Lice cause a lot of discomfort – itching does not give an itch
fall asleep, and the realization that hordes are crawling about in their hair
insects, and does spoil the mood and lowers self-esteem.
Where do they come from? Can I get pediculosis if you have
short haircut? Can lice live in upholstered furniture? Thanks to this
Article you can distinguish truth from common myths.
Contents
Where can lice live apart from a human head?
The content of the article:
- Where can lice live apart from a human head?
- Where do lice live at home (apartment)
- How many lice and nits live outside the human head?
- Where do lice live in nature?
- Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
- How can parasites be derived?
- Conclusion
Many people mistakenly believe that lice can live exclusively on
human head, but it is completely wrong. In addition to the hairy part
scalp parasites live on:
- Eyebrows – the case when lice are moving with
hair. Causes itching on the face and redness on the forehead. - Eyelashes – just like in the first case, this
parasites migrated from the head. Often their appearance
accompanied by redness of the eyelids and conjunctivitis. - Beard – live on hard hair
called pubic lice. They are distinguished by the special structure of the limbs,
allowing them to cling to thick rods. - Breasts – if the chest is covered with hair,
there is a risk that pubic lice will settle on it. - In the armpits – common
location for parasites, subject to increased body hair. - In the groin – lush vegetation in the “bikini zone”
favorite place for pubic lice.
Reference! Help – pediculosis is not identical
uncleanliness. Even a neat person can pick up lice when
contact with an infected person or his or her personal belongings, as well as in
public “densely populated places”: transport, social
institutions, saunas, beaches.
Where do lice live at home (apartment)
Lingerie as a species does not exist for too long – they
appeared at the same time when people started to cover their
nudity Remarkable, but precisely this insect’s DNA
helped scientists to establish an approximate date of creation of clothes.
They can not live in the hair – their limbs are not enough tenacious
for this. But these parasites feel quite comfortable on
“stale” clothes. They can be found:
- pleated and pleated;
- in turns;
- under the seams;
- in pockets.
Compared to head lice, they are more
viable – they are harder to detect, what makes their environment
habitat more comfortable and safe. In addition, clothing
retains a much more stable microclimate than hair.
Can lice live in things, on clothes, in bedding and
pillows?
When the problem of pediculosis occurs again and again has
sense to check and process everything that regularly comes in contact with
human skin. All items are quarantined.
textiles ranging from bedding to furniture
upholstery. 
But at the same time, it often happens that lice are confused with bedbugs and
fleas. You can distinguish some parasites from others by the following
featured:
- A louse, unlike a flea, is not capable of jumping.
- The bug, unlike lice, can be discerned unarmed
with a look.
How many lice and nits live outside the human head?
The lifetime of the insect outside the hair
cover at an average room temperature of 23 ° C does not exceed
four days. A sharp jump in the thermometer to 30 ° C causes
death of the parasite during the day. If the temperature, on the contrary,
drops to 10 ° C – the protective mechanisms of the louse turn on and it
hibernates. In a state of anabiosis she can live
10-12 days. As for severe frosts, the louse dies when
temperature of -20 ° C. 
Lice life cycle
The life cycle of a head louse is rather short, but is saturated with
developments. Conventionally, it can be divided into five stages:
- Infection – immediately after contact with the body
human louse is looking for a partner for mating, then nourished
blood and goes to the laying of eggs. - The development of nits – the body of nits is protected by a capsule,
consisting of special glue and durable substance. She protects
developing parasite from chemical and mechanical effects.
This whole “construction” is mounted on the hair shaft. Stage average
takes 5 to 10 days.
Reference! Nits at the development stage do without
nutrition and oxygen, so oil antiparasitic agents
aimed at closing the airways, save only from
adult insects.
- Larval stage – when the splinter matures,
she is not ready to leave the protective capsule immediately. Therefore she starts
gnaw her, accumulating carbonate in the lower part of her torso
gas, which by its pressure pushes the parasite out. - Turning into a nymph – this stage takes from
one to ten days, depending on the environmental conditions.
During this period, the larva more and more begins to resemble
adult When the transition is complete, the louse
drops chitinous shell and is covered with a hard shell. - Transformation into an adult. Nymph passes
two stages of development, each of which ends in a molt. On
This stage is the formation of the reproductive system. Evolution
Nymphs in imago takes five days.
The adult, sexually mature louse lives from 30 to 42 days,
after which he dies, leaving the place to his posterity.
What feeds on and how does a louse breed?
Female lice begin to mate with the males already in the first hour after
exit the nymph stage. One pairing is enough to
all eggs were fertilized.
Then, every day, the female lays several gn.
the amount depends on the type of parasite:
- At the head – from 2 to 4 per day, and from 80 to 140
for the whole life. - In the pubic – from 1 to 3 per day and up to 50 per
a life. - In wardrobe – from 2 to 10 per day and up to 300 per
a life.
As for food, the louse, contrary to common
To delusion, it feeds not on human hair, but on blood.
She usually eats just before mating – bite
feels like a light, itchy tingling. The problem is that what
the earlier the stage, the less likely that a person will begin
treatment – because the bites and their effects are felt for about 2
week after infection. That is, already when on the head
several generations of pests.
Where do lice live in nature?
Lice that exist solely at the expense of
parasitism is inextricably linked with its carriers.
Accordingly, they live wherever people live — that is, on
any part of the world. 
Note! The largest number of lice and their
species registered in Ethiopia.
Head lice infestation usually occurs in the most crowded areas.
people: hospitals, children’s school and preschool institutions,
tourist camps, prisons, etc. The brightest flashes
pediculosis were recorded during wars, natural disasters,
catastrophes.
Natural lice enemies in nature
Natural enemies of the lice and of the species are predatory
ticks and false scorpions. 
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Due to the nature of the disease, many people are embarrassed to contact
to a doctor or ask him for advice, so we will try
answer the most common and debunk popular
myths.
Expert Opinion Anastastil hairdresser Ask a question
Is it possible to get lice without contact with
a man?
– The answer is unequivocal – yes. Moreover, over 50% of cases
infection occurs without direct human contact. Pediculosis
can be picked up through the use of personal belongings infected
(comb, hat, clothes), by bathing in a standing
water after (pool, pond) or through operation
unwashed bed linen in hotels or trains.
Do lice live in dyed hair and on
short?
– They live on hair of any length, though, plus short
haircuts in that it will be much easier to remove parasites. What
As for staining, it doesn’t matter to parasites whether hair is colored or
not. In some cases, regular staining even contributes to
the spread of parasites, since it significantly reduces the local
immunity.
Can lice live under the scalp?
– Lice climbing under human skin – no more than
“horror story”. The same as the fact that lice can start on the nervous
soil. Its roots are hidden in the fact that it is human nature to endow
a tangible and explicable form that he cannot see, as in
case of scabies / nervous scabies.
How long do parasites live after insecticidal treatment?
means?
– The answer to this question depends on the specific means.
Some of them are valid for 20-30 minutes, others – in
for an hour. One thing is for sure – adult kill
much easier than nits, since they are protected from external influence
dense shell.
How can parasites be derived?
If the doctor diagnosed you with pediculosis, do not panic. This
The problem is easily remedied if you choose the appropriate treatment method.
There are three of them.
Drugstores
To select antiparasitic drug is better to contact.
to the doctor. The fact is that most of them are quite
toxic and if disregarding the instruction of the pair can be harmful
health 
In addition, the specialist will build on the state of health.
the patient. For example, children who are prone to allergies during treatment
pediculosis is prescribed antihistamine medication.
Reference! The most popular means both among
Doctors and patients include Pediculen, Medifox and Nittifor.
They are relatively safe and suitable for home,
self use.
No matter what means you
choose, follow these rules:
- Be sure to consult your doctor.
- Read the list of contraindications and not
neglect them. - If no improvement comes – do not use
one remedy more than three times. - After processing, you need to comb out the dead lice and nits
Frequent comb (usually comes with
drug, but can be purchased separately at the pharmacy). - Wear gloves exclusively.
- If as an antiparasitic you
used shampoo – give up the usual washing
funds for the next 2 days.
Mechanical way
A long way that requires perseverance and a responsible approach to
to business It consists in re-combing lice and nits with
comb with frequent teeth. It is used by people prone to
allergic reactions or just those who do not trust
chemical, toxic drugs. If you also wish to remove
parasites mechanically, the next step-by-step instruction will help
you greatly simplify the process:
- Wash your head in tolerably hot water. For
Gain effect can use tar soap. - Spread a newspaper on the floor or put a stool in
bathroom – it will simplify you further cleaning. - Dry your hair with a hair dryer on hot. Not
overdo it – the air should be noticeably warm, but not
burn skin. After heat treatment, the lice become less
movable and much easier to comb. - Gather the hair in several “Tails” and
each comb on several sides. - Repeat the procedure every day until complete deliverance.
from parasites. Do not forget to change the bed
linen and pillowcases.
Folk methods
In folk medicine, you can also find a lot of effective tools.
to fight against lice and nits. Consider the most popular:
- Oils – olive, burdock and coconut oil
quite “heavy” in its consistency, which allows them
envelop lice and provoke death from oxygen starvation.
For this method, you need to apply any of these oils to the skin and
hair, paying special attention to the root zone, cover the head
polyethylene cap and leave for two hours. Next, you
all that remains is to wash off the oils with plenty of water and shampoo and
proceed to combing. Keep in mind that oils work
Only on adult parasites – nits will not be destroyed, but
they will be easier to comb.
- Laundry soap – a very common
on ineffective remedy to combat pediculosis. Only
plus this method is that the alkali in the composition dries
inflammation from small bite wounds. Best used
liquid soap – it does not need to be diluted. To do this, apply the tool
on hair, cover your head with a plastic cap, warm from above
towel and leave for 30 minutes for exposure.
- Dustov soap – at one time this remedy was
almost the only way to combat parasites. Presents
a conventional laundry soap with the addition of antiparasitic
toxin (dust). It is used in the same way as in the previous method.
The disadvantage of this tool is that the dust soap was banned for sale.
in many countries due to the high concentration of toxic substances in
composition.
- Turpentine ointment – effective
multifunctional tool that helps to cope with
lice, and with nits. It has two significant drawbacks: sharp
smell and very viscous texture, which is extremely difficult to wash off the hair.
It is applied as follows: apply ointment on partitions on the skin
heads, massage, cover with cellophane and leave for 10-20
minutes
Conclusion
To face pediculosis on your own hair very
unpleasant – doubly unpleasant if lice bite a child. But how
You see, today the pharmaceutical market has a wide range
means by which you will be able to display parasites in short
terms without harm to health.
