Head Lice Treatment- A Common Pest's Solution
Head lice are a common affliction for children and nearly all kids will suffer from it at one point or another in their lives. They can become infected by sharing a hat or a hug at school, using another's helmet at batting practice, or playing with a friend who is infected. Lice are common and are easily transmittable between people.
One of the first things a parent will do when they find that their child has head lice is try to find the best head lice treatment. The most common of these treatments involves an over-the-counter lice shampoo from your local pharmacy or retail store.
Most folks are not aware that pubic lice and head lice do not belong to the same species. Since that is true, there is no reason to fear that the ones from your scalp have moved to another part of your body, requiring you to apply the head lice treatment all over. If head lice have infested you or one of your children, all you really have to do is to work the proper lice treating shampoo into the hair on the scalp.
Using lice shampoo is not the only head lice treatment that people use. The Internet is the source of many treatments that are more natural and less expensive. These include coating your hair in baby oil or vegetable oil overnight for several hours. This is supposed to smother the lice and kill them.
One thing that is important no matter what head lice treatment you use, is that all bedding and furniture must be cleaned thoroughly to ensure that all of the lice are gone. Lice can live in a couch or a pillow for up to three weeks without human contact. Stuffed animals that are on your child's bed and coats and hats are all things that need to be cleaned if you want to ensure that the head lice is gone.
Don't ever allow yourself to feel embarrassed or "dirty" just because you've gotten head lice. Lice spread so easily that everyone is exposed at some point during their lives. Just remember that you have to do everything possible to completely eliminate an infestation. Leave a couple of those little critters alive, and the whole colony will be back before you know it.
Most parents realize that their children will be affected with head lice at some point in their early years. When parents learn that their child has head lice, they immediately try to find the best head lice treatment available. It is a common misconception that pubic lice and head lice are the same type of parasite. They are not. You do not need to believe that head lice have traveled to other places on the body and you do not need to use the treatment everywhere. If your child is afflicted with head lice, only concern yourself with applying the head lice shampoo to the head.
Published February 8th, 2008