Head lice

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Head lice

• Advice for children and parents

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Outline

• Its a myth
• What are head lice?
• What are nits?
• How do we get head lice?
• How do I know if I have head lice?
• Detection combing how to do it?
• If head lice are found, what do I have to do?
• How can we prevent head lice?
• The main points revised

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Its a myth

• Head lice arent found only in dirty hair !
• Head lice like all the heads with hair dirty or
  clean, brown, fair or russet-red hair, long or
  short
• Having head lice isnt a disease !
• Its a normal infection which can be treated
• Head lice are parasites which need human heads to
  live
• Head lice dont transmit any diseases

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What are head lice ?
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What are head lice ? (1)

• The Pediculus capitis
• Is an insect
• without wings
• 3 pair of legs
• Size
• length max. 4 mm
• height 2 mm
• Colour
• normally transparent difficult to detect
• become brown/red when they have eaten

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What are head lice ? (2)

• Habitat
• They live in human hair, in warm surroundings
  behind the ears or around the nape of the neck
• They are parasites they feed on human blood
• Mobility
• Can swim
• Cannot jump but can move very quickly

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What are nits ?
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Head lice are not nits

• Nits
• Are empty shell or dead egg
• Are attached to the hair thanks to a kind of
  adhesive deposited by the louse during the laying
• Can remain weeks or even months after infection

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How do we get head lice ?
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Head lice spread through contact

• Direct contact from one head to another
• (by playing together, doing sports together )
• Indirect contact
• from objects such as armchairs, scarves, hats,
  towels
• in the swimming pool
• by exchanging cycling helmets, brushes, combs
• Head lice can infect anyone, not just children

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How do I knowif I have head lice ?
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How do I knowif I have head lice ?

• Some people will get an itchy scalp
• Some people dont know they have head lice
• Detection combing
• is the best method to identify head lice

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Detection combing how to do it ?
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Detection combing (1)

• PREPARATION
• Get a special detection comb at your local
  pharmacy
• Remove tangles with an ordinary comb
• Divide the wet (towel dry) hair into sections

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Detection combing (2)

• STEP 1
• With the teeth of the detection comb touching the
  scalp at the top of the head, start combing
  towards the end of the hair, keeping the teeth of
  the comb in contact with the scalp as long as
  possible. Work on one section at a time
• STEP 2
• Keep a close eye on the comb for any signs of
  head lice. Wiping it on a tissue can help
  identify the head lice
• STEP 3
• Repeat the process moving round the whole of the
  head. It will take 10 - 15 minutes to do it
  properly

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Detection combing (3)

• CONCLUSION
• If a living moving louse is found, you have head
  lice
• You must not be treated unless you find a living,
  moving louse
• Nits might point on an infection in the past, but
  does not necessarily mean you are infected

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Detection combing (4)

• ADVICE
• Make sure you have plenty of light - ideally
  natural daylight
• You can put a white towel on the shoulders or
  comb the hair over a white surface
  (washing-basin, bath-tube or white table) to see
  more easily the lice falling out of the hair
• Perform detection combing on all family members
  and anyone who is likely to have had head to head
  contact with the affected person

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If head lice are found, what do I have to do ?
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If head lice are found,what do I have to do ?

• STEP 1
• Go to your local pharmacy to buy an anti-lice
  treatment
• STEP 2
• Read the leaflet before doing the treatment
• STEP 3
• Treat all infected persons of the family the same
  day
• STEP 4
• Inform school and everyone who was in close or
  regular contact over the last 2 weeks

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If head lice are found,what do I have to do ?

• ADVICE
• Decontaminate also the environment, to avoid a
  new infection
• Change and wash bed linen and clothes at 60C
• Everything which cannot be washed at 60C, e.g.
  synthetic clothing, brushes, combs, armchairs,
  helmets, soft toys can be decontaminate with a
  special treatment for the environment
  (insecticide aerosol)

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How can we preventhead lice?
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How can we preventhead lice?

• We recommend to
• Attach long hair
• Wear a bathing cap in the swimming pool
• Use a repellent in period of head lice epidemic
• Not exchange clothing (scarf, hat, helmet),
  brushes or combs
• If you find a living moving louse, tell anyone
  you have been in contact with. Advice them to use
  the detection method and if they find live lice,
  advice them to tell everyone they have been in
  contact with

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The main points revised

• A head lice isnt dangerous but could be very
  annoying. They can be transmitted by direct or
  indirect contact with infected people
• Detection combing helps you to identify head lice
• If lice are found buy an anti-lice treatment at
  your local pharmacy and treat the infected
  person, the rest of the family and warn everyone
  who has been in close contact during the last two
  weeks
• If no lice are found prevent head lice be
  careful with exchanging clothes and brushes, wear
  a bathing cap in the swimming pool and attach
  long hair. Do a weekly check to be sure

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For more information

• http//www.paranix.gr