How To Deal With Lice On Blonde Hair

Here, we’ll be discussing lice on blonde hair.

Lice issues aren’t restricted to certain hair types or persons. This problem which is commonly associated with school-age children has become a menace that’s difficult to treat.

However, finding lice on certain hair types is easier than others due to the color.

Against the backdrop of blonde hair, lice are likely to look a little different. The general description of lice is that they are white. However, they appear different in blond hair.

These pests look dark brown or translucent when found on blonde hair.

Over the years, these pests have become increasingly difficult to find and eliminate. Lice are steadily adapting to their surroundings. In other words, they blend into their surroundings making it more difficult to spot.

SEE: Showering And Lice

Those with blonde hair are normally translucent while those with black hair are darker. However, that isn’t to say that they cannot be detected, but it becomes more challenging to do so.

Easier to Spot?

What do lice look like on blonde hair?

When lice infestations occur, no hair type is spared. These pests will latch on to any hair type. However, it’s easier to spot lice presence in blonde hair than it is to identify in other hair colors.

READ: Lice And Hair Dye

On the other hand, lice nits, or eggs are very difficult to make out or spot in blonde hair.

This creates a problem as lice eggs are sometimes found on hair even when lice are absent. This may be due to a prior treatment that wasn’t complete and left the eggs behind.

It’s only a matter of time (usually a week or two) before these eggs hatch and perpetuates the problem.

You might want to look out for signs of dirt in blond hair. These nits or eggs will have the appearance of coffee grounds or dirt. A closer inspection will reveal what these really are.

• Good Lighting

To spot lice and their eggs in blond hair, it will be necessary to move to an area with good lighting. You can also make provisions for this.

Another option is to use natural lighting from the sun when it shines bright.

That way, you’re able to inspect every square inch of the affected area.

Lice Hotspots

To find or detect a lice problem, it’s important to know where to look.

Head lice have favorable spots where they congregate. These areas known as hotspots provide ample warmth, moisture, and food. The scalp surface offers an abundance of these conditions.

However, not all areas of the scalp are considered favorable. You’ll need to look at the crown of the head, nape of the neck, and also behind the ears. Head lice will need human hosts to survive.

Staying away for more than 2 days will result in their death.

Never Neglect the Eggs

To have a real shot at eliminating a lice problem, you must not ignore the eggs. For most parents, getting urgent relief seems to be the focus. This involves killing adult lice and forgetting about it.

However, experience has shown that killing lice isn’t enough.

You’ll need to also remove or eliminate their eggs. So, treatment should always include or cover egg removal.

Leaving them behind means that they’ll hatch in a few days and continue or take off from where their predecessors left.

Treating Lice on Blonde Hair

Lice treatment on blonde hair follows the usual procedure that applies to other hair types.

The aim is to completely get rid of these pests and their eggs. There are lots of ways this can be achieved.

SEE: Does Hair Straightening Kill Lice?

Treatment methods include the following;

• Get a Fine-Toothed Nit Comb

There are fine-toothed combs whose purpose is to remove lice from hair. This treatment can be combined with others and must be performed frequently to ensure that lice never have a chance.

Consider wetting your hair before combing it out.

One effective way of doing this is by separating the hair into sections and holding each with a hairband or clip. Each section should be combed using a top-down approach. By doing this, both lice and nits or eggs are removed.

Some treatments recommend the use of special shampoos, especially those containing olive oil and coconut oil. This helps suffocate lice found on your blond hair. Applying some conditioner will be in order.

This softens the hair and makes the combing process much effective.

• Using Over-the-Counter Products

There has been a steady decline in the popularity of over-the-counter treatments for lice.

This is mostly due to the lack of results associated with such products. However, not all over-the-counter medications are ineffective.

We recommend you go for those containing pyrethrums or pyrethrins. These are much more effective in eliminating lice.

• Try Some Olive Oil

This is a common household item that can be used to solve lice problems. It’s best applied as a smothering agent.

You’ll need to apply and leave to stay overnight. This helps cover any breathing holes used by lice, thus suffocating them in the process. A shower cap will be very useful in covering the scalp during this time.

• Consult Your Physician

Several natural pesticides are effective for lice control.

One of such is Spinosad. This has shown promising results with lice problems. However, you’ll need the advice of a physician to use this medication. Another effective lice medication is pediculicide.

Try seeking expert advice before using any medication. More importantly, reading the instructions found on the product label should be carefully carried out.

This helps with the correct application which in turn gives the desired results.

Re-treatment may be necessary with some medications. If allowed, these should be reapplied when lice are noticed. The scalp must be retreated to avoid a worsening of the problem when nits hatch.

• Preventive Treatment

Preventive treatment is very crucial and helps contain the spread of lice from one person to the next.

All clothing and bedding used by an infected person should be washed with hot water. Those items which aren’t washable can be stored and sealed in a plastic bag and left to sit for 2 weeks.

Soak your combs and brushes in hot water after every combing session to kill off all lice and their eggs. Vacuuming your floor and furniture is also necessary.

Lice on blond hair present the same challenges as those on other hair colors. The only difference is tied to the ability to detect them. We’ve supplied information on this above.

As always, it’s important to commence treatment immediately after lice are noticed.

The focus shouldn’t be on killing lice, rather it should be more about lice elimination which includes removing and destroying their eggs.