If you feel that your scalp is itching or you can feel something crawling on your head, you have to check yourself for lice. Nevertheless, this is challenging, especially if you are alone or cannot or don’t wish to ask somebody to assist you.
If you are on your own, you will be wondering how to check for lice on yourself. What you can do is analyze the area behind your ears in the mirror, because this is where head lice will lay their eggs. You may find a live lice or you might see nits on your hair.
To make sure there are nits and not dandruff, aim to pull them out by shaking your head. If they are still there, these are nits.
Then, if you can put a mirror in front of your restroom mirror, you can take a look at the base of your neck. First take your hair up and aim to look if you can see lice crawling. You might also see lice eggs. Keep in mind that if you have dark hair, this might be harder.
Once you understand for sure that you or your child has head lice, you ought to right away start to treat yourself or your child. There are a number of treatments that efficiently remove head lice.
Self Examination for Lices in Details
Lice are small parasitic insects that live and eat human hosts. Depending on their type, lice can infest the head (head lice), the body (body lice) or the pubic area (crabs, pubic lice). Lice are commonly spread out by direct contact and most can not make it through for long as soon as separated from their human host. Some lice are known to be carriers of severe diseases, and all lice bite and can cause itching and possible allergies and infections. Checking for lice on your own body is a reasonably easy thing to do as long as you have patience and a good magnifying glass.
Relocate to a comfy, private area. Position a directional light, so it shines on the area of your body that you think is plagued with lice. Remove your clothing.
Hold the magnifying glass, so you can conveniently analyze your pubic area. Crabs, pubic lice, survive on the pubic hair shafts. Check small sections of pubic hair for live lice or their eggs, which are called nits. Nits will look like littles dandruff that are connected to the pubic hair shaft and are difficult to remove.
Position yourself in front of a mirror. Use the fine-toothed comb to part the hair on your head. Take a look at the part in the mirror through the magnifying glass for live head lice. Look for movement as head lice will aim to conceal from the light. Continue parting the hair at 1/8 inch periods. If no live head lice are found, look for nits connected to the hair shafts around 1/4 inch from the head. Nits might be challenging to self-diagnose, as lice have the tendency to lay their eggs behind the ears and on the back of the neck where they are difficult to see.
Analyze the seams of your clothing through the magnifying glass for live body lice or their eggs. Body lice and their eggs may be large enough to see without making use of a magnifying glass, but a magnifying glass will make the job simpler. Although body lice are most frequently identified from analyzing the clothes of a person, live body lice can sometimes be seen crawling on the body.
Identifying Live Lice and Nits
First, you need to make sure that you have lice and not dandruff or something else. Looking for lice means you are going to analyze the infested individual’s scalp and hair and attempt to see with the naked eye some adult lice, nymphs or head lice eggs.
Here is some comprehensive info about which bugs you should be trying to find.
Head lice are parasites that live in the scalp and hair of human beings. The medical term for head lice is Pediculus humanus capitis, and the invasion is typically known as pediculosis.
The most typical symptoms of head lice consist of frequent scratching of the head and sudden look of dandruff-like flecks in the hair near to the scalp.
The most apparent head lice symptom is an itchy scalp, which is caused by the saliva of the lice in the spot where the blood is drawn.
These parasitic insects establish in 3 types specifically: nits, nymphs, and adults. Nits are the eggs of head lice. They are rather difficult to see and are typically mistaken as beads of hair spray or dandruff.
Nits are securely connected to the hair shaft and takes about one week to hatch. Nits hatch to form nymphs, which are little head lice. They grow about seven days and become an adult lice.
In order to survive, they suck blood. An adult louse is as little as a sesame seed. It has 6 legs and appears grayish to white in color. Individuals with dark hair likewise have darker adult lice making them very difficult to see.
If your child is continuously scratching at the neck line or behind the ears, you ought to right away examine his/her moving towards lice and nits.
- Ensure that there is appropriate lighting when checking for head lice. A well-lit room or flashlight will help you spot any eggs or lice.
- Begin at the bottom part of the neck and behind the ears and work your method up. Nits and lice can be discovered anywhere on the head but they prefer warmer places to conceal. Hence, the lower hairline is the right location to begin.
- After examining the first section, divide the hair into halves and check each area for eggs and lice. Repeat the process throughout the entire head, paying specific attention to warmer spots.
