Ovide head Lice Treatment
Treatment for Head Lice
Ovide head Lice Treatment
Where head lice are concerned there are several different methods of treating them (head lice), among these being the very odd methods of smothering the head lice with substances that are found in the average kitchen through washing the hair regularly in a natural herbal shampoo, right down the basic and essential practice of combing the hair with a special head lice comb, something that should be carried out in conjunction with any other chosen method for head lice treatment.
However, despite the availability of prescription insecticide shampoos, designed to kill the creatures and reportedly very effective, many people are wary of using these items, and choose not to do so. They fear the consequences of smothering their child’s head in what is effectively a poison, and of the apparent possible side effects these substances can have.
What is Ovide head Lice Treatment?
Ovide head lice treatment is one of these popular prescription only lotions, so let’s have a closer look at what it is, what it does, and whether or not there is anything to be concerned about.
The first thing to understand is the Ovide is a trade mark, a brand name for a particular head lice treatment, and it contains an insecticide called Malathion. Malathion is present in only minute quantities in the product – one half of a percent, in fact – yet this is said to be enough to kill the head lice while being harmless to the patient. However, it is not for use on those under six years of age, and does come with some possible side effects.
Side effects are minor, and include an increase in dandruff and irritation to the scalp; furthermore, the substance can be dangerous to the eyes, and as Ovide used for head lice treatment is an alcohol based product it is flammable.
The plus side is that it is thoroughly tested and is safe when used in conjunction with the directions given, and as it is available only on prescription cannot be given for anything other than serious head lice infestations.
Insecticides for head Lice
There are many reports that some insecticides have become useless as the head lice have developed immunity to them, although this is not a reported problem with Malathion based lotions such as Ovide. It remains popular and widely prescribed, and is certified safe.
The choice as to whether to use an insecticide for head lice or a natural product remains with the individual, with the advantages of scientific testing and known success being for the former, and the knowledge of complete safety for the latter; it’s a choice only you can make.
-All about Ovide head Lice Treatment.
Dealing with a Head Lice Infestation
Dealing with a Head Lice Infestation
The problems with head lice are many and one of the main ones is the speed at which they spread. It is a common misconception that head lice fly – they are, in fact, wingless – but they can only move between hosts by walking from hair to hair; this is why they spread very fast among young children – think of the playground and the physical contact.
It is also a myth that a head lice infestation can only occur where the child suffers from less than satisfactory hygiene; a head louse is not choosy about who it lives on, and all it seeks is head from which it can feed upon its staple diet – our blood.
Head lice multiply at an alarming rate: the female adult louse lays up to eight eggs – the famous nits – every day of her thirty day life, and a quick calculation gives you easily over 200 eggs. Each nit stays attached to a hair follicle for approximately one week then hatches as a nymph or young louse. In just a week to two weeks time it becomes a breeding adult, and begins the cycle once more. From that description it is simple to see just how quickly an infestation can spread, and how important it is that it is treated correctly.
Treating head lice is a subject that raises many arguments: there are many insecticide lotions – using Malathion, Permethrin or Lindane in the main – that are available by prescription, and these are widely proven to be successful in many cases, and there are natural shampoos such as those including Tea Tree oil, and essential oil that is used in many herbal medicines, and the choice is a very personal one that is left to the individual.
There also exist some more unusual ways of tackling head lice and nits – including the odd practice of smothering the hair, and the lice, in mayonnaise – that are known to be successful if somewhat messy, and the tried and tested head lice comb is an essential tool in all of this, whether in traditional close toothed form or in the shape of the new style of electric combs that shock the lice to death.
What is important to understand is that the first treatment will almost certainly not rid the head completely of nits, and the patient will need to be closely observed over the next two weeks in order that any emerging head lice nymphs are caught before they can begin to breed.
Head Lice Hatching Routine
Head Lice Hatching Routine
One of the difficulties involved in treating a head lice infestation comes from not understanding the life cycle of these annoying but oddly fascinating little creatures; diminutive they may be, miniscule even, yet they can cause a lot of trouble in a very short time!
Fortunately the age of the internet has led to us being able to understand the way these creatures live their lives – and feats on our blood – much more readily thanks to the prevalence of highly detailed and illustrated websites that show us exactly what happens, where and when. Summarizing the head lice hatching point is essential to understand where we need to be, and what we need to do, to catch these pesky creatures in order that they do not spread out of control.
The head lice is distinct from the nit – a point many people are unaware of; the former is the living creature, the tiny wingless insect that crawls around in your hair and pierces the skin to suck up blood – while the latter is the egg of the adult, and is by far the most difficult part of the equation to deal with. Indeed, the nits are so small that they may easily be missed with the best of head lice combs, and as such demand attention above and beyond that given to the living creatures.
In any treatment regime – whether using the likes of Malathion or Permethrin head lice treatment, or even the controversial Lindane, or resorting to herbal remedies or the bizarre suffocation by mayonnaise ritual – understanding that there may have been nits missed in the first treatment is essential and understanding the life cycle – and where the hatching point is – is essential.
An adult louse lives for approximately one month, and in that time she lays around 200 nits – around six every day – and the nits remain as eggs, attached to our hair by a very clever natural glue, for about one week. Once hatched they become head lice nymphs, young lice that are rapidly – in one to two weeks – advanced to breeding adults, and the whole episode begins again.
Knowing that we have one week from laying to hatching means we need to keep an eye out for new born nymphs for that period of time after clearing the head of lice, and we then have a further week to get rid of them before they begin laying. This is why regular, thorough examination is the best way to prevent head lice, and why understanding the hatching routine is vital.
