The Growth Cycle of Head Lice

If you are experiencing problems with head lice and want to get rid of them for good there are a few things you need to be aware of and the head lice growth cycle is one of them. If swift action is not taken head lice can reproduce extremely quickly and for this reason it's imperative that you understand the life stages of head lice and what needs to be done to put an end to the infestation at each point along the way.
A louse (the singular term for lice) begins as an egg and is also known as a nit. It is pale yellow in colour and bears a kind of gluey substance which helps the nit to firmly attach itself to the hair shaft. As the nit needs warmth to survive and hatch it can usually be found close to the scalp benefiting from the temperature of the body. Nits are quite often difficult to spot and remove as they are usually very tiny in size.
The incubation period of a nit last for between seven and ten days and then hatching takes place. Once hatched, the nymph as its now referred to is either white or clear in colour making it hard to be seen close to the scalp. The nymphs grow into adult lice feeding on human blood from the scalp and this absorption turns the lice a dark reddish brown colour. Severe itchiness is caused by the lice biting and feeding on the scalp as it grows to maturity.
As if this isn't enough to cope with, because they cannot fly or jump from one place to another, mature female lice will continue to lay as many as one hundred eggs at a time on the scalp which due to the very nature of its environment provides the perfect nurturing opportunity. That in itself is good enough reason for the need of immediate treatment to be administered.
When dealing with head lice there are many options open to you. However, whether you choose to use home remedies, shampoos or other kinds of medication, the key to successfully putting an end to the head lice cycle of growth is all about taking action as quickly as you possibly can.
About the Author
Amy Cotter is a fellow head lice victim who once suffered a nasty infestation and manage to eliminate them successfully using D-I-Y natural remedies. Want to know more about head lice cycle? Visit her website at http://www.headliceinformationcenter.com for more helpful tips and advice on how to get rid of head lice successfully.