One of the problems commonly encountered by our children is head lice infestation. An occasional itch may not really indicate the presence of head lice but beware when the itching becomes persistent! Head lice may just be the culprit!

The common head louse is tan to grayish white in color, just about the size of a sesame seed and with hook-like claws at the end of each of their six legs! No wonder they can't easily be pulled out of your child's locks!

Head lice can be so irritating. These parasitic insects feed on blood by biting the skin and their bites truly itch! Among the favorite feeding spots of these parasites are the areas behind the ears and those near the nape of the neck.

There are three stages of development in a head louse's life. They start off as nits (head louse's eggs), hatch into nymphs and eventually mature into adult lice.

Nits are commonly found attached to the hair shaft. They are very hard to find especially for an untrained eye especially since they usually resemble dandruff or tiny droplets of hair spray in appearance.

A week after the nits are laid, they hatch and develop into nymphs. Nymphs usually look like adult lice but are generally smaller. Give it a week and they will soon emerge as mature head lice! A mature head louse has an average life span of 30 days but it can cause considerable irritation to an infected person.

What causes head lice infestation? Among the things which may have caused the problem are the following:

. Contact with an infested person

. Wearing an infested person's clothing or using an infested person's personal effects such as comb, brush or towels

. Lying in a bed or elsewhere recently used by an infected person

The early detection of head lice infestation may just save our children from the irritation and embarrassment usually brought about by these crawling and blood sucking parasites. It may even help deter the spread of the infestation to other unsuspecting victims.

Just how do we do this?

To effectively treat and prevent the spread of the infestation, we need to treat not just the infested person or persons but the whole house where the infested person lives.

Treating Persons with Head Lice Infestation

To effectively eradicate head lice, a prescription medication called pediculicide is usually used. Here are some useful tips to get the most out of your treatment.

. Remove all clothing prior to treatment and put on clean clothing afterwards.

. For best results, follow label instructions religiously.

. Shake off dead nits and remaining live lice out of your hair using a nit comb, which usually comes with these medications or you may use clean flea combs, which are designed for pet cats and dogs. It may be awkward at first but hey, if it works, it works!

. After the treatment, continue checking for nits and lice using your nit (or flea!) comb. Do this regularly for two to three weeks.

Other useful tips:

. Do the head lice treatment for every member of the family. If one is infested, chances are, others may be too. Eliminate the possibility of a recurring attack by thwarting the problem before it even has a chance to resurrect itself!

. If you are planning to apply the lice medicine, do not use cream rinse or a shampoo and conditioner combination before the treatment. It may reduce the effectiveness of the treatment.

. If no dead lice are found 8 to 12 hours after the treatment, the medicine may not be working. Consult your doctor so that he or she may recommend another medication.

. Don't forget to have all clothing materials (worn two days prior to the treatment) washed!

. Also, clean up the house. Do some vacuuming and have all clothing and linens washed, dry cleaned or stored in plastic bags.