What are head lice, as well as underwear and pubic lice, afraid of? At what temperature do lice and nits die? Will lice die?
The development cycle of lice can be divided into four stages: larva, first instar nymph, second instar nymph, third instar nymph, adult insect. The transition of the nymph to the next stage of development occurs with each molt. When molting, it sheds its hard chitinous cover, which allows it to continue to grow.
Lice development:
- It takes 5–8 days for the nit to develop.
- 1–3 days and the larva turns into a first instar nymph.
- The first instar nymph needs 5 days.
- The second instar nymph develops within 8 days.
The lifespan of an adult is 30 – 40 days.
After the last molt, an adult insect appears and mating occurs within the first two days. One mating in a female louse's entire life is enough to fertilize all the eggs in the body. After which she lays eggs throughout her life.
Reference! A female head louse lays 144 eggs in her lifetime, a female pubic louse lays up to 50 eggs, and a female body louse lays up to 300 eggs in her entire life. One and a half or two months after infection, a person may have a whole population of insects, and after some time they will cause pronounced symptoms of head lice.
Nits and nymphs
The development cycle from larva to adult insect is very interesting. When laying eggs, the female secretes a sticky secretion and only then the eggs are born. With the help of this substance, the egg is securely attached to the hair. After which the secretion hardens, forming a “case” (like a bag in which the egg matures). This is how a nit is formed.
After ripening, the first instar nymph hatches from the nit. It is similar to an adult insect, the only difference is its size and the inability to reproduce. Immediately after emergence, the larva begins to actively feed and molting occurs almost immediately. This is how a nymph is born.
Methods of temperature influence on lice
Like other insects, lice quickly adapt to insecticides. However, you can fight them in other ways. For example, using high or low temperatures.
Studies have shown that at a temperature of -20 degrees, the lice population completely dies within 45 minutes.
High temperatures:
- From + 40 to +45 degrees, females stop laying eggs.
- From + 40 to +60, adults and nymphs die.
- + 60 degrees and above, nits die.
There is an opinion that it is enough for a person with lice to walk without a hat in severe frost and this will help get rid of lice. But that's not true. After all, the human body cannot have a temperature with a minus sign. And the temperature on the scalp will always remain comfortable for lice. However It is quite possible to fight body louse using temperature methods.
Exposure to high temperatures
In most cases, the body louse is exposed to temperature. Since it lives in clothes, and it can be subjected to any processing. But exposure to high temperatures (painless for humans) can also help in the fight against head and pubic lice.
The effect of high temperatures on body louse:
The effects of high temperatures on head louse:
After heat treatment, insects should be combed out with a thick comb. The procedure should be carried out three to four times a day.
Exposure to low temperatures
Fighting body louse with low temperatures:
After freezing, things should be heat treated (as described above). This approach will increase the chances of success.
Insecticides
Currently, there are a large number of remedies for nits and lice.
However, when choosing, you need to consider:
- toxicity;
- aggressiveness;
- efficiency;
- ease of use;
- possibility of allergic reactions.
Therefore, when choosing you need:
The most popular lice remedies:
- sprays;
- shampoos;
- creams;
- concentrates in the form of emulsions.
All these drugs are quite easy to use, effective and safe. The exception is concentrated emulsions; they are more aggressive and more likely to cause allergic reactions and burns (if used incorrectly).
Attention! The main danger of insecticides is allergic reactions.
They appear as:
- dandruff;
- atopic dermatitis;
- hair damage;
- pigmentation.
The most popular lice medications:
A very interesting product is the Robi Comb electronic comb. The principle of its operation is that it not only combs out, but also shocks insects with an electric discharge. But at the same time its effectiveness is not high.
Attention! Children under 5 years of age, pregnant women and nursing mothers are prohibited from using chemical preparations for lice!
Folk remedies
Still widely used in lice control. But their main drawback is that the higher the efficiency, the more harm they can cause to a person.
What is used:
Head lice infection and prevention
The easiest way to get head lice is through direct head-to-head contact. Institutions such as gyms, swimming pools, football fields, children's summer camps, schools, kindergartens promote close contact between children and each other. Most often, pediculosis is contracted by children from 3 to 11 years old. This can occur through the sharing of combs, hair brushes, hair clips, hats, clothing, and the proximity of clothes on hangers. is not a sign of uncleanliness and poor hygiene.
Prevention:
- You should not exchange personal items: combs, hats, scarves, and you should not use someone else’s soap or towel.
- It is not advisable to leave clothes in a common locker room in close contact with the clothes of other people.
- You should check your hair and your child's hair for insects from time to time. This should be done once or twice a week. Particular attention should be paid to the area at the back of the head and behind the ears.
- Wash your hair regularly and comb your hair with a fine comb. These measures are especially relevant when traveling and hiking with large crowds of people.
The appearance of lice is an unpleasant event for every person. This is not only the discomfort caused by the “new residents”, but also the danger of infecting others. What kind of disease is this, how to fight it, is it possible to avoid infection and how long do lice and nits live outside the head?
Lice are...
Signs of lice infection
To diagnose head lice, you need to identify a number of symptoms. Typically this is:
- Reduced immunity.
- Increased sleepiness.
- Chronic fatigue.
- Depression.
- Frequent headaches and spasmodic pain in internal organs.
Can a louse live without a person and for how long?
Life cycle of a louse
There are several stages of louse development:
So, we can say that the lifespan of a louse from the moment the egg is born until the death of the individual is up to two months maximum, provided that it exists on the human body.
Louse habitat on humans
There are three types of human lice in nature:
- head;
- pubic;
- linen.
- cranberry juice;
- vegetable oil;
- tansy decoction;
- juice or decoction of wild garlic and wild rosemary;
- cosmetic hairspray.
When these products are applied to the hair, lice and nits die, after which they are usually combed out with a comb. If you managed to comb out the louse, but it is still alive, then you should remember how long lice live outside the head. It depends on how quickly the insect hits the person again. Therefore, all combed individuals should be destroyed immediately.
How to avoid lice infestation
- do not use other people’s personal hygiene products for the head and jewelry (towels, hairpins);
- maintain hygiene;
- systematically check all family members for lice infection;
- do not wear other people's hats.
By following these simple precautions, you can save yourself and your loved ones from such an unpleasant disease as lice. After all, everyone now knows how long lice live outside the human head and body.
What are lice afraid of?
Hello! I very carefully monitored my daughter’s health in the first years of her life.
Now imagine how worried I was when in the kindergarten she went to, one girl caught lice. I then took a whole range of measures to protect the child from potential infection.
Head lice feed exclusively on human blood. Every two to three hours they arrange a “bloody meal” for themselves, digging into the scalp with their piercing-sucking proboscis. The characteristic itching occurs due to the saliva of the head louse, which it leaves behind when sucking blood.
Without human blood, lice can usually survive no longer than one day. Contrary to popular belief, head lice cannot jump or fly. They crawl from head to head when hair touches.
Head lice are not afraid of water. Even underwater, lice can firmly grasp human hair with their tenacious paws. However, since water does not penetrate the lice's respiratory tract, they can survive several hours underwater. It is also impossible to wash off nits with water.
For this reason, lice almost always live in hair and, contrary to misconceptions, do not spread to hats, plush toys or upholstered furniture. Head lice not found on a human head are usually already dead.
Vinegar is powerless against lice. Vinegar is not able to kill lice. But rinsing in vinegar can still make it easier to comb out nits after treatment with a pediculicide.
Head lice are not afraid of hot air. The favorite place for lice on the head is the warm spots behind the ears or on the temples. Therefore, these areas should be inspected especially carefully if a lice infestation is suspected. Hot air does not harm lice. The idea that lice can be removed in a sauna or with a hairdryer is erroneous.
source: http://www.medlinks.ru/article.php?sid=46383
How to get rid of lice, why should lice and nits be afraid, what smell are they afraid of?
If to destroy adult individuals it is enough to treat the head with a special agent just once, strictly following the instructions, then in order to remove all the nits you need to make a lot of effort and be patient.
Over many years of fighting lice and nits, people have invented a lot of ways to quickly and effectively get rid of these insects in the shortest possible time.
Pharmacy drugs
Industrial or pharmacy preparations are very convenient to use; the proportions of all ingredients are precisely calculated in them, and if you follow the instructions, the treatment will be quick and effective.
Products to combat head lice are available in different forms, they are all equally effective and each buyer can choose the most suitable method of treating the head.
Shampoo. Preferred to be used by parents of young children. In order not to frighten the child with various ointments or aerosols, head treatment is carried out in an atmosphere familiar to the child, in the form of a simple hair wash.
As a rule, after the first treatment, all adult insects die and after a short period of time (5-7 days), it is recommended to repeat the treatment.
Aerosol or spray. The form of the drug is very convenient to use; you can carry out the head treatment procedure yourself without resorting to anyone’s help. It is enough to apply the product evenly over the entire surface of the head, wait for the time recommended in the instructions and rinse.
Creams and ointments. Products such as creams and ointments are suitable exclusively for short hair, as they have an oily structure and are difficult to wash out. The processing principle is not complicated: just apply evenly to the entire surface of the head, wait for a certain time and rinse.
Traditional methods
No less popular than pharmaceutical drugs. They are highly effective and in many cases at a budget price. The most effective ones include the following:
Attention!
Vinegar solution. To prepare, you need to take simple table vinegar 9% and dilute it with clean water in a ratio of 1:2, so that the resulting solution of vinegar is no more than 5%.
The principle of application is simple:
- Distribute evenly throughout the head and hair.
- Wrap your head tightly with cling film.
- Keep for 30-40 minutes.
- Wash off with shampoo.
Advantages: instantly kills living lice and weakens the attachment of nits, after this treatment they are easier to remove from the hair.
Disadvantages: if the acid concentration is incorrect (more than 5%), there is a high probability of getting a chemical burn.
Kerosene. Never used in its pure form. To treat the head, a certain mixture is prepared, which includes kerosene. There are a lot of recipes for such mixtures and each person chooses the most suitable one for himself individually.
Advantages: High efficiency, budget price. Flaws:
- Toxic substance, not recommended for use by children and elderly people.
- There is a high probability of chemical burns and intoxication.
Dust soap. A very strong remedy that instantly kills lice and nits, but it belongs to the category of poisons that tend to accumulate in the human body and are not removed from it on their own. DDT poisoning can be fatal. Banned for use in many countries.
Advantages: Very effective remedy for lice and nits.
Flaws:
- A powerful, aggressive poison dangerous to humans.
- Not available for free sale.
- It is strictly not recommended for use by children and people with poor health.
Hydrogen peroxide and alcohol compress. Hydrogen peroxide, as well as alcohol, is used to treat the head in diluted form. They are highly effective in destroying living individuals, but are absolutely safe for nits.
Advantages:
- Affordable price.
- Easy to buy at every pharmacy.
- Just prepare a solution for treating the head.
- The solution is not difficult to use.
Flaws:
- There is a high risk of getting a chemical burn to the scalp.
- Does not destroy nits.
Mechanical methods of struggle
When treating pediculosis, mechanical methods of control - special combs - are mandatory.
Types of combs:
- Classical. Plastic comb with fine teeth.
- Metal. The peculiarity of this comb is that it has special notches at the ends of the teeth. When a hair with a nit passes through such teeth, the notch cuts the nit, this instantly kills the larva and removes it from the hair.
- Electric. Ineffective comb, kills only living lice, not suitable for long hair. Useless for fighting nits.
External factors
The most important factor for the life and reproduction of lice is air temperature.
A high air temperature of 25 to 35 degrees is considered favorable. At this temperature, insects reproduce quickly: in just 5-7 days, a young individual emerges from the nit.
Unfavorable – temperature above 40 degrees and below 10. In the cold, the louse dies in a matter of minutes. When the air temperature drops below 10 degrees, insects move slowly, are unable to lay eggs, and at zero air temperatures they hibernate for a long period of time (up to 60 days).
You can loosen lice by drying your hair and the entire scalp with a hot hairdryer for at least 15 minutes. The insects will become slower and will be easier to remove from the hair using a comb.
Smells
- Tea tree.
- Lavender.
- Cypress.
- Wormwood.
- Geraniums.
Substances
Chemicals that have an adverse effect on lice are included in pharmaceutical preparations, these include:
- permethrin;
- malathion;
- phenothrin;
- Dimethicone
All of them have different effects on insects: some paralyze the nervous system, others corrode the chitinous shell, others have a suffocating effect, but ultimately lead to the rapid death of adult individuals.
Attention!
The most effective and efficient way to remove lice is an integrated approach. When treating pediculosis, it is necessary not only to treat the head with a special product, but also to comb out the nits mechanically every day, using a comb.
For preventive purposes, in the summer, you should constantly inspect your head for the presence of lice and nits, since absolutely anyone can become infected with lice, regardless of their cleanliness.
source: https://hairsecrets.online/zabolevaniya/pedikulez/chego-boyatsya-vshi.html
What are head lice, as well as underwear and pubic lice, afraid of?
There are many ways to remove head lice. These include recipes passed down from generation to generation and chemical preparations that can completely cure head lice.
The head louse usually chooses a victim with long hair. It feeds on blood, piercing all layers of the epidermis and making its way to the blood vessel.
Pubic - develops vital activity in places with coarse vegetation - in intimate areas, eyebrows, armpits, beard and mustache. The transmission route is contact, in the truest sense of the word. During intimacy, the insect clings to the partner's hairs. You can also become infected through bedding or towels.
Blue spots form at the bite sites - a consequence of the breakdown of hemoglobin. Wounds can be complicated by a purulent course.
How can you scare off bloodsuckers, and what doesn’t work on them? By the way, there are many myths that supposedly bloodsuckers can be removed with the help of spells and prayers.
Plain water
There is a belief that water has a detrimental effect on lice.
There is no point in rinsing your head with cold water, the bloodsuckers will not die, and you risk getting hypothermia.
Are bloodsuckers afraid of strong odors?
Lice do not like strong odors. What has an attractive aroma to humans repels bloodsuckers.
In order to kill insects, you should wrap your head: with such actions you will block the access of oxygen to pests, their respiratory tract will be burned by a pungently smelling substance. How to treat hair so that bloodsuckers suffocate?
Lice are afraid of essential oils: the smell of mint, lavender oil and tea tree. Burdock oil will help after recovery, restoring the hair structure. Concentrates are widely used for preventive purposes: a few drops of a pharmaceutical product are added to the shampoo.
Your curls will be protected from infection for 7 days. Before applying, make sure there is no allergic reaction to the concentrated substance. Perform a sensitivity test by placing a few drops on the elbow area. If there is no redness or itching, you can add oil to shampoos.
Lice cannot withstand substances such as birch tar. They are dying from tar soap. Wash your hair with a strong-smelling cleanser and comb your head with a fine-tooth comb.
A decoction of tansy, wormwood, rosemary herb, lemon juice, cranberry, hellebore water - have a suffocating effect on individuals and help peel off nits. One of the products is applied to the curls and left for 30 minutes.
After the procedure, the hair is rinsed and thoroughly combed. Be sure to check the head for nits. If you miss one egg, the lice will return within a week.
In order to protect yourself from infection, it is enough to wash your hair with anti-lice shampoo once a month. It is not necessary to maintain the exposure time indicated on the bottle. You are not treating the disease, but acting for preventive purposes.
Kerosene has been used for many decades. The product is inexpensive but effective. At least, this is what many who have encountered the disease think. Kerosene acts as a toxic substance that has a suffocating effect on bloodsuckers. The folk remedy is not used for children and pregnant women.
Fuel has one drawback - the unpleasant smell from the hair does not disappear for a long time. No cosmetic preparations will eliminate the persistent smell of fuel. Note: We would not recommend kerosene.
Attention!
Vinegar is an acid that helps dissolve the sticky substance with which adults attach eggs to the rod. Use a weak vinegar solution so as not to burn the scalp.
The substance itself does not kill lice. The product is suitable for preventing infection and improving the structure of the hair shaft.
Salt and alcohol combined with vinegar will help relieve itching caused by head lice. The mixture is prepared by mixing a teaspoon of alcohol with 3 tablespoons of salt. Add 3% vinegar and apply as a compress. Apply to clean hair and do not rinse for 2 days.
Karbofos is used in hospitals during anti-pediculosis treatment of patients. The product kills both adults and nits. The head is treated and wrapped for 30 minutes, then rinsed with vinegar water and combed out with a fine comb. The downside is an unpleasant smell from the head for 10 days.
Temperature changes
There is an opinion: human head lice, as well as linen lice, are most afraid of changes in ambient temperature. Is it so?
High temperature will not always help get rid of bloodsuckers. There are temperatures at which individuals will feel quite comfortable.
The normal temperature range for life activity and laying offspring is + 24 – 30 C. A decrease in indicators inhibits the development of individuals. They eat less often and do not lay eggs.
Zero temperature does not lead to the death of individuals, but to a state close to suspended animation. The insect falls asleep for several days.
You cannot get rid of pubic bloodsuckers by swimming in an ice hole. For insects, the water temperature from – 1 to + 4 is quite acceptable to survive for 10 – 15 minutes. And a person can’t stand it anymore in icy water. As a result of exposure to low temperatures, nits also survive.
Dry hot air can slow down the development of nits and the vital activity of adults. It is impossible to get rid of pests using a hairdryer. To destroy bloodsuckers and nits, you need to use a hairdryer with a stream of hot air for at least an hour.
A bathhouse, similarly, will only get rid of lice from very stubborn comrades: after all, not everyone can survive in a steam room at high temperatures. Moreover, it is known that a hot bath is very harmful to hair.
Linen insects are destroyed by heat treatment of items at a temperature of +70 C. It is enough to wash the laundry and leave it to dry in the open air.
Hairdressing tricks
A haircut. One thing head lice cannot survive without is hair! That is why a radical and quick method of combating head lice in hospitals is shaving the head.
This method is unlikely to work with women. Prevention and prevention of infection - put your hair under a headdress, or braid it.
Hair dye. In the fight against bloodsuckers, women resort to the procedure of dyeing their curls. The method works, but under certain conditions:
- The paint must contain ammonia or hydrogen peroxide;
- After applying the paint, wrap the head for 30 - 40 minutes;
- The drug has not expired.
The method is effective against adults. The coloring pigment does not affect nits.
Both larvae and adult lice are afraid of hunger strikes. If an insect falls from the host's body, it will not survive more than 3 days. The larva lives without food for no more than a day.
What methods don't work
Bloodsuckers are not afraid:
- Magic rituals, conspiracies and prayers. If a person firmly believes in the miraculous powers of the word, secure the result with an insecticidal preparation;
- Styling products. Hairspray will help if it is applied directly to the individual. Fixing curls will not save you from the disease;
- Talismans. No enchanted object hanging around the neck will protect against lice;
- Holy water. This method also does not contribute to recovery. You need hot water, or better yet boiling water, to remove body louse. After washing, the linen lice die.
A hair clipper works against bloodsuckers. This is a conspiracy, a talisman and a repeller. The device saves from head insects, but is not always effective against pubic insects.
Myths
There are many myths about bloodsuckers among people. Let's consider which of them is true and which is fiction.
Pediculosis affects the poor and hungry. Neither wealth in the family nor status in society protects against illness. Everyone's blood composition is the same.
Bloodsuckers love blood group 4. Group affiliation does not affect infection.
Bloodsuckers jump over 5 meter distances. Lice crawl at a speed of 20 cm per minute. Fleas are jumping.
Attention!
The bloodsucker can penetrate deep into the epidermis. The size of the insect's proboscis is much smaller than the body; the pest cannot penetrate the skin.
After successful treatment of pediculosis, no complications arise. In fact, children, people with allergic reactions and weakened immune systems are likely to experience complications after treatment.
The wounds can fester, ulcerate and take a long time to heal. When infection penetrates, dangerous diseases such as typhus and relapsing fever develop. Simple scratching can develop into eczema and dermatitis.
Alcoholics and drug addicts do not suffer from head lice, since “tasteless” blood circulates in the body. The human body is designed in such a way that processes of renewal and cleansing occur every second.
Otherwise, we would have already died after a few breaths of city air. The blood is cleared of toxins formed as a result of drinking alcoholic beverages; anyone can get lice.
The insect eats skin particles and dandruff. Lice feed exclusively on blood, and dandruff and epidermal scales are foreign debris that prevents piercing the epidermis.
In most cases, following traditional methods is ineffective and leads to severe infection. A person is forced to buy a special drug that helps get rid of bloodsuckers.
Every missed minute is a new nit in the head. If the result is the same, why waste precious time!
source: https://prochizdoma.ru/chego-boyatsya-vshi/
My son has head lice in his class! How to protect yourself - that’s the question!
“My son was diagnosed with head lice in his class, what can I do to protect myself from this trouble?” “What is better to treat pediculosis: folk remedies or drugs from the pharmacy? They say the insects are “accustomed” to the latter?
People have known about pediculosis for a very long time, and therefore there are many ways to combat this disease.
However, every time we encounter this misfortune, we feel complete confusion and even fear. And fear, as you know, gives rise to a lot of speculation and rumors.
Description of the life activity of the head louse
Infection with lice occurs when the heads of a lice carrier and a person not infected with them come into contact, as well as through shared towels, combs and other objects. Head lice attach to hair with their claws and spend most of their time on or near the scalp.
Each female lays an average of 8 oval-shaped eggs (nits) per night, attaching them one after another to the hair roots.
After about 3 days, a young louse (nymph) hatches from the nit, leaving behind an empty white shell firmly attached to the hair. For 7 days the nymph feeds in the same way as an adult louse, for 10 days - and she herself is able to lay nits
Treatment of pediculosis
First, isolate your child to avoid infecting other children. Wash, or even better, boil combs, clothes and other things that came into contact with lice.
The most common method of “home therapy” is treatment with kerosene. Kerosene is mixed with vegetable oil and thoroughly rubbed into the scalp. After this, put a bag on your head and leave it for 20-30 minutes. As a result of “kerosene torture,” the scalp can be damaged and the hair can become very coarse.
Another homemade option is dust soap. But, unfortunately, these substances do not kill nits, which have to be selected manually.
Another radical method that provides a 100% guarantee of getting rid of lice is a “zero” haircut.
However, we can offer a hair health-friendly and more effective method - the use of special anti-lice products. Most drugs are effective against lice, but few are able to cope with nits.
Para Plus - aerosol. As a rule, a single use allows you to achieve the desired effect. Requires careful use.
Cream Nyx - cream. The amount of cream required to treat the head depends on the length and thickness of the hair. When using the cream, you should be aware that this drug should not be used by people who are allergic to chrysanthemums.
Attention!
Children under 2 years of age are treated with the product only under the supervision of medical personnel. Pregnant and lactating women are advised to consult a doctor before using the drug.
It would seem that everything is clear: treat the head and comb out the nits. But in reality everything is much more complicated. Those who are faced with this problem have a lot of questions, and we will answer some of them.
FAQ
How long do lice live outside their host? The question is, is it worth treating the entire apartment in some way (including upholstered furniture, pillows and blankets)? Can head louse live and reproduce on clothing? Is it necessary to boil clothes or is it enough to just wash them?
If a louse falls from your head onto the carpet, can it get back? What treatment and how many times do you need to carry out to be sure that they are no longer there? Can a louse live in a mattress (does it need to be treated)?
Outside the host, the louse remains viable for 72 hours. There is no need to treat the entire apartment; it is enough to apply anti-pediculosis spray to objects that the head has touched: a pillow, a pillowcase. But lice can no longer reach furniture and blankets, so these items can be left alone.
What is the reason for the restriction in the instructions for anti-lice products: “no more than twice a month,” and why is it necessary to rinse your hair with a vinegar solution after using the product?
The limitation on the period of use of anti-pediculosis drugs is due to the toxicity of these drugs. Rinsing with a 5-8% solution of acetic acid is necessary: this greatly facilitates combing out nits and dead lice and is a kind of disinfectant. After combing, it is also recommended to place the comb in a 5-8% vinegar solution for some time.
Why can’t you “get rid” of lice the first time? The use of almost all anti-pediculosis agents requires repeated application. This is due to the peculiarity of the life activity of the louse (the maturation period of the nit is 3 days).
After using anti-lice medications, the hair becomes dry and itchy. What to do? Concerns regarding the safety of the drug are not in vain: indeed, all anti-pediculosis drugs are relatively toxic. However, of two evils, as they say, you have to choose the lesser.
Fear of infection sometimes forces us to look for unconventional and sometimes curious methods of treatment. True, in such a situation it’s no laughing matter, but it’s still worth refuting some statements.
Is it true that using ultraviolet light and a solarium will help in the fight against insects?
Medicine only knows the antimicrobial effect of ultraviolet radiation. Unfortunately, a solarium will not help you get rid of lice.
Is it true that if pets (a cat or a dog) live next to an infected person, they can also become infected?
No, pediculosis does not threaten “our smaller brothers,” since insects feed on human blood.
Is it true that lice are afraid of high temperatures? Is it then possible to get rid of them using a hair dryer or curling iron?
Yes, lice are afraid of high temperatures. However, a hair dryer and electric curling irons are a very “harsh” way to remove nits; this way you can not only burn your hair, but also get a skin burn. Treating linen by calcination is an effective method, but keep in mind that this will spoil the appearance of the linen.
Is it true that anti-pediculosis drugs can be used to prevent infection?
No. If there are no live lice, then there is no need to treat with anti-pediculosis agents. These drugs are toxic and should be used only as needed. Unfortunately, there are no drugs in the pharmacy assortment that would help avoid lice infestation. The only remedy is daily combing with a fine comb.
One way to combat lice is to change the temperature that is comfortable for them. Basically, this method is suitable for killing body lice. Although recently various methods of heat treatment of hair on the human head have appeared. Let’s look at what lice are afraid of and how you can fight them, knowing at what temperature lice die.
But you can change the comfortable ambient temperature. With such changes, insects cannot stand it for long and die. There are two options - to radically increase or decrease the temperature. Typically, a louse can live for several days outside the human body. Acceptable temperature is from -5 to +40 degrees Celsius.
Temperature drop
Note! Some may think that walking in the cold without a hat will help get rid of insects. This is a big misconception.
Even being exposed to cold air for a long time will not help get rid of the disease. In fact, walking on a frosty day without a hat can only cause you to catch a cold and freeze your ears. This will not affect lice in any way, because they crawl on the skin and hair close to it. The skin retains a certain amount of heat. Therefore, for lice the temperature drops slightly. For nits, this method will be completely useless - their cocoon reliably protects the nymph growing inside from many external unfavorable phenomena.
Therefore, this point is worth considering and accepting. Only linen lice can be destroyed by lowering the temperature without harm to health.
To destroy lice in this way, you need to take all fabric products outside in frosty weather, hang them up and leave them for several days. In this case, the temperature should be below -20 degrees - this is the threshold even for nits. It is worth paying attention to the fact that air humidity affects the scope and time of death of insects - the higher the percentage of humidity, the faster they die. After the required time has passed, all frozen lice and nits are carefully shaken off or removed with a brush from things directly on the street. After returning the clothes to the house, it is recommended to carefully iron them with a hot iron, paying special attention to the internal seams - this is where insects like to hide most.
There is another faster method: collect all contaminated items in a plastic bag, tie them tightly and place them in the freezer. Within a few hours, not only the adults, but also their nits are frozen. All that remains is to carefully remove their remnants from the folds and wash the clothes.
Temperature increase
If we talk about an increase in temperature, the more it differs from the human body temperature, the worse the insects feel. Temperatures from +54 degrees Celsius are considered destructive for lice.
Nits are a little more resistant to external changes, since they are wrapped in a dense cocoon that protects them from the influence of external factors. But when heated, the destructive threshold for the cocoon and nits is +60 degrees Celsius.
To combat lice, clothes and small personal hygiene items can be treated with boiling water. You can use an iron or steam cleaner to treat clothes, beds, pillows, blankets and upholstered furniture.
Read also A child has lice - what needs to be done
- American scientists have created a special hair dryer. They blow it over the scalp of a sick person for half an hour at a temperature of +50 degrees. This is not a very favorable temperature for insects, at which they weaken and cannot move quickly or hold on to their hair. This temperature is hardly noticeable to a person, so he does not experience discomfort during the procedure. At the end of the treatment, insects along with nits are combed out with thick metal combs;
A special hair dryer for treating the head is currently common in clinics in the United States of America. Recently, they are just beginning to appear in some expensive dermatological centers in other countries.
Note! Despite the effectiveness of the procedures, it is recommended to combine them with mechanical treatment with a thick comb. Mechanical treatment should be carried out at least twice a day until not a single lice or nits are found after several combing procedures.
The influence of temperature fluctuations on the development of lice
More curious readers can view the table and find out how temperature changes directly affect the life activity and reproduction of lice.
The method of killing lice using temperature changes can be considered one of the best. After all, this means that head lice can be treated without the help of chemicals and the risk of serious side effects. In this case, you can use both a decrease and an increase in temperature or combine both methods.
- The most popular are shampoos against lice. They differ in the type of active ingredient, but most of them are safe and can be used in childhood.
- are characterized by higher efficiency, although they are not without certain disadvantages associated with the complexity of use, aggressiveness of exposure and side effects. Such preparations are more suitable for clothing and bedding infested with lice.
- Anti-lice creams are not widely available like shampoos. Although these two types are similar in their principle of action and composition.
The main factors that can put lice into a state of stupor include:
- too low and, conversely, too high temperatures;
- processing using chemicals;
- lack of food;
- pungent and intense odors.
Of the chemicals that have an adverse effect on lice, the most effective are pyrethroids and cypermethrin, which are present in most anti-lice shampoos and sprays.
Regular hair dye containing hydrogen peroxide will also help in the fight against lice., since this component is capable of destroying chitin.