Causes of Lice Infestation – How and why does it happen?

The main causes of lice infestation include coming into close contact with another person who is already suffering from the same problem. Lice infestation arises as a result of colonization by a tiny wingless bug called head louse or Pediculus humanus capitas. This insect has the ability to reproduce extremely fast so even if you have caught just one tiny bug, it can lead to complete infestation in a matter of hours.

It is important to understand that causes of lice infestation has nothing at all to do with an individual’s personal hygiene or cleanliness. There are many people who are not aware of this fact and tend to discriminate those who have lice infestation. But remember that this problem can affect anyone at any time and all people would have suffered from this at some point in their lifetime.

Causes of lice transmission usually occurs due to close contact especially head-to-head contact in the form of shared combs, brushes, towels or from infested hats and caps. Hence it is important to segregate items instead of sharing them when you know someone is suffering from a lice problem. Transmission can also occur while travelling in public transport systems like bus or train and is more commonly seen in children of school-going age.

Once you understand the main causes of lice infestation, you can do the necessary things to get rid of this problem. A female head louse lays eggs or nits every day; hence to remove lice effectively, you must use a solution or shampoo which can remove both the lice and its nits. Another difficulty is that head louse secrets a glue which helps it to bind to the hair shaft and scalp; so the best way to pluck out these bugs is by using a nit comb which has specially designed bristles to pull these out.

Now that you have a clear picture of the various causes of lice infestation, it is better to avoid getting this problem than search for a cure which will be time-consuming and frustrating.