What are nits and how are they created?
Do you know what nits are and how are they created? Only then will you be able to identify them in the head of your children in case they have!
Nits are literally the eggs of lice . Lice settle on a person’s hair or hair, where they remain until they hatch, producing new lice. They are parasitic insects from birds and mammals.
Index
WHAT DO THEY LOOK LIKE?
Nits can remain in our hair alive or dead. It is very important to know how to identify the state, since to eliminate those nits that are alive we will need a specific treatment. They are difficult to see because of their color and shape, sometimes they can be mistaken for dandruff . They differ by their gelatinous texture and this makes them adhere a lot to the scalp.
Live eggs have a gray color and are usually located very close to the scalp, we can know how long our hair has been infected by the distance it is from it. The hair usually grows 0.4mm per day, so if they are located more than 1cm it is possible that the eggs are already empty, then the nits will be white.
HOW DO THEY REPRODUCE?
The egg takes 8 to 10 days to hatch, this is when the young louse, known as a nymph, appears. They look like an adult louse, but smaller and take 7-10 days to become adults. Adult lice are larger and can already reproduce , so the females deposit new nits on the scalp, thus increasing the infection. It should be known that a warm and humid environment is favorable for the incubation of nits. A very common symptom is excessive itching of the head.
ELIMINATION
When the presence of lice is detected, the first thing we must do is eliminate the lice . Once these have been completely eliminated, we must remove the nits. This is the most difficult part, since they are usually glued, as we have said before, and it takes a lot to get rid of them. The female louse secretes water-insoluble saliva, so it is difficult to eliminate them without specific products. The elimination of these is only possible with a very fine tooth comb and together, these are known as lendreras. In addition, you must use a specific shampoo for lice and nits.If in doubt, consult an expert. Currently, in cities there are more and more specialized centers that treat this common problem.
WHEN ARE THEY MOST FREQUENT?
Lice and nits are more common among children because they tend to have more physical contact with each other, for example, at school. Sometimes they tend to think that they jump, but this is wrong, they are spread only through direct contact. Nits, on the other hand, cannot be infected, since if a nit is detached from the hair it has no way to hold on, they have to be close to the scalp and obtain heat to mature, so when they are removed they will not be able to survive. Head lice outbreaks are common in the spring.One piece of advice if we observe that our son or daughter has lice is to communicate it to the educational center, in order to notify the other parents. If we eliminate these parasites from the heads of our children, but do not say anything, it is possible that they will become infected again and the problem persists.
DO NOT SHARE CLOTHES
Likewise, you should avoid sharing hats, scarves, sheets or towels, we must be careful with these garments for personal use , since posh can pass from one fabric to another, hence its form of contagion. Nor should we share combs or brushes. We must wash clothes at a temperature higher than 55ºC , since they die when exposed for 5 minutes to a temperature higher than this.
Dr. Tabriella Perivolaris, Sara's mother and fan of fashion, beauty, motherhood, among others, about the female universe. Since 2018 she has been working as a copywriter, always bringing to her articles a little of her experience and experience as a mother and woman.