Human head lice are small, brownish gray, six legged creatures. They are difficult to see because they are light sensitive but sometimes you can spot them as they crawl through the hair. They are capable of moving from head to head, therefore anyones head of hair can become a home to lice.
Human head lice live by biting the scalp and sucking out the blood. Their saliva contains an antiseptic, which can cause a mental slowing down if the host is continuously bitten over a long period of time. This is thought to be the original meaning of the term nitwit. Nits are the empty egg shells of the hatched lice. They look a bit like dandruff and are stuck firmly to the hair shaft. Nits are much easier to spot than lice.
Treating Human Head Lice
If you find lice, then there are two options. Whichever option you choose it is important to know that neither will protect against re-infection if head to head contact is made with someone with head lice later on. You might want to make occasional checks during hair washing sessions later on.
The first option to treating head lice is by using lotions and creme rinses that contain insecticides. You do not want to use lotions or rinses unless you find a living moving louse. Also, check all close family/friends by the wet combing method, that is using a fine tooth comb in your hair to catch the lice. The second option is to do a systematic removal of live lice by combing through the hair and physically removing any lice found. This can be painstaking and time consuming but will ensure that you have removed all of the head lice.
