If your children have lice and therefore nits in their hair, there are some helpful ways to remove nits from their hair. Find out how to remove them effectively.
The lice are one of the most common problems that we must deal with as regards our hair. Not only children, but also adults can receive these uncomfortable invaders.
But the problem goes beyond removing those lice from the hair, since these parasites leave their eggs on our scalp, the so-called nits, from which – if they are not treated quickly – new lice will be born.
That is why this article is especially dedicated to providing you with all the necessary information about them. Since we must not only know what nits are, but also what symptoms indicate their presence, but also how we detect them and especially how we have to remove them from our heads.
What are nits?
Nits are nothing more than the eggs that lice lay. They are very small and light gray in color. They are located especially very close to the scalp, and are always attached to the hair, right where it is born.
Nits are sticky and gelatinous, so they are well attached to the hair and are difficult to remove. This means that they do not tend to fall off on their own, as it can happen with dandruff that is seen falling if we shake our head or if we pass our hand over it.
One thing to keep in mind is where the nits are. The egg is deposited by the louse about 3 or 4 mm from the scalp. Its gestation takes between 8 and 10 days.
Since the hair grows slowly (0.4 mm / day), if when the nit is found, it is located at a greater distance, it means that it was deposited several days ago. If it is 1 cm from the scalp, then the new louse has probably already emerged, you will find that the egg in this case has a white color.
How to tell if your child has nits: their main symptoms:
If we have nits it is because we have or have been lice on our head in the last few days. Therefore, a symptom that can alert us is to feel intense itching on the scalp. Lice can also cause small red bumps or bumps on the scalp and, to a lesser extent, can also appear on the shoulders and neck.
Beyond feeling itchy, it is advisable to carry out a periodic control to check whether or not there are nits, especially when we may be exposed to contagion (if someone close to us has them, if we go to pools without wearing protective caps, school-age children ). This must be done by another person who carefully examines our entire scalp, remember to do it under very good light.
How to remove nits from hair:
The most effective way to remove the nits is to use a nittier or metal comb, which are special for this use, since their teeth are closer together and they manage to catch the nits as well as the lice. To facilitate this, certain over-the-counter products are usually used that kill the louse and the nit, in turn facilitating removal.
There are also home remedies that we can use to remove nits; the most recommended of them is vinegar. This is because vinegar has chemicals capable of dissolving the sticky substance that binds nits to hair.
Removing the nits with vinegar is very simple. First you must wet all the hair well with warm water. Then you must pour the vinegar on the head – being very careful not to get into your eyes – making sure that all the hair has been covered by the vinegar. You can also submerge your hair in the sink or in another container that contains half water and half vinegar.
To finish removing the nits, rinse with lukewarm water until all the vinegar is removed. Then use a non-rinsing detangling cream to style your hair, removing knots. After detangling, you pass the fine comb through all the hair to remove nits and lice that may still be in the hair.
