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5 Things You Must Know About Headlice

1. One of the 5 things you must know about headlice is it does not come with the poor hygiene. The truth is, head lice prefer clean, dry and non- greasy hair. Children's hair is the favorite nesting place of head lice because it is usually clean. This doesn't mean that adults are less prone to have head lice. All people of all ages are susceptible to be infected no matter how good their hygiene is.

2. Head lice and nits are water and soap resistant. They can live up to 24 hours in water. Some believe that head lice can spread in the swimming pool. This is just a myth. They stay firm on the hair strand and that's how they survive when an infected person swims, bathes and washes hair. In time, they develop resistance to certain chemicals with continued use of the same anti- head lice shampoo.

3. Head lice cannot jump nor fly. They don't have wings to fly and don't have strong legs to jump, they just crawl. However, head lice are too light that they can be carried by the air. This creates an illusion that they fly or jump. They can be transferred from the one person to another by sharing of personal things like cap, brush, headbands, and other hair accessories. Head lice can live up to 48 hours outside human scalp. This means they can also be transferred by sharing of beds, blankets and pillows. Avoid borrowing personal things. If this cannot be avoided, wash them at high temperature up to 130 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature kills lice living in blankets, pillows and other personal belongings.

4. Natural treatment can kill head lice and prevent them from coming back. There are natural remedies available right in the kitchen. These are safe and effective head lice treatment. Extract the juice of an onion and apply the juice on the scalp. Massage it into the scalp and let it stay for three to four hours. Wash the hair with shampoo and rinse thoroughly. Repeat the process for three consecutive days for best results. Dilute 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in to a cup of water. Apply it on the scalp and leave the solution for two hours. Wash and rinse the hair to completely wash away head lice and their eggs. An olive oil can also eliminate head lice by applying it directly on the scalp and hair strands. Olive oil will make the hair slippery. Use a very fine comb and you'll see numbers of head lice gripping off the hair. Squeeze them or pour bowling water on them. Continue to comb the hair until the last head lice grip off. Lastly, wash the hair with lukewarm water to remove nits on the hair strands.

5. Head lice are more annoying than harmful. An adult female louse lays from ten to six eggs a day. These eggs hatch in seven days. In just a week an infected person can have at least twenty head lice crawling and living on its head. Imagine how fast day multiply. These parasites feed on human blood. Their bite is itchy and somewhat hot. Frequent scratching may lead to skin irritation.