How to distinguish live from the dead nits

Pediculosis is a skin disease caused by the appearance lice - parasites that feed on human blood. Settling in the hair, ectoparasites lay eggs (nits). It is they who are infallible. a symptom of pediculosis. Pests attach the eggs to the hair with a special adhesive substance, which makes it difficult to remove them. If lice stay in the hair for a long time, then they can see a lot of empty shells, from which the larvae have already hatched.To recognize whether a nit is alive in front of you, you need to know what dead nits look like.

What is a nit

Externally, the louse nit looks like a whitish-transparent capsule, the dimensions of which do not exceed 1.5 mm. The body of the head louse nits is covered with a dense protective sheath. From the bottom there is an oblong process that resembles a trickle of spilled glue. It is because of this formation that the nit is held on a human hair so firmly that it can only be separated by mechanical means. How lice and nits look in hairclearly seen in the photo.

Cap-valve, located in the upper part of the body of the nits, serves as an outlet for the future larva. However, an individual unable to get out on its own, mature and ready for birth. Pushing the cap out, she begins to breathe actively, passing oxygen through her body. The amount of air extracted from the anus is rapidly increasing. When its volume reaches a certain level, the larva under its pressure is pushed out. Such a birth procedure takes only a few minutes.

How do lice eggs develop

Nits and lice

Lice are laid mainly on the back of the head and in the area of ​​the ears at a distance of 2-4 cm from the skin. Usually each capsule is placed on a single hair. On embryo maturation takes about a week (development cycle varies depending on the ambient temperature). At first sight difficult distinguish eggs lice from dandruff.

On a note!

Favorable for the growth of nits is the temperature of 30-32 degrees. The growth of lice eggs stops at temperatures up to 22 degrees and above 40. Detrimental to lice and nits temperature air above 45 degrees.

A formed louse larva is called a first-order nymph. After 5 days, she becomes a second order nymph. It will turn into an adult in 8 days. Sticking into the human body, the newly appeared louse is saturated with blood and becomes capable of breeding. The very next day after mating, she lays up to a dozen eggs.

What is the difference

Not every person is able to determine the state of the egg, as it is not easy to distinguish between live nits and dead ones.

In fact, they have significant differences:

• dead nits can be identified by the shape of the capsule - after the birth of the larva, it becomes less convex;
• dead nits do not shine, they have a dull and faded color;
• a characteristic click is accompanied by pressing a fingernail on a live nits, only dead ones do not click nits.

Especially good live and dead nits differ under the microscope. Under the inner shell of the egg you can see the developing larva.

Ways to fight

Pediculitis drugs

Using pediculicides gives you the opportunity to get rid of living lice, as well as destroy their embryos on the hair. However, hope that the dead nits will disappear by themselves, still not worth it. To get rid of them, you must use special comb, which can be purchased at any pharmacy salon.

The process of removing lice and their eggs should be carried out in the following order:

1. Hair should be divided into several strands and combed using a special comb.
2. Each separately combed out strand is fixed aside with a barrette. It is important to avoid touching it with unprocessed hair.
3. This procedure should be carried out over a white cloth (napkin) or sink.
4. Combing hair from nits need at least 10 days. Every day you need to wash your hair with a special anti-pediculosis remedy.It will help to soften the adhesive substance with which the nit is retained on the hair. An example of this might be shampoos, the sprays or pediculicide ointment. Has similar properties and acetic acid.
5. At the end of the procedure, comb, hairbrushes, barrettes and other accessories for hair care are subject to mandatory processing. To do this, they can be dipped in boiling water or use an antiparasitic agent.
6. For safety, the procedure of combing hair should be carried out in gloves.

Important!

Kerosene use for the treatment of pediculosis can cause a severe burn of the scalp. Allergic reactions may cause hellebore water, Dichlorvos. Use the same hydrogen peroxide helps to change the natural hair color.

One of the best folk remedies for removing nits from hair is cranberry juice. Especially this fighting method is recommended for removing lice in children. The gruel of freshly squeezed berries is spread over the entire length of the hair, after which they wrap the head of the child in a plastic bag. After half an hour, the hair is washed with running water and using a comb to get rid of dead parasites. An acidic environment can kill lice very quickly, as well as destroy the shell of their eggs.

Regular inspection of the head will help prevent the spread of the disease. In periods of mass distribution of pediculosis can be applied essential oils. Beautiful prophylactic is rosemary, eucalyptus or lavender oil. It is enough to add just a few drops in shampoo or balm, which are regularly used for washing the head.