Diagnosis
Diagnosing lice is no simple matter. An
itchy head doesn't always mean lice, and lice don't always
lead to itching. Some people have lice but never feel
itchy. Other people get red marks from the reaction to the
bites. The louse is nocturnal, so they are most active while
you are asleep. The only way to know for sure is to check the
head. Here are the 2
ways to check for lice:
Method
1
Look through the hair and scalp for eggs and
live lice. Do this by slowly looking through 1 inch
sections of dry hair row by row starting at the base of
the neck and moving forward toward the forehead. Focus on the
hair closest to the scalp. The nape of the neck is a common
breeding area for lice. A chopstick or a wooden pencil will
help you to part the hair each time. Look on both sides of the
part paying close attention to the hair within an inch of the
scalp.
You are looking for two
things:
-
Nits (eggs)
are tiny greyish-brown "pussy willow bud"
shaped ovals that will not come off of the hair
very easily. Usually they are attached to
the hair shaft very close to the
scalp (if
you blow on them and they don't
move, they are probably nits) pictures of a
nit If you
find nits, you need to do a
full Treatment
-
Live Lice (bugs) are
small brownish-grey insects
(
picture of a head
louse)
They move very fast, so chances are you
won't see
them. If you find
lice, you need to do a full
Treatment.
When in doubt, go with Method
2 below.
Method
2
This is the most thorough way to check for
lice, especially if you are having trouble seeing anything in
the hair. Wet the hair and towel dry. Next, coat the
entire head in a heavy-duty thick conditioner.
(Pantene Medium-Thick,
Frizzy to Smooth conditioner works the best)
Make sure that the scalp and hair are truly saturated. Next,
use a metal
(picture
of nit comb) nit
comb to methodically comb through the entire head,
scraping along the scalp with each stroke. (The
plastic ones do not work well at all.) The best product
on the market is the Nit-Free brand. Comb in four
directions: Front to back. Back to front. Right to left.
Left to right. After each stroke, wipe the comb onto a
moist white paper towel (the lice and nits will
show up like greyish-brown specks against the white
background). The bugs will be slow-moving, and
stuck in the conditioner. The nits will also be trapped
in the conditioner. The conditioner will not kill the
lice or eggs. The conditioner has a dual
purpose: The bugs often get stuck in the
conditioner and the eggs become visable against the
whiteness. If you find eggs or lice, you need a full
treatment. Go to Treatment .
If you are not
sure, seal whatever you find in a plastic baggie (or scotch
tape it to a piece of white paper )and take it to a health care
professional or school nurse who can help identify
lice and eggs (If you're anxious, you could do a Treatment anyway - it can't
hurt).
IF YOU
HAVE LICE, YOU DON'T NEED TO PANIC OR FEEL EMBARRASSED
(see Preparing
your child).
Just get on top of it, and you'll be pleasantly surprised
how quickly you can beat it.
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