Lice infestation can send anyone into panic mode. Parents will quickly begin the disinfection process to kill the head lice. But the worry doesn’t stop there. We receive a lot of calls from parents inquiring if lice and nits are contagious and what measures they should take to prevent re-infestation. The school season is upon us, meaning the incidence of head lice soars. Shall we find out and uncover your greatest fears?
ARE NITS CONTAGIOUS?
Nits can also be termed as eggs that hatch into lice. While lice are contagious, eggs aren’t contagious. What do we mean? You cannot transfer a nit to someone else and neither can they contaminate your hair with nits. However, professional lice removers warn against hatched nits. Once a nit hatches, a baby louse becomes your current nightmare. The newly hatched louse will mature into an adult, fast walking bug that can quickly crawl from one head to another. What’s worse, is a mature bug lays eggs that then hatch into another case of lice. So, do nits spell trouble to your child’s head? That’s going to be a definite yes.
WHY NITS SPELL DOOM
While in their egg forms, they are entirely harmless. Nits stay immobile while awaiting conditions such as warmth to facilitate the hatching process. You have probably seen a nit while combing your child’s hair. Live nits have a yellow, tan or brown color and are tiny in structure. You will see nits strategically placed on hair shafts close to the scalp where the conditions are perfect for keeping them warm until they hatch. You could easily confuse them for dandruff, although they differ from being a bit stubborn. The eggs are covered in a hard shell with extremely strong glue to ensure that they don’t fall from just combing hair, like dandruff.
Nits can only survive on the human scalp. In the event where you remove them, or they fall off, they die within a short time. Also, it’s common to spot lice eggs in hair than it is to see live lice crawling on the scalp. Nits will take one to two weeks to hatch after they are laid and the conditions are sufficient to help them survive. Once the nits hatch and release lice, your child is capable of passing the infestation to other people. Most schools prohibit children with live lice infestation from going to school to prevent them from spreading the lice menace. At this point, there is no turning back. You might want to begin the disinfection process immediately to contain the threat. Lice removal salons specialize in lice removal service to help you prevent heavy infestation.
PREVENT RE-INFESTATION
If you discover live nits in your child’s head, consider seeking preventive treatments to minimize the chances of the lice hatching. Continue disinfecting your child’s head to kill any laid nits.
Are you having doubts about nits? Call us today for the best lice treatment in Lancaster pa and let us straighten the facts for you and help put your doubts to the grave.
