Head lice are not nice: You Docs
February 16, 2012
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You Docs
Itchy. Icky. Almost invisible.
For up to 12 million folks in the U.S. this year, head lice will be a hard-to-handle social crisis — but, fortunately, not really a health problem. Parents everywhere are horrified if their kids bring home the little buggers from a play date.
Once a person in your house gets them, the creatures don’t stay put. Head lice can jump to bedding, pillows, even stuffed animals, and spread to every family member. But they’re not disease carrying SCUD missiles. Just sesame-seed sized parasites that take patience and persistence to eradicate.
The good news: They don’t signal that you — or anyone else — is dirty. And over-the-counter creams with 1 per cent permethrin are effective — some of the time; although, the bugs are getting resistant. The newest treatment is a 5 per cent benzyl alcohol lotion that KO’s the creeps 92 per cent of the time after two weekly applications. Don’t apply to hair that’s been freshly washed with a conditioning shampoo or rinsed with a conditioner. It won’t be able to kill the bugs. Make sure to leave the medicine on for the recommended treatment time. Once you’ve treated the lice, you want to hot water wash (130 F will do it) and dry (high heat setting) all clothes and bedding the bugged person came in contact with.
When the infestation is gone, keep it away by teaching your kids (and yourself) to avoid head-to-head contact and not to share combs, brushes, hats, scarves or earphones. No lice. Very nice.
YouDocs Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen are authors of YOU: Losing Weight. Order it at StarStore.ca. Submit questions and find more info at RealAge.com
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