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Irritant itch caused by headlice is something most of us have experienced. They look like miniature ants with the difference that they infest only human hair. It is to be noted that the term headlice refers to the lice that infect the scalp and neck hairs only. Pubic lice (infest pubic hair) and body lice (infest human skin) are the two other type of lice. There can be many more varities like these.

%NL% Lice are small in size, visible to naked human eye if observed carefully .Usually lice are bronze to grey white colored. It's a myth that lice can jump from one person to another. In reality this never happens as they have no legs to jump or wings to fly .Certainly we can not conclude that lice can jump of fly from one person to another.

Headlice survive on human blood. They use their legs to grab hair follicles, and then make an incision into the scalp with their teeth to suck blood, thereby causing the common irritant itch that they are known for. Other than that itch caused by the the irritation to the scalp, headlice do not directly cause humans much harm. However the bleeding that is caused by scratching the itching scalp does greatly increase the probability of acquiring microbial infection.

How do headlice spread, is a question that has baffled many researchers for long. Most researchers are of the opinion that if one's hair comes into direct physical contact with another man's/woman's hair which has lice, the chances of getting these lice is significantly higher. Sharing personal use articles which come into physical contact with hair such as towels, combs, helmets, pillows etc. can also help in the spread of headlice.

Different types of lice removal treatments are available in the market today. These treatments soothe the irritant itch and eliminate the headlice. Some of these are lice shampoo, lice removal brushes, lice removal hair oils, prescription drugs containing malathion, lindane, permethrin, pyethrins etc.

All treatments include both "active" and "inert" ingredients. Active ingredients are those which target the lice and destroy or kill them. On the other hand, inert ingredients are basically means to carry the active ingredients. Inert ingredients include solvents, oils etc. and aggravate the toxic power of the active ingredients. It is always better to use a natural remedy for lice removal. However, the choice of treatment would vary from person to person depending on several factors. Good personal hygiene which includes hair-care goes a long way in protecting infection and infestation arising from these parasites.