Lice

Lice cause an annoying itch. Anyone can get them, but how can you prevent or treat them?

Lice are small light brown insects that live on the hair. A few times a day they feed on blood that they suck through the skin. This gives the itchy feeling. You get lice by sharing hairbrushes, hats, scarves, towels, bed linen or cuddly toys. They can also spread through clothing that hangs close together, for example on a coat rack.

You can detect lice with the wet-comb test. Wash the hair with shampoo. After rinsing, apply conditioner liberally. Systematically comb the hair with a lice comb from back to front. Wipe the lice comb on a piece of paper towel and see if there are lice on it. Rinse the hair and repeat everything again. Also check all housemates.

As a treatment, you can perform the wet-comb test every 3 days for 2 weeks or obtain a head lice product from the pharmacist. You must repeat the latter after a week.

Author: Prof. Dr. Dirk Devroey - Latest update: 0000-00-00 - Copyright: Clinifacts 2024