Something is definitely moving in your hair, and the itching is driving you buggy. And that’s precisely the problem: Your tresses are now a cozy domicile for the common head louse, otherwise known as Pediculus humans capitis. Just 1.6 millimeters long, these wingless insects live close to the scalp, laying their eggs (nits) and feeding on your blood. When lice appear in school-age children, word usually gets around quickly, and parents are warned to be on the lookout. Lice spread via contact with contaminated hair, hairbrushes, combs, clothing, or bedding.
What to do about head lice
Once lice are in the hair, even a burr cut won’t help. You need to get rid of the louse eggs that are attached to the hair shafts about five millimeters from the scalp. Start by using a delousing shampoo. Choose one that contains permethrin, not lindane. Lindane is a chemical cousin of the pesticide DDT and has been linked to nervous system problems (including convulsions) and brain cancer. Once you’ve found a killer shampoo, the remaining challenge is to use it effectively and become very nitpick about preventing contamination. Otherwise, your whole household could get lousy.
Start with shampoo
• Use a delousing shampoo, and leave it in your hair for 10 minutes. That’s a long time to spend in the shower, so you may prefer to do your shampooing in the bathtub, where you can read or listen to music while the shampoo does its job.
• After you rinse out the shampoo, rinse it again using 50% water and 50% white kitchen vinegar. The vinegar helps dissolve the bodies of dead nits. Rub it in vigorously, then rinse your hair a few times to dispel the odor.
• Use the louse-killing shampoo again 10 days later. If you’re still not getting results, mix a half-cup vinegar with a half-cup olive oil. About an hour before you take your bath or shower, apply this mixture to your hair, working it in close to the scalp. Put a shower cap over your hair. After an hour, remove the cap and take your shower, washing your hair with regular shampoo.
