Adult: The adult body louse is about the size of a sesame seed, has 6 legs, and is tan to greyish-white.
They're Easy to Spot
Although lice and their nits are small, you can see them with the naked eye. They can be white, brown, or dark gray.
If you're infested with body lice for a long time, you may experience skin changes such as thickening and discoloration — particularly around your waist, groin or upper thighs. Spread of disease. Body lice can carry and spread some bacterial diseases, such as typhus, relapsing fever or trench fever.
Body lice are primarily treated by thoroughly washing yourself and any contaminated items with soap and hot water and drying clothing and bedding in a machine dryer using the hot cycle. Dry cleaning and ironing clothing that cannot be washed also is effective.
Body lice are small, oblong insects that feed on human blood. Symptoms of body lice bites include itchy and irritated skin and small, discolored bites.
Intense itching (“pruritus”) and rash caused by an allergic reaction to the louse bites are common symptoms of body lice infestation.
Their strong grasping claws allow them to move through clothing and against the skin. Body lice feed often and at any time of day or night and typically choose a site where the skin is soft, creased and close to clothing such as the armpit or waistline.
Washing, soaking, or drying items at a temperature greater than 130°F can kill both head lice and nits. Dry cleaning also kills head lice and nits. Only items that have been in contact with the head of the infested person in the 48 hours before treatment should be considered for cleaning.
Adult lice can live up to 30 days on a person's body. To live, adult lice need to feed on blood several times daily. Without blood meals, the louse will die within 1 to 2 days off the host.
Coconut, tea tree oil, lavender, eucalyptus, rosemary, lemon grass, and peppermint are scents popularly believed to repel lice. Using any coconut scented shampoo and conditioner is an easy way to increase your defense. At 1% concentration, tea tree oil killed 100% of head lice after 30 minutes.
Head lice are not known to transmit any disease and therefore are not considered a health hazard. Head lice infestations can be asymptomatic, particularly with a first infestation or when an infestation is light.
Who is at risk for getting head lice? Head lice are found worldwide. In the United States, infestation with head lice is most common among pre-school children attending child care, elementary schoolchildren, and the household members of infested children.
Background: Pediculosis capitis is a common parasitic infestation, whereas phthiriasis palpebrarum is an uncommon infection due to Phthirus pubis (pubic lice) inoculating the eyelashes and surrounding tissues of the eye.
Lice in Eyes and Eyelashes
It typically presents in children. This type of lice is actually pubic lice. Yes pubic lice in children present in their eyes and eyelashes. There are 3 types of lice- head lice, pubic lice and body lice.
Adult body lice are 2.3–3.6 mm in length. Body lice live and lay eggs on clothing and only move to the skin to feed. Body lice are known to spread disease.
With effective treatment, head lice will completely go away after two to three weeks. The duration is dependent on how many lice made a home in your hair. Make sure you follow the instructions on your medicated shampoo, lotion or cream to get rid of lice quickly.
They tend to bite areas of the body where the seams of clothing come into contact with the skin. These include the neck, shoulders, armpits, waist, and groin. People with body lice may experience itching and rashes if they have allergic reactions to the bites.
Spinosad (Natroba).
It can be applied to dry hair and rinsed with warm water after 10 minutes. It kills lice and nits and usually doesn't need repeated treatment.
Items that cannot be laundered such as headgear, earphones, and bike helmets, can be placed in a plastic bag and put in a freezer. If the freezer is 5°F or lower, all lice and eggs should be dead within 10 hours. Also, keep items and areas off-limits to people for 48 hours to limit exposure to any live lice.
After Treating with Lice Medicine
Use the nit comb to remove dead lice and nits. If some are still present but moving slowly, do not shampoo again. If lice are still active and no dead lice are found, call your health care provider. These lice may be resistant to the medicine.
Body lice move by crawling, because they cannot hop or fly. One way that they spread is through physical contact with a person who has body lice. They can also spread through contact with clothing, beds, bed linens, or towels that were used by a person with body lice. You cannot get lice from animals.
Head lice are most active at night. They can cause such intense itching that your child could lose sleep over it. It's uncomfortable, but lice won't make you sick. They don't spread disease and they're not a sign that you're dirty.
Lice are most active at night. Head lice are very contagious. Lice are spread by direct contact with someone who is infested or by sharing clothing (eg, hats) with someone who has lice. Female lice attach their eggs firmly to hair. Lice eggs are called nits, which are usually yellow to white.