Lice and dandruff are two typical conditions that affect the scalp. While they share some similarities, lice and dandruff are two various conditions that require various treatments.
Head lice are contagious parasites, while dandruff is a self-contained scalp condition. You can’t capture dandruff from anyone else, although it tends to run in families. Understanding the distinctions between lice and dandruff can help you treat your scalp condition effectively.
Head lice and dandruff are both shown by tiny white particles in the hair and scalp, and can be mistaken for one another at a fast glimpse. Upon closer assessment, the differences are much easier to see.
Dandruff, likewise called seborrheic dermatitis, is the flaking of your scalp skin. Dandruff scales can appear dry or oily, white or yellow-ish in color.
Head lice exist in three kinds:
- eggs, likewise called “nits:” small white specks
- nymphs, or young adults: small, tan-colored bugs hatched from nits
- adult lice: still exceptionally small, about the size of a sesame seed.
Causes of Dandruff and Lice
The causes of dandruff and lice could not be more various. Lice are parasitic pests that crawl and spread to others through close contact. Lice can crawl onto clothing, bed linen, towels, and individual products like combs and hair devices.
Dandruff is a non-contagious inflammatory skin problem. Accumulation of hair shampoo on the scalp, excessively dry or oily skin, and autoimmune conditions like psoriasis are common causes of dandruff. Dandruff can be hereditary, but you cannot “capture” it from your parents or siblings. It simply implies that members of the same family are more likely to have dandruff. On the other hand, it’s really easy to get head lice from a member of the family who already has them.
Populations Affected
Head lice impact approximately 12 million children every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Preschoolers and elementary school-aged children are the most widespread population to obtain lice. This figure does not take into account adult victims of head lice. Other relative of infected children often contract lice too.
Dandruff usually impacts individuals who are older than the preschool set. Dandruff is most common in teenagers and young people, however older adults and kids can likewise experience a flaky scalp.
Symptoms of Lice or Dandruff
Head lice and dandruff can cause symptoms in some people, while others don’t feel a thing. Itching is the most typical symptom associated with both conditions. Lice feed on human blood and stay near the scalp. The insects’ saliva is irritating, triggering you to itch. You may likewise feel the sensation that something is moving around in your hair.
Dandruff can itch if your scalp is extremely dry. The most noticeable sign of both lice and dandruff is the existence of white specks in your hair. Dandruff is simple to comb. Lice eggs or nits connect themselves securely on your hair shaft and are harder to remove.
See also: How To Know If You Have Dandruff or Psoriasis
See also: How To Know If I Have Psoriasis
Shampoo for Dandruff and Lice
Treatment for head lice and dandruff include making use of medicated shampoos. Shampoos including permethrin and pyrethrin kill lice and nits and are advised for children and adults over two years old. You may need to wash your hair with the medicated hair shampoo again after 7 to 10 days to ensure that all the lice are dead.
You can likewise handle dandruff with special shampoos developed to slow the skin-shedding process or treat fungal infections that may lead to skin flaking. Try to find hair shampoos with coal tar, salicylic acid, ketoconazole, or selenium sulfide. Use dandruff hair shampoos every day to manage severe flaking or regular to manage minor symptoms.
Home Remedies for Dandruff and Lice
Non-medical home remedies can be used in addition to medicated hair shampoos to help manage dandruff and prevent head lice from taking over your home. For dandruff, the homemade “go-to” treatment is sunlight and a healthy diet rich in vitamin B and zinc.
A lice infestation needs a bit more work around the house to make sure that of the tiny bugs and their eggs are ended. Wash clothes, towels, and bedding in very hot water and dry them on a high-heat setting. Vacuum upholstered furniture and carpeting and other unwashable toys for at least three days. Any staying lice will pass away without food.
Health Tips
Dandruff can be hard to prevent if you’re genetically predisposed to the condition. However, there are numerous methods to reduce episodes of flaky skin. Handle your stress, subscribe to a healthy diet, and cut down on the amount of hair styling products you use. Following a well balanced diet and striving for a low-stress life is a healthy practice despite dandruff.
To avoid a head lice problem, keep hairbrushes, combs, hats, headscarfs, pillows, and other individual products to yourself. Decreasing contact like this will make it tough for the parasites to reside in your hair.
