Lice eggs

Lice eggs

Lice eggs are easy to detect, as they are firmly attached to the hair at the root. The surest way to know if you have head lice is to find a live louse in your hair.

What are lice eggs?

Lice eggs are small and oval, about 0.8mm long. The eggs are firmly attached to the hair at the root, and have a yellowish-white, transparent colour. The egg has a lid that falls off upon hatching. When the eggs have hatched, they are papery white in colour.

How do lice eggs develop?

Head lice go through stages: egg, nymph stages (three stages) and adult. The development time for one generation is about three weeks.

The lice attach their eggs to the hair at the root, and move out with the growing hair approx. 1cm per month. By measuring the distance from the skin to the outermost louse egg, the probable time of infection can be calculated. The lice lay 7-10 eggs per day, and the lice eggs hatch into 1-2mm long larvae (nymphs) in 6-8 days. After 9-12 days after hatching, the larva has turned into a sexually mature male or female (3mm long), and the louse lives for another 2-4 weeks before it dies.

What do head lice look like?

Adult head lice are 2-3mm long and can be grey, transparent, brown, black or red (just after they have sucked blood). The larvae (nymphs) are similar to adult lice, but these are lighter in color and are approximately 1-2mm long.

How to detect head lice?

• Head lice thrive best behind the ears, neck and up towards the back of the head. Symptoms of head lice can be:

• Itch

• Sores or infections of the scalp

Louse droppings (looks like black powder) can be detected on the head pillow or collar

To find out if you have head lice, you must comb your hair with a lice comb. Moisturize your hair well, as wet hair prevents the lice from moving as quickly. Put a white towel over your shoulders when combing, and check both the towel and the comb for lice and eggs. Comb the hair systematically with gentle strokes from the inner part of the hairline and out along the length of the hair. Lice eggs can get stuck at the bottom of hair that falls out.

How to remove lice eggs or lice?

Only those who have been diagnosed with lice must be treated with lice remedies. If others in the family have lice, these must be treated at the same time to prevent re-infection.

Head lice do not go away by themselves. Head lice are removed with lice products and/or frequent combing or shaving. The most effective treatment for head lice is to combine lice treatment with combing the hair.

Lice remedy

Lice products containing dimethicone (Linicin 15 min Solution, NYDA, Paranix sensitive) are recommended, as there is good documentation that dimethicone products are effective against lice. Dimethicone products have no resistance problems since they work by suffocating or drying out the lice.

Remember to complete the treatment and follow the instructions for use carefully. The treatment should be repeated after 8-14 days, as the agents do not kill all the eggs in one treatment.

Wet combing

Thorough and systematic combing with a lice comb in wet hair can fight head lice. Treatment with lice medicine will also be better if it is combined with combing. If you do not want lice medicine, the hair must be thoroughly combed daily for at least 8 days, then weekly for 3 weeks.

Place a white towel over your shoulders to catch lice and eggs that come loose from your hair. Comb systematically through the hair from the scalp to the length of the hair. Use good light and preferably a magnifying glass. After each use, the comb should be disinfected in boiling water.

If you only want to use a lice comb, the Ridian electric lice comb can be used. This kills lice and lice eggs by emitting an electric charge. This kills the louse immediately, while being completely gentle on humans. Such a comb should not be used by people with a pacemaker or heart problems.

Shaving

Shaving can fight head lice. If the hair length is less than 0.5 cm, the head louse has little to hold on to.

Sources: Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Helsenorge, Ask at the pharmacy, Health Library, Norwegian electronic medical handbook