But this requires a certain perseverance, as well as knowledge of the technology of such a fight against lice, important nuances which we will consider further.
Temperatures dangerous for lice
Adult lice are able to survive for several days in temperatures ranging from minus 5 ° C to + 40 ° C.
At temperatures outside these values, lice and their larvae die within a few hours. At temperatures above + 54 ° C and below minus 13 ° C, lice die within 5 minutes.
On a note
These temperatures are somewhat arbitrary. At high humidity air, the temperature intervals at which lice survive are reduced, and at low temperatures they approximately correspond to the indicated values.
Already at a temperature of about 0 ° C and at + 42-44 ° C, lice are so weak that they can be easily shaken off the head or clothes. This is used in sanitation when combing out lice with special combs.
These data should not be interpreted so that if you walk for half an hour in the cold at minus 20 ° C without a hat, then the lice will all die at once. The hair on the human head is created by nature in order to maintain a constant temperature at the surface of the skin. This means that it is there that the lice, although they will feel discomfort, will not die for sure. Forensic experts know that lice begin to crawl only from a corpse that has cooled down to a temperature of about 20 ° C. In other words, if the body is warm, the lice around it will survive, no matter how the person torments himself with the cold.
Practice shows that the easiest way is to deal with body lice with the help of heat treatment. Their main place of presence is clothes, which can be boiled or hung out for several days in a bitter frost. It is difficult to treat the temperatures of a person himself that are critical for lice, but it is possible - today there are even specially developed techniques for this, which will be discussed below.
At what temperature do nits die
Given the reliable and strong adhesion of nits to the surface, even knowing at what temperature the nits die and treating the fabric with this temperature, it is impossible to completely remove them - after destruction, additional combing or cleaning of clothes will also be required.
Fighting body lice with frost
Knowing at what temperature lice die can be very effective against body lice. This is usually done in winter:
- All the clothes worn by the infected are hung out in the cold for several days. It is desirable for a week.
- The infected himself is thoroughly washed, his head is shaved, or his hair is carefully combed out with special combs.
It is physically impossible to freeze head and pubic lice without risk to the infected person himself. Other temperature methods are sometimes used to combat them.
Lice removal by high temperatures
Removing lice on the body with high temperatures is quite laborious, but, as experiments show, it is quite effective.
The most indicative were the attempts of American researchers to develop a special hair dryer for the destruction of lice. This hairdryer blows the infected part of the body with air at a temperature of about 50 ° C, which is sensitive but painless for humans.
It is interesting
The very idea of using a hair dryer against head lice was proposed by the British inventor Dale Clayton. He originally developed lice products in the UK, but has since moved to Salt Lake City, a much hotter and drier climate. There he found that local lice are much less viable, and after being exposed to the sun for a long time in dry desert air, they completely lose their mobility. This prompted him to create a special hair dryer.
Today, such hair dryers for mass use are not yet produced, but those who have decided to fight lice mechanically- with the help of ridges - they can take the method into service. Before combing out the hair, rinse it in water with a temperature of about 55 ° C, and then dry it with an ordinary hair dryer at the maximum tolerable temperature. Lice after this procedure will be combed out easier and in much larger quantities.
“I knew from the time I worked at the SES, at what temperature lice die. It's about 50 degrees. When the lice appeared in the child, I did not even think in the direction of any insecticides - this is all poison. I did this: I just bathe the child, then dry his hair with a hairdryer at such a temperature, from which it is already a little unpleasant, but you can endure it - about 7 minutes. Then I immediately take and comb the hair with a comb to remove lice. It should be special, dense, with hard teeth. There are a lot of them on the Internet now. Only lice and nits do not die at this temperature, but slow down, and you need to comb them out over the bathroom. "
Lyubov Ilyinichna, Sterlitamak
How does temperature affect the rate of lice breeding?
Temperature also affects the rate at which lice breed. At temperatures below + 22 ° C and above + 40 ° C, lice larvae and nymphs stop feeding and do not develop. At the same temperatures, the development of nits does not occur - the larvae do not hatch from them, although the nits themselves do not die, their development is simply inhibited.
At the temperature at which lice die, nits can still survive. In general, even a small change in temperature already affects the duration of the reproductive cycle of lice.
The optimum temperature for lice breeding is + 30-32 ° C. In such conditions, the period from egg to egg is about 16-18 days. Lowering the temperature to + 28 ° C extends this period to 23-24 days, and at + 25 ° C it takes about 35 days from egg to egg.
At a temperature of + 22 ° C, larvae cease to hatch from the nits. This is how the mechanisms of natural defense of the population work - when low temperatures ah, lice are not viable, and it is more rational to keep dormant nits until the next warming than to risk hatching larvae, which may simply die of hunger.
Interestingly, an increase in temperature, at which, does not lead to the opposite effect. If an increase in temperature to + 34-35 ° C keeps the duration of the reproductive cycle at the level of 16-17 days, then upon reaching + 37-38 ° C, reproduction in lice practically stops altogether, and after + 40 ° C they begin to die.
At the same time, in natural conditions, lice in such conditions practically do not appear.
What about nature?
In winter, under the icy hairs, the lice, of course, slow down their activity a little, but by summer they begin to multiply again at a normal rate.
In this regard, people are lucky - if they wish, they can change their clothes and shave their hair without the risk of being frozen or overheated. In the fight against lice, this advantage must be used.
What causes lice on the head
Methods for getting rid of lice: brushing, steam, comb, dye and hair straightener ...
These are recipes passed down from generation to generation, and chemicals that can completely cure head lice. And what are lice really afraid of, and is there an effective way to get rid of nits and adults with maximum efficiency?
- - usually, chooses a victim with long hair... It feeds on blood, piercing all layers of the epidermis and making its way to the blood vessel.
- - develops life in areas with rough vegetation - in intimate areas, eyebrows, armpits, beard and mustache. The transmission path is contact, in the truest sense of the word.
During intimacy the insect clings to the partner's hairs. You can also get infected through bed linen or a towel.
Blue spots form in the bite sites - a consequence of the breakdown of hemoglobin. Wounds can be complicated by a purulent course.
How can you scare off bloodsuckers, and what does not work on them? By the way, there are many myths that, supposedly, bloodsuckers can be brought out with the help of conspiracies and prayers. More on this below.
Plain water
There is a belief: water has a destructive effect on lice.
There is no point in rinsing your head cold water, bloodsuckers will not die, and you risk getting hypothermia.
Are bloodsucking afraid of pungent odors
Lice do not like pungent odors.
What has an attractive aroma for a person scares off bloodsuckers.
An important rule! In order to wipe out insects, you should wrap your head: with such actions you will block the access of oxygen to pests, their Airways will be burned by a pungent-smelling substance.
How to act on the hair so that the bloodsuckers suffocate:
- Lice are afraid essential oils : mint scent, lavender oil and tea tree... Burdock oil will help after recovery by restoring the hair structure. Concentrates are widely used for preventive purposes: a few drops of a pharmacy product are added to the shampoo.
Your curls will be protected from infection for 7 days. Before applying, check that there is no allergic reaction to the concentrated substance.
Perform a sensitivity test by putting a few drops on the elbow area. If there is no redness and itching, you can add oil to shampoos;
- Lice cannot withstand substances such as Birch tar ... They are dying out from tar soap.
Wash your hair with a pungent detergent and with frequent teeth;
- Decoction tansy, wormwood, rosemary herb, lemon juice, cranberry, hellebore water - have a suffocating effect on individuals and help peel off nits.
One of the remedies is applied to the curls and kept for 30 minutes. After the procedure, the hair is rinsed and combed out thoroughly. Be sure to revise the head for nits. If you miss one egg, head lice will return in a week;
- In order to protect yourself from infection, it is enough to wash the curls once a month. anti-lice shampoo.
It is not necessary to withstand the exposure time indicated on the bottle. You do not cure the disease, but act as a preventive measure.
What other smells will keep lice away?
- Kerosene have been used for many decades.
The tool is inexpensive, but effective. At least, this is the opinion of many who have encountered the disease. Kerosene acts as a toxic substance that suffocates bloodsuckers.
In relation to children and folk remedy do not apply.
Fuel has one drawback - bad smell does not fade from the hair for a long time. No cosmetic preparations will kill the persistent smell of fuel;
- Vinegar- an acid that helps dissolve the sticky substance with which adults attach eggs to the rod.
Use a mild vinegar solution to avoid burning the scalp.
The substance itself does not kill lice. The tool is suitable for preventing infection and improving the structure of the hair shaft.
The mixture is prepared by mixing a teaspoon of alcohol with 3 tablespoons of salt. Add 3% vinegar and apply as a compress. Apply to clean hair, do not rinse for 2 days;
- Karbofos used in hospitals while holding patients.
The tool kills both adults and nits. The head is treated and wrapped for 30 minutes, then rinsed with vinegar water and combed out with a fine comb. Minus - an unpleasant odor from the head for 10 days.
Temperature changes
There is an opinion: head human lice, as well as underwear, are most afraid of temperature changes environment... Is it so?
Not always the action of high temperature will help get rid of bloodsuckers. There are temperatures at which individuals will feel quite comfortable.
The normal temperature range of life and offspring is + 24 - 30 C. A decrease in indicators slows down the development of individuals. They eat less often and do not lay eggs.
Zero temperature does not lead to the death of individuals, but to a state close to suspended animation. The insect falls asleep for several days.
You cannot get rid of pubic bloodsuckers by swimming in an ice hole. For insects, the water temperature from - 1 to + 4 is quite acceptable to hold out for 10 - 15 minutes. A man cannot stand it any longer in icy water.
As a result of exposure to low temperatures, nits also survive.
Dry hot air is able to slow down the development of nits and the vital activity of adults. With the help of a hair dryer, it is impossible to get rid of pests. To destroy bloodsuckers and nits, you need to act with a hairdryer with a stream of hot air for at least an hour.
A bath, similarly, will relieve lice from only very persistent comrades: after all, not everyone is able to hold out in a steam room at high temperatures. Moreover, it is known: a hot bath is very harmful to hair.
Linen insects are destroyed by heat treatment of things at a temperature of +70 C. It is enough to wash the linen and leave to dry in the open air.
A haircut
What head lice cannot survive without is hairless! That is why shaving your head is a radical and quick method of dealing with head lice in hospitals.
This method hardly works with women. Prevention and prevention of infection - remove hair under a hat, or braid it.
Hair dye
Women in the fight against bloodsuckers resort to the procedure. The method works, but under certain conditions:
- The paint must contain ammonia or hydrogen peroxide;
- After applying the paint, the head is wrapped for 30 - 40 minutes;
- The expiration date of the drug did not come out.
The method is effective for adults. The coloring pigment does not affect nits.
Lack of food
Both larvae and adult lice are afraid of hunger strikes. If the insect has fallen from the host's body, it will not last more than 3 days. The larva lives without food for no more than a day.
Which methods don't work
Bloodsuckers are not afraid:
- Magical rites, conspiracies and prayers. If a person piously believes in miraculous powers words, fix the result with an insecticidal preparation;
- Styling products. Hairspray will help if you act directly on the individual. Fixing curls will not save you from illness;
- Talismans. No charmed object hanging on the neck will protect you from head lice;
- Holy water. This method also does not contribute to recovery. Needed hot water, or better - boiling water in order to remove the clothes louse. After washing, the lice die.
A hair clipper works for bloodsuckers. It is a conspiracy, a talisman and a repeller. The device saves from head insects, but with pubic ones it is not always effective.
Myths
There are many myths about bloodsuckers among the people. Consider which of them is true and which is fiction.
In most cases, following folk methods ineffective and leads to severe infection... A person is forced to buy a special drug that helps get rid of bloodsuckers.
Every missed minute is a new nit in your head. If there is only one result - why waste precious time!
Dramatically changing the comfortable temperature is one of the most popular treatments for head lice. Previously, it was only used for body lice, but in recent times there is more and more information about different ways heat treatment of hair. Is it possible to solve the problem by knowing at what temperature lice and nits die? Let's find out right now!
Who are lice?
Nits are lice eggs enclosed in a sticky transparent shell. Each egg hangs on a separate hair. Due to the sticky secretion secreted by the lice, it adheres so tightly to the surface of the curl that it is impossible to remove it even with sharp nails.
What temperatures are harmful to lice?
With the help of temperatures, you can remove linen lice in a matter of days. Their main place of residence - clothes - can be boiled, ironed and taken out in the cold (below -20C). The main thing is that the regime is as high as possible, and the exposure time is as long as possible.
Method 1 - Freezing outside
Method 2 - Freezing in the freezer
Method 3 - Treatment with boiling water
Method 4 - Iron or steam cleaner
An alternative to boiling water is an iron or steam cleaner. They can handle upholstered furniture, pillows, blankets, Stuffed Toys, hats, bedding and other things.
Tips to help get rid of lice:
Heat treatment of the head against lice
With the head, everything is different, because the hairline is designed to maintain a constant temperature at the surface of the epidermis. So, no matter how much you walk in the cold without a headdress, the lice will survive, although they will not feel very comfortable. For nits, such a walk will be completely useless - their cocoon serves as an excellent protection against a variety of phenomena.
To treat insects with critical temperatures, special techniques will be needed. Let's consider each of them.
Method 1 - Hairdryer
Unfortunately, such hair dryers are not yet produced for mass use, so our second method will suit most.
Method 2 - Water
An alternative to a special hair dryer for head lice will be water heated to a temperature of +55 degrees. Wash your hair longer, then dry it with a regular hair dryer set to the maximum allowed mode. Such processing will allow you to comb out nits and lice much faster.
To get rid of a large number of lice, you need to wash your hair. hot water, and then comb out the weakened lice with a special comb
Method 3 - Hair straightener
One more interesting method getting rid of head lice is to straighten the hair with a hot iron. The hair is divided into small strands and processed from roots to ends. The device must be carried out very slowly - this will kill both adult lice and larvae with nits.
Method 4 - Bath
Lice eggs or nits are more resistant to environmental influences. Even after the death of the lice, they may not die, and after the return of comfortable conditions, they may even give birth to new offspring. However, there are modes that are dangerous for nits. They die when the regime is below -20 and above +60 degrees.
The effect of temperatures on the lice breeding process
Now you know at what temperatures lice and nits die. We wish you good luck in this difficult struggle!
Knowing what the lice are afraid of, you can get them out in almost a few hours, and with a competent approach - in just one go. Usually, the procedure for the destruction of lice on the head or other parts of the body requires repeated use of pediculicidal agents, and its success largely depends on how much effective drug applies.
Frost: how to get rid of lice using low temperatures
Lice are afraid of the cold. However, like most other insects, they can withstand temperature drops to 0 ° C and can remain alive for some time even at subzero temperatures. Lice die in frost at minus 5 ° C within 20-30 minutes, while a stronger frost kills them almost instantly.
On a note
Similarly, skinny dipping in an ice hole will be ineffective for pubic lice. The water temperature, even in the sea, rarely drops below minus 1 ° C, and lice will rather easily survive such immersion in ice water. An ordinary person (not a "walrus") can suffer from hypothermia much more than the lice themselves.
It should also be borne in mind that lice are quite resistant to a lack of oxygen and they easily tolerate long-term diving of the owner under water.
The fear of cold lice can be used mainly to combat clothes (linen) lice. They spend most of their time on clothes and only for feeding they move to the human body.
To get rid of linen lice, take all contaminated clothing and hang it out for several days in a bitter frost. While lice are dying in the cold, only clean linen should be worn, guaranteed not to be infected. After three to four days, all lice and nits in clothes will die.
It is interesting
Lice and cold are rarely found side by side in nature. Optimum temperature reproduction of all lice living on humans, + 31 ° С, and already at + 20 ° С they stop multiplying, and the development of their eggs (nits) practically stops. However, at this temperature, adult insects remain active and continue to feed. Therefore, generally speaking, "cold" for lice is still quite comfortable temperatures for humans. But in the cold, lice cannot move at all, feed and somehow be active.
“In Koyanovo, no one knows at all about your pesticides. There are two remedies for lice - kerosene and frost. My grandmother also told me that lice are afraid of frost. You just take your linen and hang it outside for a few days in the winter. It froze out - changed it, and hung up the removed one too. And all the business. But this only works. Pubic or head need to poison with kerosene ... "
Pavel, Koyanovo
High temperatures
High temperatures are also difficult for lice. At + 40 ° C, they stop multiplying, at + 45 ° C, the development of nits stops, and at + 50 ° C, adults die within half an hour.
These substances are used in most modern shampoos, gels and balms. They tend to paralyze nervous system lice and lead to their death within a few minutes after applying the product to the hair.
As such toxic components in the composition of pediculicidal agents, various pyrethroids are mainly used - Cypermethrin, Deltamethrin and some of their analogues. They are contained, for example, in such preparations for lice as Medifox, NOC, Bubil, etc.
Funds based on modern insecticides very effective against lice and at the same time relatively safe to use - they rarely cause allergies and do not lead to intoxication. They are most often used in the fight against lice in children.
Kerosene
Lice are also afraid of the smell of kerosene, and die when the substance hits the chitinous surface of the body. A half-hour treatment of the head with kerosene allows you to destroy all adult lice and larvae, while a second session a week later ensures the extermination of young larvae that emerged from the surviving nits.
Improper use of kerosene can lead to extensive scalp burns and poisoning, especially in children. When working, one should not forget that kerosene is very flammable, and its vapors can ignite from the slightest ignition source.
Vinegar
In its effect on lice, vinegar is somewhat similar to that of kerosene. At the same time, it dissolves the nits shells much better (more precisely, softens the glue mass with which the nits are attached to the hair).
Lice die from vinegar (9%) when diluted in a ratio of one part vinegar to two parts water. When using vinegar, the same safety precautions should be followed as when - undiluted vinegar can cause skin burns!
Cranberry juice
Cranberry juice is another great folk remedy for dealing with lice and nits. Lice are afraid of it and die when treating hair with juice, and nits when using this product easily peel off the hair when combing. This can be used by combining cranberry juice with lice combs.
On a note
Lice and nits are generally afraid (conditionally speaking) of strong organic acids. For example, among folk recipes for lice there are remedies with citric, malic and grape acids.
Chemerichnaya water
What lice are definitely not afraid of
And here is something that lice are definitely not afraid of:
The developmental cycle of lice can be divided into four stages: the larva, the first age of the nymph, the second age of the nymph, the third age of the nymph, adult insect... The transition of the nymph to the next stage of development occurs with each molt. When molting, it sheds a hard chitinous cover, which allows it to grow further.
Lice development:
- 5 - 8 days the nit develops.
- 1-3 days and the larva turns into a nymph of the first instar.
- 5 days are required for a nymph of the first age.
- A nymph of the second age develops for 8 days.
The lifespan of an adult is 30 - 40 days.
After the last molt, an adult insect appears and mating occurs during the first two days. One mating in her entire life is enough for a female louse to fertilize all the eggs in the body. After that, throughout her life, she lays eggs.
Reference! A female head louse lays 144 eggs in her entire life, a female pubic louse - up to 50 eggs, a female body louse - up to 300 eggs in her entire life. One and a half or two months after infection, a person can have a whole population of insects, and after a while they will cause pronounced symptoms of head lice.
Nits and nymphs
The developmental cycle from larva to adult insect is very interesting. When laying eggs, the female secretes a sticky secret and only then eggs are born. With this substance, the egg is securely attached to the hair. After that, the secret hardens, forming a "cover" (like a purse in which the egg matures). This is how the nit is formed.
After maturation, a nymph of the first age hatches from the nits. It looks like an adult insect, differing only in size and lack of ability to reproduce. Immediately after emergence, the larva begins to actively feed and molt occurs almost immediately. So a nymph is born.
Methods of temperature exposure to lice
Like other insects, lice quickly adapt to insecticidal products. However, you can fight them in other ways. For example, using high or low temperatures.
Studies have shown that at a temperature of -20 degrees, the lice population completely dies within 45 minutes.
High temperatures:
- From + 40 to +45 degrees, females stop laying eggs.
- From + 40 to +60, adults and nymphs die.
- + 60 degrees and above nits die.
There is an opinion that it is enough for a patient with head lice to walk without a hat in a severe frost and this will help get rid of lice. But this is not the case. Indeed, in the human body there cannot be a temperature with a minus sign. And on the scalp, a temperature that is comfortable for lice will always be maintained. but it is quite possible to fight with clothes lice using temperature methods.
Exposure to high temperatures
In most cases, the body louse is exposed to temperature. Since she lives in clothes, she can be subjected to any processing. But exposure to high temperatures (painless for humans) can also help in the fight against head and pubic lice.
Exposure to high temperatures on body lice:
Exposure to high temperatures on head lice:
After heat treatment, the insects should be combed out with a thick comb. The procedure should be carried out three to four times a day.
Exposure to low temperatures
Fighting body lice with low temperatures:
After freezing, things should be heat treated (as described above). This approach will increase the chances of success.
Insecticides
Currently there a large number of remedies for nits and lice.
However, when choosing, you need to consider:
- toxicity;
- aggressiveness;
- efficiency;
- ease of use;
- the possibility of allergic reactions.
Therefore, when choosing, you need:
The most popular remedies for lice:
- sprays;
- shampoos;
- creams;
- concentrates in the form of emulsions.
All of these drugs are fairly easy to use, effective and safe. The exception is concentrated emulsions, they are more aggressive, more often cause allergic reactions and burns (if used incorrectly).
Attention! The main danger of insecticides is allergic reactions.
They appear as:
- dandruff;
- atopic dermatitis;
- damage to the hairline;
- pigmentation.
The most popular drugs for lice:
A very interesting tool is the Robi Comb electronic comb. The principle of its action is that it not only combes out, but also strikes insects with an electric discharge. But at the same time, its effectiveness is not high.
Attention! Children under 5 years old, pregnant women and nursing mothers are prohibited from using chemicals from lice!
Folk remedies
It is still widely used in the fight against head lice. But their main drawback is that the higher the efficiency, the more harm they can do to a person.
What is used:
Head lice infestation and prevention
The easiest way to get head lice is by direct head-to-head contact. Places such as gyms, swimming pools, football fields, children's summer camps, schools, kindergartens promote close contact of children with each other. Most often, head lice is picked up by children from 3 to 11 years old. This can occur through the sharing of a comb, hair brush, hairpins, hats, clothing, and the proximity of clothing on hangers. is not a sign of uncleanliness or poor hygiene.
Prevention:
- You should not change personal items: combs, hats, scarves, you should not use someone else's soap and towels.
- It is not advisable to leave your clothes in a shared changing room in close contact with other people's clothes.
- You should check your hair and your baby's hair for insects from time to time. This should be done once or twice a week. Particular attention should be paid to the areas at the back of the head and behind the ears.
- Wash your hair regularly and comb your hair with a fine comb. These measures are especially relevant when traveling and hiking with a large crowd of people.