Homo sapiens may have picked up head lice from Homo erectus, according to research in the Public Library of Science Biology. Researchers found two genetically distinct lineages of the nit Pediculus humanus.
The most likely explanation is that by the time H. sapiens evolved in Africa about 200,000 years ago we had our own lineage of head lice, and then picked up more from H. erectus on our travels, says Reed. The study is reported in the current issue of PLoS Biology1.
Human evolution and lice
Beginning somewhere around 13 million years ago, specific species began to evolve to affect only humans. About 42,000 to 72,000 years ago, human lice separated into head and body lice.
Medieval folklore suggests that lard was used to try and suffocate lice and nits off of a scalp. Others propose simply keeping the hair combed through and clean was of so little a priority that no one even bothered with lice.
It's less common for head lice to spread without direct contact. But the insects may spread from one person to another through personal items, such as: Hats and scarves. Brushes and combs.
In the middle ages, humans couldn't get away from lice. They were an unavoidable part of their life and lice didn't discriminate; they infected all parts of society from serfs to royals. People in the Middle Ages took lice to their grave as well.
African American people can still get head lice. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state that African American people get head lice much less frequently than other people. The reason for this may be that most head lice in the United States have claws that more easily grip onto uncoiled hair.
Parasites such as lice have a role in the conditioning of a 'natural' immune system and reducing the likelihood of immune dysfunctions, a study of mice from a Nottinghamshire forest indicates.
Introduce natural predators (Ladybugs)
Ladybugs can eat 100 lice a day!
Shaving Will Not Get Rid of Lice.
The reason shaving will not work is because lice live on the base of the hair, and on the scalp. The nits are laid right at the base of the hair oftentimes against the scalp. Shaving will not get close enough to make an impact on the lice and nits.
Do lice eventually die off? Head lice eventually die off, but a head lice infestation does not. Head lice live up to 30 days and then they die, but in that time, they will have procreated and laid up to 300 eggs per female head louse.
No one is immune, but frequent head checks help
Anyone can get lice, and personal hygiene has nothing to do with the likelihood of being infested, Rukke said.
White people get head lice more often than other racial groups. And girls and women tend to get them more often than boys or men because their hair is longer, says Dr Mervyn Elgart, emeritus professor of dermatology at George Washington University. Having short hair is a blessing, Elgart says.
Permethrin lotion, 1%;
Permethrin lotion 1% is approved by the FDA for the treatment of head lice. Permethrin is safe and effective when used as directed. Permethrin kills live lice but not unhatched eggs. Permethrin may continue to kill newly hatched lice for several days after treatment.
The ancients managed their lice by suffering through them, combing them out, affectionately picking them off each other's heads, dousing them in oil, or simply shaving. (Thus the wigs.)
The 1600s – 1700s
In the 1600s, humans started trying different concoctions to rid themselves of the dreaded lice. Parents were told to give their children everything from tomato juice to a drink mix made of vinegar and cheese whey.
The British also developed a combination of naphthalene, creosote, and iodoform made into a paste which could be applied to the seams of uniforms with a good result of eliminating lice in just a few hours.
Unfortunately, the much-touted 'fact' about scientists discovering 19 new types of lice in Bob Marley's dreadlocks after his death are entirely apocryphal. One did sell for £2,500, though. Marley, whose Rastafarian faith dictated he shouldn't ever cut his hair, was well known for the perfect shape of his dreads.
In the United States, infestation with head lice is much less common among African-Americans than among persons of other races. The head louse found most frequently in the United States may have claws that are better adapted for grasping the shape and width of some types of hair but not others.
8,000 BC, Brazil. According to archaeologists, the world's oldest known head lice- actual nits discovered on a human head- were found at an archeological dig in northeast Brazil. They estimated that the specimen was at least 10,000 years old.
Adults are not immune to head lice. In fact, if you have any close contact with children or even parents of children you can be at risk of catching them if they have them. Lice transfer primarily through head to head contact, so you would have to get close to the other person.
Preschool and elementary-age children, 3-10, and their families are infested most often. Girls get head lice more often than boys, women more than men. In the United States, African-Americans rarely get head lice.
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.
So, the realistic answer is “No, you can't drown lice.” The best treatment for lice is to get them picked out by a professional – Lice Geeks, for example – using the right comb. Even over-the-counter shampoos and products aren't as effective as a well-trained professional wielding the proper comb.
You can find head lice on the scalp, neck, and ears.