How to use kerosene for lice and nits without harming your health

Expert articles

1. 1. How long does it take for lice to hatch?
2. 2. How many days do lice hatch from nits: incubation period in numbers
3. 3. Incubation period of lice: features

The louse is in many ways very different from its blood-sucking counterparts. She is not able to fly like a mosquito or jump like a flea. However, its short powerful legs have strong hooks at the tips, thanks to which this parasite is able to move around very quickly, and, having reached its target, confidently attach itself to the hair of its new owner.

By the way, lice choose humans as their host. There are several species of these insects that parasitize different parts of the human body.

Lice infestation is scientifically called pediculosis. This disease is accompanied by unpleasant symptoms:

• • itching;
• • irritation
• • poorly healing skin ulcers;
• • restless sleep (at night a person is in a static state, which may increase the frequency of bites).

In addition to the actual inconvenience, a person poses a risk of infection to others. That is why, when the first symptoms of pediculosis are detected, it is important to quickly navigate and begin treatment. But before that, let's get to know the enemy by sight.

What is pediculosis

Pediculosis is an infection of a person by blood-sucking insects that parasitize the head or other parts of the body. Lice are insects that are 1.5 to 5 mm long and gray or brown in color. They are able to move quickly and move from one carrier to another.

The temperature of the human body is optimal for lice and their vital functions. In order to feed on blood, they bite on the skin. This causes a person to experience itching and a tingling sensation reminiscent of mosquito bites.

The incubation period of pediculosis is short - a week after the parasites get on the head, a person begins to experience discomfort. Other signs of the disease include spots or scratch marks on the skin, the appearance of nits on the hair, and irritation and restlessness of the person.

Precautionary measures

• Kerosene is a rather aggressive liquid, and its use in its pure form without dilution with water often causes severe skin burns. This is especially true for preschool children.
• It is strictly not recommended to treat lice on colored hair with kerosene. The aggressive effect of ammonia in the dye already leads to weakening of the hair, so if you do not want to treat alopecia in the future, then you cannot use kerosene.
• When treating hair with kerosene, it is very important to ensure that the liquid does not get on the mucous membrane of the cornea. If this happens, immediately rinse your eyes with plain water to prevent burning.

Can lice come from nerves?

Despite the fact that lice have been known to mankind throughout history, many people still believe in myths associated with insects. Otherwise, the question of whether lice can appear from nerves would not have arisen in our enlightened times.

The misconception that lice can appear after severe stress is associated with the genetic memory of people who survived wars, famines and other shocks. These events were often accompanied by inevitable unsanitary conditions in which it was easy to become infected. This gave rise to a stereotype about the possible cause of infection, which has survived to this day.

Lice are parasites that live on human skin; they cannot live inside the body, especially without proper nutrition. Thus, nerve lice cannot infect either an adult or a child. Nerve lice are a myth.

Can it be applied to a child?

Back in Soviet times, kerosene was very popular as a treatment for head lice; this method was especially used on children, since at that time there was not a greater variety of pharmaceutical products as there are now. Back then, no one even thought that kerosene could harm a child.

But in fact, kerosene can cause a lot of health problems for a child. The thing is that the delicate scalp of a child before the age of 14 is susceptible to any toxic effects, which can result in a 1st, 2nd, or even 3rd degree burn. Therefore, it is better to treat head lice in children with more gentle antiparasitic agents.

Psychosomatics of lice

After becoming infected with lice, a person experiences not only physical, but also mental suffering. Continuous itching causes irritation, impairs sleep and appetite, causes increased anxiety and a feeling of constant fatigue. In young children, lice can provoke continuous crying, restless behavior, and refusal to eat. This is another reason why many people associate the appearance of lice with nervous disorders.

When a person is in a state of psychological shock, his immunity deteriorates. It is believed that increased sweating may serve as an additional factor for attracting parasites. Thus, a person becomes more vulnerable to the development of various diseases, including lice infestation. But in any case, infection requires contact with a sick person, and there is no direct relationship between head lice and a stressful state.

Who can't?

In the article, we partially figured out who should not use flammable liquid to fight parasites, to summarize:

1. children under 14 years of age;
2. pregnant and lactating women;
3. people with dry colored hair suffering from increased hair fragility;
4. people with damage to the surface of the scalp;
5. for allergy sufferers.

The stronger the concentration of kerosene, the more effective the resulting composition will be, but it is important to remember that kerosene and its vapors are harmful to humans.

The main routes of infection or dispel the myth that lice can come from nerves

Pediculosis can occur in the following situations:

1. 1. Close contact with an infected person, “head to head”. Parasites quickly move and transfer to a new host. The most vulnerable category to infection are children from 3 to 12 years old, who spend a lot of time in joint games and activities.
2. 2. Using other people's things or bedding. For some time, lice can retain the ability to live outside the human body, so there is a certain risk of infection through pillowcases
3. 3. Staying in establishments with large crowds of people. Very often, children in school, kindergarten or summer camp, and adults in barracks, correctional colonies, nursing homes, and boarding schools become infected with lice.

Insufficient hygiene care is not a direct cause of lice. Parasites can penetrate both clean and dirty hair with equal success. You also cannot get rid of insects by washing your hair with regular shampoo.

Reasons for appearance

When asked what linen lice are and how to get rid of them, you should not immediately advise general cleaning. Where do they come from? Here are the most popular places:

• A store where clothing is tried on.
• Hotel room.
• Going to visit.
• Any public transport where there is frequent contact with various strangers.
• Various tourist trips, during which you have to share one tent with someone.

It should be noted that these parasites are very hardy. They can survive even a couple of days without their usual environment. After just a couple of individuals enter their familiar environment, their immediate reproduction begins. Those who do not make do with the same underwear, have a fairly large wardrobe, and also change their clothes as often as possible are reliably protected from these annoying parasites. Thus, if a louse lives on clothing, it will die of hunger for a certain time if the person does not put this thing on again. In almost all cases, prisoners, as well as people without a fixed place of residence, have linen lice. Therefore, you should be very careful when dealing with such people.

Basic ways to get rid of lice

There are many methods for removing blood-sucking parasites, including using various pharmaceuticals or traditional medicine.
They can be divided into three groups. Physical (mechanical)
To get rid of lice, the hair from the head is completely shaved. Parasites are deprived of access to their habitat and die. This radical method will only suit some people.

For those with long hair, combing is recommended. This procedure is quite labor-intensive and takes at least 40-60 minutes. Using a fine-toothed comb, carefully comb the hair to remove living individuals and their eggs (nits).

These methods are not the most effective, especially when there are large numbers of parasites.
Chemical
Hair and scalp are treated with special pharmaceutical preparations or traditional medicine. After applying them to your head, it is recommended to wait a certain time, and then rinse with water and wash your hair with regular shampoo.

This method is more effective than mechanical lice removal. But if you decide to use folk remedies, you need to act carefully so as not to damage the scalp.

Some folk remedies do not give the desired effect and can only be recommended as auxiliary methods in the process of getting rid of lice.
Combined
This method involves removing lice in two stages. First, the head is treated with an anti-pediculosis agent, and then the hair is combed out with a comb. Combing is necessary in order to completely remove the nits that are attached to the hair.

This method is considered the most effective and safe, but it is very important to make the right choice regarding the anti-lice medication. It must be destructive to insects, provide rapid action, be convenient to use and have no contraindications.

How to treat your head and how long to hold it?

Apply the composition to your hair and lather lightly, then cover your head with a plastic bag. How long do you keep the composition on your hair? For an adult – at least an hour; for a child, 15 minutes is enough. After the specified time, the hair must be rinsed with warm water and shampoo. After this, you need to take a fine-tooth comb and comb out the nits from wet hair. The comb can be dipped in vinegar to make it easier to separate the nits from the hair. The treatment procedure must be carried out every three days until the parasites completely disappear.

Prevention of infection

In order to avoid re-infection, certain precautions must be taken. They do not provide a 100% guarantee of protection against infection, but they significantly reduce the risk of developing head lice:

• • avoid close contacts with strangers, especially if their appearance causes rejection;
• • teach the child to maintain a reasonable distance from other children during games;
• • observe hygiene rules;
• • do not use other people's combs, hats, hair clips, towels, or lie down on someone else's bed linen;
• • regularly examine the child's head to identify lice and nits;
• • if you have long hair, braid your hair or put your hair in a ponytail, since loose hair makes it easier for lice to move onto the scalp

Having identified lice in a child, you need to immediately inform caregivers or teachers. This is necessary in order to stop the further spread of infection in the children's group. Employees of the children's institution will work to identify carriers of lice and remove parasites from children.

Contraindications to the use of kerosene

Kerosene is not recommended for use if there are various injuries on the skin - wounds, scratches, burns. This will only worsen the condition of the skin. The product is contraindicated for use by children, as well as on excessively dry and sensitive skin.

Another contraindication is the risk of developing allergic reactions. Testing is required before use. A small amount of kerosene is applied to the bend of the elbow and wait a few minutes. If redness and itching appear, you should not use kerosene.

Diagnostic methods

After the initial infection with the pathogen, there is an incubation period. It lasts 2-3 weeks. It actively multiplies, spreading throughout the body. At this stage, symptoms form:

• itching localized at the bite sites;
• wounds on the skin due to bites or active scratching of the skin;
• irritation of the epidermis;
• nits near the hair roots;
• inflammation of the hair follicle.

When a person carefully examines the skin, they may notice the presence of lice near the hair roots.

With prolonged absence of treatment, secondary symptoms develop:

• tangling and gluing of hair due to waste products of lice between the hairs;
• insomnia caused by itching;
• ulcers due to activation of secondary infection;
• dermatitis, irritation;
• lymphadenitis in the area of ​​pathogen spread.

If a patient experiences these symptoms, the condition is most often caused by lice. It is necessary to begin timely treatment to prevent complications.