You are travelling in the bus or seated with friends, enjoying an ice cream. And suddenly you have the urge to scratch your head or worse, search with your fingers for that creepy crawly in your hair that is making your life miserable. Have you been through this and seen the disgusted looks that comes your way? Don't fret, a few simple steps, can vanquish those “alien invaders” that are threatening to “take over” your hair.
Mediker Hair Hygiene Mission was flagged off in Tamil Nadu to educate and spread awareness among children, teachers and parents about lice. It was found that the “worst hit areas” was Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, due to climatic conditions and 40 per cent of the affected were between six to 15 years. Humidity and sweat accumulation on the scalp is an ideal “habitat” for lice to breed. If you don't watch out, lice can breed profusely and this in turn causes serious problems — as you want to scratch your head constantly, concentrating on studies or even sleeping comfortably becomes difficult. Sometimes you might find your friends avoiding you.
Know your enemy
Wingless insects
Lay four to nines eggs every day
Lice eggs are called nits
Nits are often found at the nape of the neck, behind the ears and at the crown.
They live on people's heads and feed on their blood
They cannot hop, jump or fly, they can only crawl
They spread by close contact and by sharing personal belongings like the hairbrush or comb.
Here's how to keep them away
Healthy hair — both scalp and hair strands and personal hygiene is essential. Wash hair regularly.
A clean hair/scalp means the absence of dirt, grime, stickiness of hair, dryness and tangling of hair and absence of dandruff.
Remember, lice thrive in unclean hair, moisture or dampness and sweat.
Combing with a fine tooth comb wouldn't help much as it's difficult to remove the nits. But shampoos like Medikar containing Neem, Camphor, Sithapal and coconut oil, help to get rid of the pests effectively.
Your hair care is in your hands for a lice-free life.