Health & Fitness
The “little” bug with so much power!
LICE- the four letter word with an incredible amount of meaning! Warning: reading further may make you a bit itchy!
Who knew, that a tiny little bug, barely visible at times with the naked eye, could cause so much anxiety and mental anguish? What is this critter that can do all this? This critter is none other than…a louse (singular for lice). We receive daily phone calls from families, experiencing all kinds of craziness in their households, all from these little guys.
Head lice have a direct mission in their lives. Their mission is that of finding a meal and making more lice. They do not spread disease and are just plain bothersome to say the least. What we the people, their hosts need, consists of patience, a good lice comb (such as the LiceMeister which we use here) and a good combing aid to comb out the lice and eggs (nits) with.
Most people that we come into contact with are freaked out by lice. If you try not to get freaked out by lice, become educated on them, and relax, we can all try to win the war on lice. You need to approach the task of eradicating the situation with logic and ease. This eases the situation for all.
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Knowing what to look for is half the battle of the war–you can find lots of interesting items in the human head. Trust us, we have seen it all! When you are at the beginning stage of a lice infestation, the first eggs that are laid are hard to spot with the naked eye. When the adult louse enters it’s host head, it will walk around for a few days before laying eggs. Then, it will start to lay 3-5 eggs at time and then it will take about 7-10 days for them to hatch. The eggs/nits can sometimes vary in color depending on the color of the individuals hair and can be laid on various spots within the hair shaft. We tell clients that if you see something that you believe to be a nit, feel it. It should feel like a bump. When in doubt, pull it out. Go ahead and examine what you find. If it looks like mulch or food or fuzz, it probably is. White is not a nit. We always recommend a lice comb for the most accuracy when checking for lice. We suggest that you take the lice comb and comb the hair. Then, wipe the lice comb against a plain, white napkin or paper towel. If there are nits, they will appear brown. If there are bugs, they can be translucent to a brownish color.
Education is key in winning the war on lice. Here at Potomac Lice Lady we are here to provide you with just that and help you so that you too can be the lice expert in your home. We do not take offense when clients say to us that they hope not to see us again. It just means that we have done a good job!:-)
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As always, we are here to help you. You can call us, email us or come in for a visit. Have a “de-liceful” day!
Best,
Lauren Salzberg
Potomac Lice Lady
