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Ksenia Emelyanova
Hairdresser-stylist with more than 7 years of experience, teacher-colorist.
Pediculosis is a disease that anyone can encounter, regardless of cleanliness and social rank. However, many are embarrassed to visit the hospital and prefer to solve the problem on their own, using improvised means. In this article we will look at the most popular methods of getting rid of parasites, and also analyze which of them are effective and which do not get rid of the disease at all? We will pay special attention to the frequent question from our readers “is it possible to kill lice and nits with a hair straightener?” What do you think?
Can you kill lice and nits with a hair straightener?
Not really
At what temperature do lice and nits die?
The hairy part of the human scalp has the optimal temperature for the development and reproduction of lice. Temperature fluctuations can disrupt their life cycle. This applies to both minus and plus temperatures.
Parasites react to negative thermometer readings as follows:
- At -5°, adults stop reproducing. The development of nits slows down significantly.
- At -15°, adult individuals begin to die. The life activity of the larvae slows down, but does not stop.
- At -20°, regardless of the stage of development, lice die.
Reference! 45 minutes in 20-degree frost is enough for all parasites to die.
If lice are protected from cold by the natural warmth of the human body and hair, then nothing can save them from heat:
- At +40°, females stop laying eggs.
- At +45°, adult parasites begin to die, the process of nit development slows down, but does not stop.
- At +60° and above , all lice die, regardless of the stage of development.
Fighting body lice with frost
Knowing at what temperature lice die, you can very effectively fight body lice. This is usually done in winter:
- All clothes worn by the infected person are hung out in the cold for several days. Preferably for a week.
- The infected person himself washes thoroughly, his head is shaved or his hair is carefully combed with special combs.
It is important that the temperature at which things will be frozen is really very low - below minus 20°C. Nits die at approximately this temperature, and after such freezing the parasites will have no chance of survival.
It is physically impossible to freeze out head and pubic lice without risk to the infected person. To combat them, other temperature methods are sometimes used.
Can you kill lice and nits with a hair straightener?
If lice die in high temperatures, does that mean they can be eliminated with a hair straightener? The answer is clear - yes! The iron, due to its thermal effect, destroys not only the protective capsule of the larva, but also dissolves the adhesive components with which it adheres to the hair shaft.
Note! Straightening your hair can make it easier for you to comb out dead parasites if your hair is naturally porous and wavy.
At the same time, you should not forget about basic safety precautions: use thermal protection and do not hold the tool in one place for more than two seconds. Prolonged contact of the heating device with the surface of the hair shaft can destroy its structure.
Where to buy, manufacturers
When choosing the best hair styler, you need to pay attention to global brands. You can purchase them in hardware stores or online. The most popular:
- Italian devices GAMA This company develops irons. Each device features completely new innovations. The latest devices are equipped with plates to instantly set the desired temperature.
- French irons BaByliss. This company produces high quality products. Devices of this brand are easy to use.
- Remington. These styling devices are popular all over the world. Models from this company allow you to not only straighten, but also curl your hair.
You can purchase the device for a price starting from two thousand rubles. The cost depends on the company, the set of additional characteristics and other features. It is better to buy a high-quality device with a temperature regulator to reduce the risk of burning your hair.
Is it possible to kill lice and nits with a hairdryer?
A hairdryer can also help in the fight against lice, but jets of hot air will not destroy lice, but only temporarily weaken their adhesion to the surface of the hair. To completely get rid of parasites only with a hairdryer and subsequent combing, you will need at least ten days. In addition, there is a special hair dryer designed only for these purposes.
Errors
Lice Almost everyone knows about the effectiveness of the temperature control method. But not everyone knows how to use technology correctly.
- Using a hair dryer does not provide a guaranteed result to get rid of lice. The air temperature heated by the hair dryer does not rise to a critical level. It is necessary to act for at least 30 minutes. Such sacrifices are useless, since a positive result cannot be achieved. The larvae will continue to develop in the egg.
- If the temperature outside is above -13°C, you shouldn’t make any special efforts either. The lice will be dead within a few hours. But the nits will live. When the clothes enter the room again, the processes will take their course. As soon as a person puts on clothes, small lice appear from the nits.
- To clean carpets, rugs, and things from lice, pour ice water on them, sprinkle them with snow, or pour boiling water over them. Effectiveness can be achieved by leaving the carpets under a layer of snow for an hour. There is no point in pouring boiled water, it cools down quickly. This way only spoils the furniture.
How to remove dead parasites from your head?
The process of combing out nits is no less important than antiparasitic treatment. The likelihood of re-infection with pediculosis will depend on the purity of the result. To make this process as comfortable as possible for you, cover your shoulders with a peignoir and lay a newspaper on the floor. Protect your hands with disposable gloves. Prepare a fine-toothed comb and an alcohol solution in advance to periodically wipe the working tool.
Reference! Carry out the procedure during the day near a window or in good artificial lighting - this will make it easier for you to see the pests.
When everything you need is ready, start eliminating the dead parasites. The following instructions will help you with this:
- Using a regular comb, divide your hair into several sections and secure with elastic bands. You can collect one high ponytail and pull out one strand at a time.
- Start combing out the parasites, moving from one ear to the other, and only then proceed to the back of the head. If you have cut your bangs, leave them for last.
- Comb the curl from both sides. After each strand, wipe the tool with an antiseptic solution.
After completing the procedure, do a thorough cleaning of your home. Wash clothes and bedding in hot water.
Climate influence
Insects that parasitize humans live and reproduce in the home. The climatic zone where a person's habitation is located is of secondary importance.
The microclimate of the room is very important for bedbugs. In a well-heated house located in Siberia, insects will be as comfortable as in a dacha located on the shores of the southern sea.
Many years of experience have made it possible to accurately determine at what temperature bedbugs die.
- They tolerate very hot microclimates worst of all. If the temperature is more than 50 °C, the bug survives for less than 5 minutes. At 45 °C it can last for half an hour.
- Insect eggs are covered with a thermal protective layer, thanks to which they remain viable at 50 °C for 24 hours.
- Bedbugs tolerate low temperatures more easily. At a frost of 10 °C, they temporarily reduce activity, freeze, and enter a state of suspended animation.
- When the temperature drops another 5-7 °C, bedbugs can remain viable for up to 4 days.
- If the frost reaches 20 ° C, the insects will die within a few hours.
- Eggs tolerate low temperatures better. At -20 °C they can survive for 2 days, after which they die.
Linen bug
Frost has a detrimental effect not only on bedbugs, but also on the communication systems of an apartment or house.
In residential areas, you can place small items in the freezer. It is advisable to keep them there for a week.
In a private home, you can take sofas and armchairs out into the cold. Freezing the entire apartment is problematic. Walls, wallpaper, and water pipes may be damaged.
It is easy to get rid of bedbugs in winter in summer houses, garages, and outbuildings. This is an important event.
At what temperature do bedbugs die?
Bedbugs are highly dependent on environmental climatic conditions. The most comfortable conditions for them are “home” conditions. There are two factors that will make pests feel at ease:
- climate stability;
- constant access to food.
House bugs feed on human blood because they cannot penetrate the fur or skin of an animal. The most comfortable temperature for a bug to live is 24-270C, which corresponds to room temperature.
The life cycle of these insects is directly dependent on climate:
- under favorable conditions, parasites can live up to a year, and the time to “hatch” from the egg is 35 days;
- if the environmental temperature is slightly higher than normal (27-32C), the eggs mature faster, but the life span is reduced to 10 months;
- if it is slightly below normal (20-24C), the parasites live longer (up to 15 months), however, their embryos also mature longer;
- if the environmental temperature drops below 15C, the eggs stop developing and the adults fall into a state of suspended animation. If the frost lasts 72 hours, the bedbugs will die.
Alternative methods of killing parasites
People have many recipes and techniques for getting rid of parasites. Let’s look at the most interesting of them – from innovative to the usual “classics”.
Hair dye
Can hair dye help eliminate head lice? – Yes, but only on the condition that it contains highly concentrated ammonia or hydrogen peroxide. These substances can dissolve the protective shell of the louse, thereby stopping its vital functions. The problem is that such coloring compounds cause harm not only to parasites, but also to the hair shafts and scalp.
Reference! Trichologists believe that coloring is the worst way to combat parasites.
Kerosene
As practice shows, kerosene can destroy adult lice in a short time , which cannot be said about the larvae. The fact is that a nit needs oxygen to a much lesser extent than an adult. Accordingly, she will not feel the harmful effects of kerosene treatment.
It is possible to destroy nits with kerosene, but to do this, the highly concentrated product must be left on the head for several hours. And this can lead to extremely unpleasant consequences, including:
- scalp burn;
- weakening and loss of follicles;
- hair tangling
The product must be used with great caution.
Dust soap
Until numerous insecticides appeared on pharmacy shelves, dust soap was almost the only salvation from lice. Moreover, it really worked - just one wash of hair is enough to completely get rid of traces of lice.
Note! Currently, dust soap is banned for sale in many countries. The reason for this is the extensive list of side effects and contraindications.
By its specificity, it is a simple laundry soap with the addition of the insecticide DDT (in common parlance – dust). Thanks to this, it received its name.
Vinegar
Table vinegar, apple vinegar, wine vinegar - any vinegar whose concentration does not exceed 9% is suitable for antiparasitic treatment of the scalp. However, you still shouldn’t count on 100% results: vinegar makes it easier to remove nits, as it dissolves the adhesive base. But again, it does not kill parasites, but only slows down their vital activity.
Tar soap
The antiparasitic properties of tar soap are due to the presence of various alkalis in its composition. Doctors believe that it can serve as a good and natural addition to the main treatment, but not as an independent remedy. However, the concentration of active substances is too low to eliminate head lice. But it’s worth mentioning the advantages - the tar in soap can speed up the regeneration process, which means that wounds after bites will heal several times faster.
Reviews
Reviews of hair straighteners for lice and nits vary. Such devices have only recently begun to be used to combat head lice. Many patients claim that they managed to cope with the disease after several sessions with the iron. But there are those who say that this method is not suitable for fighting insects, as it causes more harm to the hair than good.
Lice prefer to settle on the scalp. They cause unbearable itching, bite and multiply quickly. This disease is life-threatening, but very unpleasant. Therefore, they are trying to cope with it using different methods. Recently, they have begun to use irons to straighten strands against nits.
Under the influence of high temperatures, the protective shell of insect eggs breaks down, and they easily fall away from the hair.
Before ironing, it is recommended to use insecticidal preparations. They are used to wash your hair, and after drying it is done with a hot device. The procedure cannot be carried out for too long, as this will cause disruption of the structure and deterioration of the condition of the scalp.
Sources
- https://felisov.ru/vshi/utyuzhok-ot-vshej-i-gnid.html
- https://TaraKlop.ru/vshi/vyvesti-vhej-i-gnid-utuzhkom-dlya-volos/
- https://hairhomecare.ru/zabolevaniya/infekcionnaye/pedikulez/gnidi/kak-ibavitsya/kraska-i-utyuzhok-dlya-volos.html
- https://GnidamNet.info/narodnye-sredstva/ubit-gnid-utyuzhkom-volos/
- https://netparazit.ru/vshi/pri-kakoj-temperature-pogibayut-vshi-i-gnid.html
- https://hlopklop.com/vshi/boyatsya-vshi.html
- https://rvdku.ru/parazity/pri-kakih-temperaturah-pogibayut-vshi-mozhno-li-izbavitsya-ot-nih-pri-pomoshhi-tepla-i-holoda
- https://misterklop.ru/vshi-i-gnidy/pri-kakoj-temperature-pogibayut-vshi-i-gnidy
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Contraindications
Despite the fact that Prelest varnish is not a toxic substance and does not have a harmful effect like kerosene, its use is not recommended for children under 3 years of age, as well as for people suffering from allergies. The following test will help you verify its presence. Apply a small amount of polish to the inside of your wrist. The product can be used if there is no irritation or redness on the skin.
The use of this lice remedy is contraindicated for women during pregnancy. Because inhaling harmful fumes can disrupt the development of the embryo. Varnish Prelest makes it possible to completely destroy parasites in just one procedure. However, reviews about the effect of varnish on lice and nits are quite varied.
