Many believe that pediculosis is a problem characteristic of war times, poor families, people who do not follow the rules of personal hygiene, the homeless. But now the statistics say quite the opposite. Pediculosis has become a problem not only of antisocial individuals, but also of quite prosperous ones.
Most often, lice appear in children, but even an adult is not immune from these parasites. Most of us work in a team, so the spread of these insects is not in doubt. The conclusion suggests itself that you may need the best remedy for lice, not only for children, but also for adults.
The concept of pediculosis
Pediculosis is the scientific name for an infestation with a type of lice. And there are three of them:
- Head louse.
- Dress.
- Pubic.
These insects are parasites. Settling on the human body, they feed on blood. Females lay many eggs, which are called nits. It is even more difficult to deal with them than with adult insects, since they are glued tohair, and just like that it is impossible to comb it.
Myths about lice
There are several myths about these parasites that I would like to dispel.
- If you take a child to a kindergarten or school by car, then infection is impossible. This is absolutely not true. You can get infected anywhere: in the garden, school, swimming pool, cinema and in any other place where people are.
- If the head is clean, then lice should not be afraid. But this is just the opposite. These parasites love clean skin, making it easier for them to move around.
- Lice can also be washed off with shampooing. This is a real delusion, on the paws of these parasites there are hooks with which they cling to the skin, so when washing your hair, you can’t wash them off, and you can’t even talk about nits. They are attached with an adhesive that does not get wet from water and shampoo.
Pest control overview
Today, the shelves of pharmacy kiosks contain a lot of drugs that are used to treat hair in order to destroy lice. To find out which remedy for lice and nits is better, you need to get acquainted with their various forms. The most popular products are available in the following types:
- Spray repellent. This form of the drug is considered the most convenient to use. One bottle of 30-50 ml is enough to treat even thick and long hair.
- Preparation in the form of a shampoo. Used as a normal shampoo. The substances included in the composition destroy adult insects, which then need to be combed out.with a special comb.
- Lice comb. Such items are conventional and electronic, powered by batteries. Combing your head, you not only comb out the lice, but they are also destroyed by an electric discharge, which is completely harmless to humans. It is considered by many to be the best remedy for lice, as it can be used many times and as a preventative.
- Aerosol. Such substances are used to treat clothing, interior items that insects and their nits can get on. The greatest effect is obtained when used with other pest control products.
It is difficult to say which remedy for lice is better, each of them can give a good result if the head is treated with high quality and several times with an interval of several days.
Lice Symptoms
The first symptom parents should get their child's head checked is scalp scratching. On closer examination, small wounds can be seen on the scalp that remain after combing.
Lice most often settle on the back of the head, behind the ears. If you part the hair, then in these places you can see the nits attached to the hair. If living insects are easy enough to destroy by various means, then lice eggs are practically invulnerable in this regard and you will have to try to remove them. Often, even the best lice remedy is not able to cope with them.
Only a thorough examination of the head and manual destruction of nits will help get rid of this scourge.
Which drug to buy at the pharmacy?
On the shelves of pharmacies you can see a large number of products to combat lice and nits. To opt for a particular drug, you need to know the features of its use and contraindications for use. Consider some of them:
- "Para-Plus" is a good remedy for lice and nits. The drug in the form of an aerosol affects adult insects and, to some extent, nits. Suitable for processing clothes and interior items. It is necessary to use the product as follows: spray the aerosol over all hair and leave for 10-15 minutes, and then rinse with regular shampoo. Not recommended for children under 3 years of age and those with asthma.
- Nittifor. Available in the form of a solution and cream. It is necessary to apply the product on the scalp and hair, cover with a scarf and leave for 30-40 minutes. After that, you can wash your hair with shampoo. The solution should not be used by children under 3 years of age, and the cream can be used from 2 years of age.
- "Nyx" in the form of a cream is quite safe to use, does not cause irritation and redness of the skin. The medicine should be applied to slightly damp hair for 10-15 minutes. Do not use the drug for children under 6 months and people who have kidney and liver disease.
- "Medifox" is produced in the form of a gel, emulsion. The emulsion gives good results in the fight against head lice, and the gel copes well with pubic ones. The drug is applied and left for 40 minutes,then thoroughly washed off with shampoo. Do not use on babies under 1 year of age, or women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
- "Paranit" perfectly copes not only with lice, but also with nits. The medicine is applied to dry hair for 15-20 minutes, and then washed off. Not recommended for use in children under 3 years of age, pregnant and lactating women, as well as in the presence of wounds on the head.
- "Sifax" is available in the form of a shampoo. This is not the best remedy for lice, customer reviews indicate that the drug is more suitable for preventing the appearance of parasites. It is applied to the hair, rubbed into the scalp with massage movements and washed off. Not to be used on children under 2 years old.
- "Lokodin" - lotion has a toxic effect on lice and nits, is not toxic, so it can be used to treat children.
- "Lavinal" in the form of a spray, a hat and a metal comb are included. The composition of the drug includes a mixture of essential oils, they are detrimental to living insects. It is necessary to spray the product on the hair and put on a cap for 30-40 minutes, and then carefully comb out with the supplied comb. The drug is not toxic, but do not allow contact with eyes and mouth.
It is difficult to say exactly which remedy for lice and nits is better, one is suitable for someone, and another for others. And it's not even about efficiency, but about the body's reaction to the use of the drug.
Lice Combs
If there is no desire to use a drug to destroylice and nits, then a comb is perfect for these purposes. There are no contraindications for its use, so it can be safely used in both children and adults.
From a regular comb, the combs differ in the minimum distance between the teeth and the presence of notches, which help to comb out the parasites more effectively.
Ideal when comb is used in combination with medication. The medicine kills the lice, and the comb combs out dead insects and nits. You can, of course, cope with insects without sprays and gels, but only with the help of a comb, but you will have to do this for several days in a row.
The following brands are considered the most popular:
- AntiV. Thanks to advertising and high quality, the combs of this brand are considered the most popular for fighting lice and nits. They have long teeth and unusual notches.
- LiceGuard. It is considered a family option, as the kit includes 2 combs with different lengths of teeth.
- NitFree is very similar to the first comb model in both workmanship and material.
- RobiComb is an innovative brand. Destroys lice with electrical discharges.
How effective the use of combs will be depends on perseverance and patience. You will have to devote several hours to combing adult insects and their nits.
Danger of using lice remedies
Children are much more likely than adults to be attacked by these blood-sucking insects. Infection occurs inkindergartens, schools, pioneer camps. When choosing the best lice remedy for children, you need to remember that they can be toxic to the delicate skin of a child.
The danger of using pharmaceutical preparations against lice lies in the possibility of an allergic reaction to the components of the drug. Children quite often suffer from various types of dermatitis, so you need to choose a remedy more carefully.
Even adults after using insecticides can notice the manifestation of allergies, dermatitis, dandruff, itching of the scalp, and what can we say about children.
Therefore, before buying a drug in a pharmacy, you must carefully study the instructions for use and see the contraindications. Only with this approach it will be possible to say after application that this is the best remedy for lice.
All preparations that contain insecticides in their composition should not be used for pregnant women, lactating women, and children.
Traditional medicine against lice
More recently, the variety of drugs against lice was not as plentiful as it is now, so no one could say what was the best remedy for lice and nits. We tried to use folk recipes to get rid of parasitic insects and improvised means. Here are some examples:
- Whatever a person can think of to deal with lice. Quite an original way to get rid of with hairspray. It is necessary to spray the entire bottle of varnish on the head and put on a plastic bag. After 3-4 hours, insects and their nits will die withoutair access.
- Even our grandmothers used kerosene to remove lice. They smeared their hair and head and covered them with a scarf or a bag. Adult insects, of course, will die, but you can get a burn on the scalp.
- You can use mayonnaise, it is spread on the hair and head and left for a couple of hours, the parasites die from suffocation.
- An effective remedy for nits is a gruel of onion and garlic, which is applied to the hair, and after 3 hours it is washed off with a weak solution of vinegar.
- When washing your hair, you can add a few drops of tea tree oil to the shampoo. Parasites do not like its smell and die.
- To remove lice use an aqueous solution of vinegar in a ratio of 1:2 with water. It must be remembered, especially when using it for children, that it often causes allergies and is quite dangerous. If you dilute the vinegar essence incorrectly, you can easily get burned.
- In pharmacies you can buy hellebore water. Despite the cheapness, many believe that this is a good remedy for lice and nits. If this water is not allowed to enter the mouth, then it is practically harmless.
- Tar soap is effective in the fight against adult insects, to get rid of nits you will have to wash your hair with soap every other day for two weeks. The big disadvantage of this soap is the unpleasant and strong smell, but with the help of a regular shampoo it can be neutralized.
- Many folk remedies have herbal ingredients in their composition, for example, cranberries help to fight wellparasites. It is necessary to rub fresh cranberry juice into the scalp, and after 15 minutes comb it with a special comb. This course of treatment is about a week.
The advantage of using natural remedies is their almost complete harmlessness to the body, so it can be used in pregnant women and children.
How to choose a remedy for lice?
If you want to buy the best remedy for lice, then when buying, you need to look not only at ease of use and effectiveness, but also at the composition. Since toxic substances are often added to such drugs to kill insects, this can lead to undesirable consequences in the form of dandruff, itching, skin burns, and dermatitis.
If you use improvised means and folk recipes, then you also need to pay attention to their toxicity. In the old days, kerosene is the best remedy for lice and nits. Reviews are currently saying that it's easy to get a scalp burn, not to mention a disgusting smell that lasts for a long time.
When purchasing a drug, you need to pay attention to its effectiveness in the fight against lice and nits. For example, LiceGuard spray is safe for humans, but it is not able to get rid of parasites, it is better to use it as a prophylactic.
At the beginning of the article it was said that there are different types of lice and a remedy that is effective in the fight against head lice may be useless for removing pubic parasites.
Even from lice, the best remedy can not always cope with nits, therefore, acquiringdrug, you need to pay attention to this. You can buy two different products to ensure that you get rid of parasites and their nits.
Prevention of head lice
It would be nice if the best remedy for lice was not needed, but this cannot always be avoided, especially in childhood. But you can follow some preventive recommendations to avoid head lice:
- At least once a week, carefully inspect the head for nits and live insects.
- Instill personal hygiene rules in your child from early childhood.
- Prophylactic shampoo can be used once a month.
- Periodically use a lice and nit comb to comb.
- If the child often began to scratch his head, then you need to pay attention to this and carefully examine the head.
- Lice do not tolerate the smell of essential oils, so you can lubricate the child behind the ears with eucalyptus or camphor oil in the morning.
- Girls need to braid their hair, it is more difficult for lice to move on it.
Even if it was not possible to avoid infection, then you should not panic. It is quite possible to find the best remedy for lice and nits in pharmacies. Feedback from parents confirms that getting rid of parasites is not difficult, you just need to devote a little time to this problem.
