair.

4.Generally the hair should not be dripping so can be left uncovered, but if you are concerned cover the hair with a shower cap or plastic film.

5.Leave the shampoo in the hair for a minimum of 10 minutes, don’t be stressed if you get distracted – we have left this on for 30 minutes without any adverse effects.

6. Be mindful or any allergic reactions, whilst the product is organic and does not contain any harmful chemicals there is still (minimal) potential for individuals to be allergic to any particular ingredient.

7. At the completion of the 10 minute period the product can be washed out in the shower or under running water.

8. A fun experiment at this stage is to towel dry the hair with a white towel and check out the number of annihilated creatures you can find!

9. Whilst it is not necessary to go crazy washing bedding and fumigating your home, it would be recommended to wash the towel and pillow case of the affected person in hot water.

10. After towel drying the hair massage the EnviroCare Treatment Conditioner through the hair. You can use an alternative conditioner if you prefer, but we have found this conditioner to be the most successful. Ensure that all hair is coated by the conditioner from root to tip. Massage conditioner through and leave for a minute or two.

11. Detangle the hair using a regular comb. For especially long or thick hair, use a wide toothed detangling comb, followed by a regular comb.

12. Start at the nape (base of the hairline at the back of the neck), section off a small portion of hair and slowly comb through the hair with a nit comb. (Independent studies have shown the cheap plastic version to be just as effective as the more expensive metal version).

13. After passing through one section of the hair, wipe the conditioner from the comb onto a tissue, paper towel or towel.

14. Repeat the process from the nape to the crown, then follow the same process from above each ear to the crown. Lastly section the hair from the forehead through the crown, passing the come through each section from scalp to tip and wiping the conditioner from the comb after every pass through.

15. After combing through the EnviroCare Treatment Conditioner through the hair, there is no need to wash out. Leaving this in the hair helps protect from re-infestation.

16. Repeat this process again in 4-7 days to deal with any new eggs which may have hatched – no head lice treatment is 100% effective in the killing of eggs.

EnviroCare Head Lice Treatment

What’s in EnviroCare Head Lice Shampoo?

Purified water, Coconut Amido Betaine, (coconut oil derived), lauroamphoacetate (vegetable derived), sarcosine (natural amino acid), tea tree oil, cold pressed virgin olive oil, coconut oil fatty acid (thickener), Vegetable glycerine, cocoyl glutamate, orange sweet essential oil, lemon grass essential oil

What’s NOT in EnviroCare Head Lice Shampoo?

* No petrochemicals
* No caustic lyes
* No SLS no SLES
* No proply or glycol
* No Pyrethrins
* No Malethion
* No Bioallethrin
* No Permethrin

Other advantages

* Septic & sewerage systems safe
* NO animal testing
* Readily biodegradable
* pH neutral – gentle on sensitive scalps
* proven effective in the fight against headlice
* non hazardous, suitable for all ages
* use instead of regular shampoo, no need to purchase two separate products
* concentrated and cost effective
* recyclable packaging

Head Lice Kits are available at : Treat Head Lice

If you require further information on the Head Lice TreatmentKits, pleaee contact me via the contact page.

Thanks

Rick