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What are the Main Differences Between Head Lice and Body Lice?

What are the Main Differences Between Head Lice and Body Lice?

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When most people think of lice, they automatically assume head lice. However, there is another type of lice, known as body lice. While they may have some similarities, body lice is not quite the same, nor does it require the same type of treatment. So what are the differences between these two?

How To Identify Body Lice

In general, body lice are slightly smaller than head lice and are mainly found on clothing and attached to the body only when actively feeding. They can be spread by direct contact with items that carry the lice, such as bedding, clothing, and towels. Since they do not live on the body, you may not see them on your body but may see the bites they leave behind.

Body lice can cause you intense itching from their bites and you may also notice small areas of blood where you have been bitten. Body lice are also much less common than head lice and tend to infect those who are living in crowded, unclean conditions. These lice can also spread disease. This includes areas such as homeless shelters, crowded dwellings or refugee camps. To rid yourself of body lice, medication and treatment are not typically necessary, as improvement of hygiene is known to get rid of these critters.

Head Lice Are More Common

Head lice are larger than body lice, but are very similar in appearance.  Head lice cannot jump or fly but crawls from one host to another through head to head contact. These lice are primarily found on school aged children but can affect adults as well and while they may look scary, head lice are not known to transmit diseases. 

Head lice is much more common than body lice. In fact, over 6 to 12 million infestations occur in the US to children alone. Medication and professional treatment is recommended for head lice removal. Thankfully, treatments have come a long way over the past few decades and it is much easier today to get back to your normal lifestyle by seeking help from a professional.

Head Lice Removal in Jacksonville, Fl!

Before you head to your local head lice removal center, be sure to check out the differences between body and head lice. If you have questions or concerns, you can contact us for further assistance. Our Jacksonville, FL team is proud to provide science-based head lice treatment to kill both head lice and their eggs using heated air. Without chemicals or pesticides, you can be sure that your family is in the best of hands and can return to a lice free life!

Schools Without Lice.

Schools Without Lice

At Fresh Heads Lice Removal, our mission is to get rid of lice in schools across the United States. We’ve partnered with the Lice Clinics of America to create the Schools Without Lice program. Through this program, we provide school nurses and teachers with free screenings, resources, and treatments. Together, we can have schools without lice!

Why Home Remedies for Lice Removal Don’t Work

Why Home Remedies for Lice Removal Don’t Work

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Some parents don’t immediately seek help from professional lice removal services when their kids get lice. Instead, they try to treat it themselves with home remedies. This often leads to disaster—since these treatments are ineffective, the lice continue to spread and the infestation worsens. So, before you spend the next couple of hours rummaging through kitchen and bathroom cabinets for home remedies for lice, read through our reasons why they won’t work, and find out what to do instead.

Top Home-Remedies for Head Lice (and Why They Don’t Work!)

Here they are—the top-touted home remedies for head lice, and why they won’t work for removing lice or lice eggs from your child’s head:

1. The Olive Oil Remedy

With this method, olive oil is supposed to be applied to the hair and left for 6-8 hours to “stifle” the lice. In order to contain the mess of having a sticky, smelly substance in their child’s hair, many parents will try to wrap their child’s head with plastic wrap. Not only does this method submit your child to having to endure the stickiness and smell for hours on end, it also puts them in danger of suffocation. This treatment is also not meant to be a one-time thing—instead, you are supposed to repeat the process as necessary until you don’t see any more lice. What the proponents of this method don’t tell you is that, unlike professional lice treatment, olive oil doesn’t kill lice, or lice eggs. Therefore, the lice will persist, and you will have to keep repeating the treatment. Add in the cost of olive oil, and all you have is a treatment plan to drain your wallet.

2. Mayonnaise Treatment

Similar to the olive oil treatment, mayonnaise is supposed to be applied to your child’s head and left for hours to suffocate the lice. Just like with olive oil, this subjects your child to enduring the terrible smell and discomfort, and puts them in danger of suffocation. The mayonnaise does not harm the adult lice or lice eggs, which means that at the end of this long and torturous journey (for you and your child), your child will still have lice.

3. OTC Lice Shampoo

When they emerged onto the market, OTC or over the counter shampoos were touted as the ideal solution for getting rid of head lice. However, over the years, the repeated use of these pesticide-containing shampoos have served to bolster the pest’s immunity to it by helping them develop resistance. Ever heard of super lice? So, just like olive oil or mayonnaise, OTC shampoos are not effective against the super lice of today. Aside from that, there are concerns about the safety of the ingredients in these products, such as the neurotoxin, which has risks when overused.

4. Cutting Off All Hair

This home remedy might seem like it would do the trick—however, did you know that female lice place their eggs on the hair shaft as close to the scalp as possible for warmth? Suddenly that ¼ inch buzz-cut is now down to shaving your child’s head bald. The reality is that you would never be able to get a close enough buzz cut with clippers to eliminate lice. Once you factor this in (plus the trauma of doing this to your child), suddenly head-shaving really seems like a bad idea.

Professional Lice Removal is the Way to Go

Thankfully, your child doesn’t need to endure the discomfort of any of these treatments, and you can save yourself the time and effort of trying to treat lice with home remedies that don’t work. Just let the experts at Fresh Heads Lice Removal handle it!

Our signature AirAllé dehydrates and kills lice and eggs in one treatment, meaning our professional service will have those itchy pests out of your child’s hair for good. It’s an all-natural lice treatment that guarantees that everything will be gone in just over an hour! Get professional lice removal in Jacksonville, Orlando, and Savannah. Book your appointment with Fresh Heads Lice Removal today!

 

Schools Without Lice.

Schools Without Lice

At Fresh Heads Lice Removal, we want to get rid of lice in schools across the country. So, we’ve partnered with the Lice Clinics of America to create a program called Schools Without Lice. Through this program, we give teachers and nurses free head lice screenings, resources, and treatments. Together, we can have schools without lice!

This boy has post-lice treatment itching from OTC lice shampoo.

Post-Lice Treatment Itching: Is It Normal?

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Thinking about creepy crawlies can immediately make people’s skin crawl, so it’s not surprising that the image of head lice can produce the same reaction, firing up the need to scratch what seems like an incurable itch.

Speaking of which, many people who try to self-treat their head lice still find their heads are as itchy as ever afterward, resulting in a state of panic and paranoia regarding the pesky critters. Before you give in to panic, take a step back, and consider the following reasons behind your post lice treatment itching:

  • Itching Due to Dry Scalp from Treatment
  • Psychosomatic Itching
  • Healing Louse Bites
  • Incomplete Treatment

With that in mind, the list above describes the primary culprits that are causing trouble to your head now.

Reason #1: You Have Dry Scalp from Lice Treatment

Many people are vulnerable to develop a temporary dryness around the scalp due to lice treatments, especially if it comes from over-the-counter lice treatments. These OTC treatments often come with chemicals that can irritate the scalp, causing flakiness, dryness, and itchiness.

Reason #2: You Have Psychosomatic Itching

The thought of bugs can drive many people’s paranoia through the roof, especially something as irritating as head lice. It’s easy to believe that your scalp is just as itchy as before the treatment, if not more so. This phenomenon refers to ghost itching, which means you need to practice self-awareness and grounding techniques to help you focus on reality for what it is. Concentrating on your breathing, hearing, tasting, and seeing can help ground you to the present, and once the itchiness fades away, then you know it’s all in your imagination. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with getting a follow-up lice check-up for your peace of mind.

Reason #3: You Have Healing Louse Bites

Some parasitic insects like head lice leave a lingering irritation around the scalp, one that can last for days even after the removal treatment. This leftover itchiness can be frustrating, but the best way to ease the inflammation is to stop scratching as the more you give in to the itch, the more the bite will reopen. Adding cold compress can ease the itchiness, though you can take a low dose of antihistamine if it feels too overwhelming.

Reason #4: You Still Have a Head Full of Lice

If you treated with OTC lice shampoo, the dreaded truth is that you may still have a head full of lice. While it’s bad news, keep in mind that it’s a common issue as lice tend to resist over-the-counter lice treatments, which is why going for professional head lice removal services is the better choice if you want a higher guarantee of ridding yourself of lice completely.

Safe, Effective (and Non-Irritating!) Way to Get Rid of Lice

Choose the lice treatment that is all-natural, non-irritating, and effective with Fresh Heads Lice Removal. Our exclusive, FDA-cleared AirAllé® device blows warm air onto the scalp, completely dehydrating and killing both lice and eggs in one treatment. And since it’s just warm air, it doesn’t contain any harsh irritating chemicals such as those found in OTC shampoos and won’t cause scalp irritation. While it’s possible you may still experience some slight itching as your scalp heals from the bites, or psychosomatic itching, your chances of itching from chemical irritation or ongoing infestation are eliminated. Take the hassle (and itchiness!) out of head lice treatment by coming to Fresh Heads. If you’re looking for a professional lice removal in Jacksonville, Orlando and Savannah, get in touch with us today.

Schools Without Lice.

Schools Without Lice

At Fresh Heads Lice Removal, our mission is to get rid of lice in schools across the United States. We’ve partnered with the Lice Clinics of America to create the Schools Without Lice program. Through this program, we provide school nurses and teachers with free screenings, resources, and treatments. Together, we can have schools without lice!