Myths concerning managing head lice

Lousy myths

Myths	Facts
The louse itself
Head lice transmit serious diseases	Head lice are not known to transmit any pathogenic microorganisms. In extreme heavy cases there could be listlessness, paleness, light fever and anaemia too. Nevertheless body lice … .
Infestation
Infestation is a result of an absence of hygiene.	This is only applies to body lice who prevail in developing countries, and countries at war.
Infestations don't not occur at school.	Infestations occur everywhere where there is direct head-to-head contact.
Pets can be a source of head lice.	Head lice can only survive on human. Pets have the wrong blood and the wrong coat!!!!
Diagnosing lice
Only when there is itch, you should screen for lice.	Especially in the beginning there is no itching. Only 1 on 5 people is plagued by itch.
Direct visual inspection will do.	Mostly there are only few lice, these are well camouflaged and crawl away quite fast. Combing in the right way is far more profitable. Dead lice, shells and even dandruff, are mistaken for alive lice.
If the itch is gone, the lice are gone.	If after a couple of weeks, months, habituation occurs, the itch disappears and the lice are still there.
When it itches you must have lice.	If it was that simple … .
Prevent
Cut your hair.	This facilitates lice to hop over. Less distance to overcome.
Never share heats and caps.	Head-to-head contact is by far the most common route of lice transmission. Alive lice in clothing are body lice and these… .
No nit policy.	In a Harvard University study, Richard J. Pollack, Ph.D. says dandruff, fibers, dirt, scabs, skin cells, knotted hair or other insects are misdiagnosed as head lice 40 percent of the time! Pollack says he has yet to see a shred of evidence that no-nit policies have any appreciable effect on the incidence or prevalence of lice. The no-nit policies deprive kids of educational opportunity and are a financial burden to the parents. He states: “It is our professional opinion that the no-nits policies are imprudent, as they are based on intolerance, hysteria and misinformation rather than on objective science„.
Disinfect all clothing and bedding.	Lice don’t leave their warm feeding place voluntary. Lice on clothing and bedding are almost always weak sick old lice. So gruesome cleaning actions are not smart.
Repellents protect 100%.	Repellents are not 100% sufficient. Regular screening in the right way is obligatory. Repellents applied together with a medicated pediculicide could be disastrous.
Use insect spray on furniture, pillows etc. against lice.	Bad idea, more poison for already dying lice ore just empty shells.
Treat prophylactic.	ZA shame from the money and energy. These preventive remedies act insufficient and have sometimes the same disadvantages as medicated lice killing remedies.
Treatment
Only combing is not enough.	When done in the right way, combing is as much, or even more effective than treating with any other remedy.
Just combing damages lice deadly.	Lice are stuck between the teeth of the comb, and from there on, they live happily ever after, on an other head.
With a medicated anti-louse remedy less combing is needed.	Combing is needed as much as otherwise.
The whole family should be treated.	Only when a person has lice, treatment makes sense. Screening all family-members does make sense.
All nits should be removed.	Preventing that there are laid more eggs is much easier.
All nits are killed by a pediculicide.	Just not true.
Applying a medicated anti-louse remedies only one time is enough.	Even all enclosed instructions say something else.
Medicated anti-louse remedies are never dangerous if applied in the right way.	Wishful thinking.
Shampoo’s based on herbs, neem, dimeticon are per definition a great alternative.	The ingredients in these shampoo’s are not automatically all harmless. And unfortunately not much research has been done. So combing …
Use antibiotics, a lot less fuss!	Up till now not much research has been don to examine their lice killing ability. But what came up is that very risky side effects are common.

See also http://www.chc.org/bugbusting/mistaken.cfm

The louse itself

Infestation

Diagnosing lice

Prevent

Treatment