Where Else Can Lice Live Aside from the Head?
Body lice are tiny insects that live in your clothes and bedding. They are commonly found in unhygienic living conditions, such as in homeless shelters and refugee camps. Bites from these parasites can spread disease—which is why it’s crucial to get rid of them as soon as you notice them around.
Body lice are similar to head lice, but they are not the same! Furthermore, body lice treatment won’t work for head lice. As such, it’s important to know the differences before booking an appointment with a professional head lice center.
Body Lice vs. Head Lice: The Basics
Adult body lice are 2 to 3.6mm in length, brown in color, with two antennae. They live on clothes and bedding and only go on the skin several times a day to feed on blood. They lay eggs on the seams of your clothing and spread from there. You can become infested with body lice if you come into close contact with a person or clothes with body lice.
Adult head lice, on the other hand, are slightly smaller than body lice and mostly similar only when it comes to appearance. They attach to the hair shaft and lay eggs on the scalp. The only way to contract head lice is through head-to-head contact.
Body Lice vs. Head Lice: Treatments
Body lice treatment measures include washing your body and clothes with hot water and soap. If washing with a machine, use the hot cycle for your beddings. Dry cleaning and ironing clothes can also be effective to deter these parasites from sticking around. If washing doesn’t work, you can try lotions that contain 1% permethrin—however, be careful when purchasing lice-killing products because they can be toxic to humans!
On the other hand, the most effective head lice treatment is through Fresh Heads’ Signature AirAllé® Treatment. This device blows warm air along the scalp and hair shafts, targeting the lice and eggs in those specific areas. This treatment only takes an hour and is 99.2% effective— when lice and eggs are exposed to the right amount of heated air at the right temperature, and for the right length of time, they dry out and die!
Body Lice vs. Head Lice: Who Is at Risk?
Body lice thrive in unclean environments and crowded conditions. Cramped dwellings containing people with poor hygiene are especially susceptible to body lice infestations, which can then spread quickly. Because body lice treatments require washing with soap and hot water, it can be challenging to eradicate infestations as long as an area remains dirty.
Because direct, head-to-head contact is the primary way to transmit head lice, young school children are most likely to get infestations. An estimated 6 to 12 million head lice infestations occur each year in the United States among children 3 to 11 years of age. More girls get head lice than boys because it’s easier for lice to climb onto long hair. Unlike body lice, getting head lice has nothing to do with hygiene.
Body Lice vs. Head Lice: Prevention
You can prevent body lice infestation through regular bathing and laundry. Avoid having close physical contact with anyone who has an infestation, and avoid going into unhygienic areas.
Meanwhile, for head lice, children should avoid head-to-head contact during play at home, school, the playground, camping, slumber parties, and other group activities.
Head Checks by Trained Professionals
Body lice look similar to head lice—but they choose to live and lay eggs in clothes instead of hair. They spread through clothing in unhygienic conditions, so you should avoid coming close to dirty environments.
When it comes to diagnosis and lice treatment, head lice is a bit more complex. Professional head checks may be necessary for your entire family if one of you has an itchy head problem.
Head Lice Treatment in Orlando, Savannah, and Jacksonville
When it comes to getting rid of head lice, make sure you partner with the best clinic in your area for your treatments! Fresh Heads Lice Removal offers lice prevention tips, head lice checks, and professional head lice removal in Jacksonville, Orlando, and Savannah. Get checked today so you can seek treatment before it spirals out of control. Book an appointment online today!
Schools Without Lice
Our mission at Fresh Heads Lice Removal is to eradicate lice from schools across the US. We’re partnering with the Lice Clinics of America to create a Schools Without Lice program. Through this program, we provide school nurses and teachers with free resources, screenings, and treatments. If we work together, we can have schools without lice!
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