Treating Bed Bugs
Treating Head Lice Successfully
Author: Paula Tooney
When you realize that one of your family members has lice you can be in a state of panic and you'll try to get rid of it by all means, but treating head lice effectively is not always easy. Here are some tips to help you kill those parasites and avoid repeated infestations.
How can you be sure you have head lice?
First of all, you have to make sure that you are dealing with head lice and not another disease; otherwise your treatment will not be effective. So how can you see the lice? It is not always easy to find lice and nits in the hair. Head lice have a grayish or brownish color. The best method to spot them is to wet the hair and use a special lice comb. Divide the hair into sections, comb it section by section, and if you have lice, you'll see them fall down. You can also see them when you rinse the comb in a sink containing water. Nits appear as white or grayish dots fixed to the base of the hair. They can be taken for dandruff but unlike those, they usually stick to the hair and cannot be easily detached from the scalp.
What treatments are recommended as effective?
The first method that comes to the mind is using a head lice comb on wet hair. This method takes time, patience and perseverance, but it is natural, harmless, and effective if done correctly. In case of severe infestation though, it might be good to combine this method with a head lice shampoo or a home remedy.
You can use insecticides that come most of the time in the form of shampoos, lotions or sprays. Among insecticides, only products containing pyrethrin and malathion are currently still considered effective, but this is not always the case, especially in the southern part of the United States, where head lice have become particularly resistant to these chemical products. Resistance is actually a reality in many western countries. If you decide to use them, you should know that they are pesticides, and as such, they are toxic. Moreover they can also be dangerous and have side effects such as skin irritation, tingling and itching.
Another effective method is using dimethicone. This product wraps the louse that can no longer breathe and dies. It must be applied to dry hair and left in place for at least 8 hours. Then you can rinse the hair. Treatment should be repeated after 7 days. This rather new treatment allows the removal of lice in 70% of cases approximately. It is unlikely that lice will become resistant to this product, and this treatment is a good alternative to insecticides, mainly because it is less toxic.
Then, you can also use home remedies such as olive oil alone or combined with essential oils, or vinegar. They are far more economical than chemical products, they are natural and effective. If you choose to use home remedies you should anyway comb the hair with a head lice comb, as well as repeat the treatment over one or two weeks.
Who should be treated?
Only people with head lice should be treated. But when a child is carrying lice, it is best to check all family members for it. The best method is to wet the hair and comb it. You should then only treat those who have lice, but never treat anyone preventively, as head lice cannot be prevented.
When a child has lice, it is also good to inform the school, so that screening measures may be taken, and that other kids may be checked and treated if infested.
What should you do if the treatment fails?
That happens sometimes, and people tend to think that if the treatment did not work it means that it is not effective. But actually the main reasons why a treatment fails are the following:
- The treatment with dimethicone or insecticide was not applied correctly. In most cases, the product has not been left long enough in contact with the hair;
- The treatment with insecticide or dimethicone was not repeated;
- If using a head lice comb, the treatment has not been repeated (every 3-4 days) or long enough (at least two more weeks after getting rid of lice the first time);
Note that no method is 100% effective anyway, so in case of failure you should repeat the treatment with the same method, and after several trials with a correct method, it makes sense to try another one.
Sometimes, the treatment worked, but the child has been infested again, maybe because not all the kids at school had been treated properly. In this case you have no choice but treating your child again.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/treating-head-lice-successfully-2084429.html
About the Author
Get your free mini-course on treating head lice effectively with home remedies and natural treatments: visit http://headlicecenter.com.
February 7, 2012
6:01 am
ALL insecticides are in effect NERVE AGENTS. i highly advise that you take every precaution to NOT come in contact with any such products!
February 7, 2012
6:01 am
For bed bugs? Take off all linens and freeze them for 24 hours and/or wash them in the hottest water possible. Do the same with any clothing in the room. Steam clean the mattress all over as well as the carpets. Vacuum in mattress seams, corners and drawers and freeze the vacuum bag. These steps will kill many of them for you off the bat.
Most pesticides contain the ingredients (dichlorvos, permethrin and malathion) to get rid of the rest, but bedbugs are VERY persistent and good at hiding. Best bet is to call the Orkin man.
One good step is prevention. A bedbug can live a year without food (you). Don’t make it easy on them. Isolate your bed the best you can to keep them from feeding on you.
February 7, 2012
6:01 am
Get an exterminator in there as quickly as possible so the chemicals that are used will be gone before the baby arrives. Also let the exterminator know that you sister is pregnant so he will use non toxic chemcials. Good luck.
February 7, 2012
6:01 am
Here it is http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fsite-directory%2F&tag=funjok-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325
Good Luck!
February 7, 2012
6:01 am
The pool type contains crystalline silica which can be a resperatory hazard.
October 30, 2007
12:03 pm
What are the effects of the chemicals used in treating bed bugs and pregnacy?
There has been a outbreak in a few apts in my complex and they are coming to treat every apt so we have to vacate the property for the day ect what needs to be done when returning can it harm my unborn child I am 31 weeks pregnant I have 2 small children and I plan on taking percusions and disinfecting everything cleaning walls shampooing carpets any other things I need to worry about let me know Thanks Jessica
April 3, 2009
2:57 am
Where do You buy Insecticide to treat bed bugs?
My sister has bed bugs and we need to get her home together before her new baby is born . Where can we get a good inexpensive insecticide or pesticide. What exactly do we need? We already threw the mattress out and shes staying with me for a while until we can fix this problem please help and any ignorant comments keep them to yourself Thanks
April 3, 2009
2:59 am
Where do I buy inexpensive insecticide or pesticide to treat bed bugs?
My sister has bed bugs and we need to get her home together before her new baby is born . Where can we get a good inexpensive insecticide or pesticide. What exactly do we need? We already threw the mattress out and shes staying with me for a while until we can fix this problem please help and any ignorant comments keep them to yourself Thanks
April 3, 2009
3:03 am
Where do I buy insecticide or pesticide to treat bed bugs?
My sister has bed bugs and we need to get her home together before her new baby is born . Where can we get a good inexpensive insecticide or pesticide. What exactly do we need? We already threw the mattress out and shes staying with me for a while until we can fix this problem please help and any ignorant comments keep them to yourself Thanks
August 23, 2010
11:10 am
Pool grade Diatomaceous Earth to treat Bed Bugs?
My friend has Bed Bugs where he lives.
I have read that diatomaceous earth is an effective treatment for Bed Bugs.
I happen to have some diatomaceous earth for Pools.
I have read that DE for Pools is not recommended to use for BedBugs.
Why is that? Is one kind of DE better to use than another really?