Pediculosis - Lice Infection and Pediculosis

Any slackness in cleanliness breeds lice infestation. A louse is a parasitic insect with six claw-like feet. It is grey in color but it turns brownish after sucking blood, which it does with two small trunk-like whiskers. A louse egg hatches in nine days and within a fortnight, the young ones attain maturity. Long hair is more prone to lice infestation. The back of the head itches when infested with lice, and itching causes abrasion of the scalp skin.

Lice can be controlled by removing their eggs in the initial stages. Avoid using towels, soap or comb of a person who has lice. Nits (lice on the scalp) cause havoc in schools where lice infestation is common. The adult lice run from one scalp to another, sticking eggs on the hair with a strong cement-like substance. The pearly nits look like sticky dandruff, but cannot be shaken off. Running a nail along the hair will not detach the eggs.

The scalp infestation by lice indices scratching which in turn may cause bacterial infection. The insect lays eggs which are contained in a whitish ovoid receptacle called the nit, which is attached to the hair by a collar. The nit can be slid along the hair but not pulled off. The search for lice or nits in suspected cases of pediculosis of the scalp should be made on the back and sides of the head.

The lice can be killed with a single application of 1 per cent gammabenzene hexachloride, or 2 per cent DDT emulsion or 25 per cent benzyl benzoate emulsion. The scalp should be washed after 24 hours, and the nits should be carefully removed with a comb as the ova are unaffected by these agents. The treatment may have to be repeated after a week or ten days. You may consult a doctor also.

Body lice (pediculosis corporis) reside in the seams of clothing and not on the skin surface. The clothes should thus be treated with a thorough powdering of 10 per cent DDT powder or should be boiled for 10 to 15 minutes. The itchy skin lesions respond to soothing agents like calamine lotion, which should be applied after a hot bath. There are a few ways for controlling lice:

1. An anti-lice oil can be mixed with coconut (or mustard) oil and 0.2 per cent lindane (BHC) or 0.1 per cent pyrethrum essence. This oil can be rubbed well into the scalp to kill lice. (Ingredients can be purchased from a chemical dealer).
2. Mix talcum powder with 0.2 per cent prethrum dust in it (or add 10 per cent DDT). Sprinkle this powder on the hair before going to bed and rub it vigorously so that it reaches the roots. Cover your mouth, nose and eyes to protect them from the powder.
3. Anti-louse lotion, either gammabenzene hexachloride lotion or cream (Lorexane, Gammaexane) or Malathion (Prioderma) will kill the eggs which can be removed by a comb with very fine teeth. One treatment is enough but all the family who are infested should be treated and the hair examined regularly for a while. You may consult a doctor for the treatment.

The above-mentioned concoctions should be used at night. Tie a cloth around your head after applying anyone of the medicines, let it remain at least for 24 hours. Before washing off, do not use soap or shampoo. Repeat this for a week and lice and their eggs will be eliminated. Pediculosis pubis refers to infestation by a crab-shaped louse. In addition to the pubic area, it also affects the armpits, legs, hairy chest, eyebrows and the eyelashes.

Healthy hair

• Hair Conditioning
• Home-made Herbal Hair Tonic
• Dandruff
• Patchy Baldness
• Greying of Hair
• Baldness among Men and Women
• Dry, Brittle and Dull Hair
• Pediculosis - Lice Infestation