Pediculosis is considered a common ailment. Often lice are transmitted in public places. In order to prevent infection, it is necessary to observe hygiene and exclude contact with people who may be at risk. If, however, infection has occurred, then you should know how to eliminate lice eggs.
What do they look like?
Blood-sucking insects breed, laying eggs on human hair. Inside each egg, a parasite develops. And to save offspring, lice secrete a secret that firmly attaches eggs to the hair. Moreover, nits are packed in a shell. After solidification in the air, it gains strength and protects the individual from external factors.
Lice eggs are similar in appearance to dandruff, but they cannot shake. You can eliminate them with a frequent comb and after washing with a special shampoo. If you look at the larva under a microscope, then it is presented in the form of a small capsule and, depending on the species, is elongated or short and round. Below is a special girdle formed from the same component as the shell. The top ends with a cap through which the larvae hatch. The size of the capsule is not more than 0.7 mm in length, and the diameter is 0.4 mm. These are all signs of how lice eggs look.
Larval development
Female parasites become sexually mature and mate with males after the last molt. How many eggs do lice lay? They lay up to 10 eggs per day. This is done as follows:
- The female creeps up her hair.
- During this period, the larva descends through the oviduct to the anus inside the body.
- Moving past the glands, it is enveloped in a sticky secret, which when touched with hair firmly fixes a louse egg to it.
- Part of the liquid flows into the upper part of the capsule, forming a lid.
- After a few minutes of contact with air, the egg hardens and attaches to the hair.
The larva develops about 8 days at 33 degrees. If the temperature reaches 22 degrees or increases to 40, then the process stops. This is the whole process of how a louse lays eggs. But even at 0 degrees, viability lasts up to 2-3 months. Disastrous for nits and eggs of lice is a temperature of 45 degrees or more.
The larva emerges from the capsule after ejecting the cap. This is able to open oxygen inward. It enters not only the lungs, but is also swallowed, enters the digestive tract and is released through the anus. Due to this, the pressure in the capsule increases, and the individual is pushed out.
Pest search
Is louse eggs easy to spot on hair? This is determined by the type and color of curls. It is difficult to find almost colorless shells on light and curly ones, but in dark and straight ones they are clearly visible in the form of white grains. They are easy to identify to someone who knows what nits look like. Usually they are at a height of 2-3 cm from the root, 1 on each hair. What lice lay eggs? Head lice are wound up in the scalp. They quickly lay their eggs, so you should not delay the problem.
Difference from dandruff
In appearance, small white dandruff is similar to cocoons. From a long distance, this will not work. If you look closely, the difference is noticeable, although not immediately, but only upon careful examination. The differences are as follows:
- Dandruff cannot stay on the hair and crumbles with a slight shake.
- The color of the capsules is yellowish with shine, and dandruff has a snow-white, matte color.
Signs of infection
How to identify nits and eggs of lice? Symptoms of this ailment are characteristic. They are noticeable immediately after infection. First, itching appears on the head. Then secondary signs are observed:
- Scars and ulcers on the scalp.
- White blotches at the roots of the hair.
- Swelling of the behind-the-ear and occipital lymph nodes.
- The presence of purulent discharge in large quantities with severe infection.
The patient will be irritable, this condition gives him psychological discomfort. The affected areas rot, due to which pustules and boils appear.
Is the disease transmitted?
How many lice lay eggs? This happens after a few hours. However, many are interested in whether these parasites can be transmitted. This is allowed, but only with close contact. In other cases, insects pass from one host to another through hair care items:
- combs;
- massage brushes;
- hairpins;
- gum;
- hair clips.
By other methods, transmission is excluded. This is due to the fact that the larvae that are on the hair are motionless and therefore are not capable of being transmitted from one person to another. And adults can crawl.
Is it difficult to eliminate parasites?
Compared with adults, they are considered resistant to special agents. Of the large number of preparations, only agents with organophosphorus insecticides can destroy larvae. Vinegar can soften and destroy shells. But it must be used carefully, since with a high concentration a scalp burn is likely. If you add it to water to rinse your hair, and then comb it out with a frequent comb, you can get rid of some of the eggs, but will not be completely eliminated.
Treatment methods
How to cure pediculosis? Today, there are many tools and ways to combat the disease. The most effective are the following:
- chemical;
- mechanical;
- combined.
In the first case, anti-pedicular components are used. In the second, combing with a frequent comb or manual selection takes place. The third method involves the consistent application of the first chemical, and then mechanical method.
Each of them has its pros and cons. The use of modern drugs eliminates the cause of the disease, but allergies can occur with repeated use or increasing the dose. When choosing a method, you need to focus on the level of infection.
Effective remedies
Now there are many products for the treatment of lice. The most effective include the following:
- Nettifor. The drug has a strong insecticidal activity from lice, nits, ticks, fleas. The active substance, permethrin, can cause paralysis of the nervous system of insects, because of which they die. The product is applied to the roots of the hair (10-60 mg), and after 40 minutes you can rinse with a regular shampoo. Then you need to comb your hair. The drug is sold in the form of a cream and lotion.
- "Foxilon". It is an affordable and effective remedy for lice. The active substance, benzyl benzoate, in a short time enters through the chitinous cover of parasites, accumulates and leads to their death. It is necessary to apply the product (10-50 ml) on clean, moistened hair and rinse off after 10 minutes. To remove dead lice and nits from the hair roots, comb them with a thick comb. The product is in the form of a lotion.
- "Pedilin." The drug eliminates lice. The active substance, malathion, is considered a contact and nerve poison for arthropod parasites. The drug should be rubbed into the roots of moistened hair and rinse off after 30 minutes. Then you should re-apply the composition and rinse with shampoo after 5 minutes. To remove the remains of dead lice and nits, comb them with a thick comb. If necessary, processing is repeated a week later. The drug is released in the form of shampoo, emulsion.
- "To here." The active substance is dimethicone, which covers immature and sexually mature insects with a polymer film that blocks the access of oxygen, so lice die due to suffocation. The spray is applied to dry hair until it is moisturized. A comb is attached to it, which must be evenly distributed throughout the hair. If they are long and thick, then they should be processed in strands. You need to wait 45 minutes and rinse with regular shampoo. If necessary, the procedure is repeated. The drug is available in the form of a spray.
- "Parasidosis +". The active substances are coconut acid, cocamidopropyl, which block the respiratory openings of parasites, as a result of which the latter die due to asphyxiation. The drug is able to dissolve the adhesive component, due to which insects stick tightly to the hair. The product is rubbed into the roots and left for 45 minutes, and then it is washed off using ordinary shampoo. Available in the form of an emulsion.
Folk remedies
Pediculosis can be cured with the help of folk remedies. The following recipes help:
- A mixture of salt and wine vinegar. You need to mix 45 g of salt and wine vinegar (1 cup), as well as pure alcohol (7 g). Hair rinse in advance, dry. Then you need to saturate the gauze with the resulting solution, apply it to the affected areas. Lotions must be changed 3 times a day. The tool perfectly eliminates parasites, itching and burning.
- Kerosene and vegetable oil should be mixed in a proportion of 1:10. The mixture is used to treat hair, and then you need to cover your head with wax paper, wrap it with a terry towel or a voluminous scarf. The compress must be kept all night. In the morning, rinse your head with ordinary soap.
- A glass of cranberries. From the fruits you need to squeeze the juice, and then mix it with honey (1 tsp). The finished mixture must be rubbed into the head for 2-3 hours.
- Aniseed oil is rubbed into the head, kept for 4 hours, and then washed off. Nits are eliminated by scallop.
- Chives should be chopped and then mixed with the yolk. The finished product is rubbed into the head, distributed through the hair. The composition lasts 2 hours, and then washed off with water and lemon juice. Eliminate the smell of onions will allow shampoo.
Thus, lice can be easily eliminated. For this, both pharmacy products and folk recipes can be used. Better yet, observe hygiene rules to prevent the occurrence of these parasites.