Do lice live on dyed hair and where do they live?

A lot of people think that hair dye can either kill or protect against lice. This theory is based on the presumption that hair color chemicals are too strong for lice to survive. Is it true, though? Or is it just a myth that lice cannot survive on dyed hair?

As resilient organisms, lice can survive in a wide range of environments, and having colored hair doesn’t always make them go away. Knowing where lice live and how they survive is crucial, particularly if you’re trying to prevent or treat an infestation.

This post will discuss where lice usually reside, whether they can survive on colored hair, and what you can do to keep your family and yourself safe from these bothersome parasites.

Lice habitats in nature – where the parasite usually lives in the natural environment

Let’s investigate the parasites’ habitats, which vary based on the kind of insect.

Three different kinds of lice exist:

• Head – lives in the hair of a person"s head.
• Pubic – settles on hard hairs: eyelashes, eyebrows, pubis, in the armpit.
• Clothes – lives and reproduces on clothing, moves to a person only to bite him.

A person cannot have lice outside of his body for an extended period of time. The truth is that they can only eat blood because their mouths are not designed to process other kinds of food. Parasites can also only survive for a very short period of time without food and warmth.

Any louse will eventually wind up on furniture or bed linens, of course, but its constant goal is to find a "warm place."

Do lice live on dyed hair and can they start there?

Lice cannot be completely eradicated by hair coloring; they also sit on the head. Only in the first two to three days following hair coloring is there a decreased risk of pediculosis infection. Although the pungent odor left behind from chemically treating hair temporarily "scares away" parasites, as the hair ages, the risk of pediculosis infection rises dramatically. Additionally, during the first few days following coloring, the structure of the hair changes—nits just fall off instead of adhering.

Blood is the food source for parasites, and sexually mature females use the hairs to attach nits to the larvae by secreting a unique secretion. Therefore, lice on dyed hair can begin their life and reproduce exactly as they would on natural hair, and the dye has no effect whatsoever on the lice’s ability to hatch new offspring.

Is it possible to cure pediculosis with the help of dyeing?

This question lacks a definitive response. The truth is that ammonia and hydrogen peroxide, the active ingredients in hair color, have a detrimental effect on live parasites and ultimately kill them. However, even the strongest chemicals are helpless against nits because of their robust protective shell, which is not compromised by a permanent composition.

The nits will just fall off the hairs because the paint can only break the sticky secretion that holds the eggs to the hair. However, even outside of the hair, the larvae are still waiting for "their time" because there is a much greater chance that one of the household members will become a new "food object" once a new individual is born.

Lice eggs can only be extracted mechanically, either by physically going through each hair and sorting through it or by regularly combing the hair with a thick comb.

Only when the disease is not advanced can hair coloring products effectively treat pediculosis, up to a maximum of 75%.

The remaining 25% is a sort of danger zone that develops when nits are not removed from the hair; even if there is one live egg left in the head, eventually a live one will hatch and they will begin again.

What paint is suitable for treatment, top 3 brands with prices

The primary requirement that must be satisfied by paint meant to treat pediculosis is that ammonia and hydrogen peroxide (hydroxide) be included in its composition. These substances cause the parasites’ chitin to be destroyed, paralyzing their respiratory system and causing the insects to suffocate to death.

Cosmetics for lightening and bleaching contain a higher percentage of the listed ingredients; therefore, when selecting a color, light dye tones should be preferred. Regarding brands, the ones below have gained a lot of popularity lately and include additional ingredients in addition to ammonia that work to preserve the structure of hair as much as possible.

• Estel De Luxe. Contains guarana extract, green tea and keratin complex, which maintain water balance, making hair soft and silky. Approximate price – 275 – 340 rubles for 60 ml.
• Pallet. The composition includes vegetable oils and a keratin complex, which slightly compensate for the damage caused to hair as a result of exposure to strong chemicals. Approximate price – from 100 to 300 rubles depending on the region or store.
• Garnier. Ammonia paint, in addition to ammonia, the composition includes vegetable oils and lanolin, which gives hair shine and smoothness. Approximate price – 90 – 150 rubles.

Soft paint without ammonia is a complete waste in the battle against lice; it does nothing more than alter the insect’s color and reduce its mobility.

Instructions for using paint against lice, how many times you need to dye

1. Test for allergies: apply a small amount of paint to the skin behind the ear and wait for 12 hours. If there are no undesirable reactions on the epithelium (redness, peeling, itching, rashes), then you can safely proceed to dyeing.
2. You should put a protective polyethylene cape on your shoulders, and gloves on your hands.
3. Unwashed hair should be combed thoroughly, then using a brush, evenly apply the prepared dye to the hair.
4. You should put a polyethylene cap on the dyed hair, then a towel to create conditions close to a greenhouse.
5. Keep the dyeing composition on your head for the time specified in the instructions.
6. Hair should be thoroughly rinsed with plenty of running water, then washed with shampoo.
7. The final stage is applying a balm.

Lice will not perish from a single coloring, for sure. Hair treatment should be done multiple times; typically, two to three procedures are needed, separated by three to five days. However, the hair and scalp may suffer severe damage from coloring this intensely.

When buying hair color, be sure to check the expiration date. If it’s getting close to the end, don’t buy the product as it might not be appropriate for treating pediculosis.

Contraindications

Not everyone is a good fit for "paint therapy." Applying the dye to your hair should be avoided if you have:

• There are wounds, pustules, rashes on the surface of the skin under the hair.
• The bite site has transformed into an ulcer.
• Advanced pediculosis (there are a huge number of nits and lice on the hair).
• Hair is too weak or has been exposed to other chemicals.
• Pregnant women and children should look for other, less harmful ways to destroy parasites.

Unwanted side effects include deterioration of the hair structure (thinning, brittleness, relaxation) or its loss, allergic reactions (itching, burning skin surface), and the emergence of scalp issues (dryness, punch are most commonly found, peeling of the epithelium).

Alternative methods of getting rid of parasites

• Henna. Along with basma, this remedy will not get rid of pediculosis, but there is still some sense in using these preparations. They contain a substance that can destroy the adhesive secretion, as a result – the louse cannot attach the nit to the hair, and sooner or later, the brood of parasites will disappear. In addition, henna is used to alleviate the condition of a person who has been attacked by body lice: the healing composition will relieve itching from bites and inflammation.
• Hairspray. Some brands of hairspray, for example, "Prelest", contain dimethicone, a derivative of silicone, which is part of many anti-pediculosis drugs. As a result of its effect, lice die from asphyxiation almost instantly, and nits cannot hatch, since silicone blocks the entrance hole. The technology of etching is simple: in a well-ventilated room or outdoors, protecting the face with a cape or polyethylene, it is necessary to apply the styling product along the entire length, paying special attention to the root zone. The next step is to wrap the hair in polyethylene and a towel for 8 hours. After the time has elapsed, the head must be thoroughly washed with shampoo, and the nits must be combed out. For one treatment, you may need from 1 to 2 cans, depending on the length of the hair.
• Vinegar. Vinegar fumes make lice inactive and weak, which will allow them to be easily removed from the hair. Vinegar also dissolves the adhesive substance due to which the larvae are attached to the hair – they can also be easily removed. If you moisten the vinegar solution (1 tbsp.l. 9% per 100 ml of water for children from 3 years old and 1 part of vinegar for 2 parts of adult water) put their heads with a plastic cap, then the nits will become dry, which means that young individuals do not come into light.
• Kerosene. The chemical composition of the substance kills adult individuals outright, repels other potential "settlers" with the smell, and peels off the larvae from the hair, which greatly facilitates the process of combing out nits. The following remedy has long been prepared to kill lice: 1 tbsp.l. kerosene mixes with 2 t.l. vegetable oil and 30 ml of any shampoo. The mixture is applied to damp hair, the head is covered with polyethylene and a towel for 40 minutes, after which the hair must first be washed with a vinegar solution (1 tbsp.l. per 1 liter of water), then – running water.
• Hydrogen peroxide He will cope with lice perfectly, but will leave a living larvae: their thick shell is not corroded with the drug. However, like the previous products, peroxide destroys the adhesive secretion, as a result of which nits are easily removed from the hair. Since hydrogen peroxide is a rather aggressive substance, it should be used only in the form of an aqueous solution (1 part peroxide to 2 parts water). Procedure duration – 7 – 9 minutes.

Apart from the aforementioned materials, conventional medicine suggests employing beet juice, fresh cranberries, vodka, or alcohol in conjunction with dust soap to combat pediculosis.

Thus, lice can survive on both natural and dyed hair. Although certain chemicals in hair dye may momentarily lower the number of these pests, hair dye does not provide protection against them. But it’s not a dependable way to get rid of them.

Whether your hair is colored or not is irrelevant to lice. They feed on blood on the scalp, where they make their home. Particularly in warm, humid places like the nape of the neck and behind the ears, they usually settle close to the base of hair strands.

It is best to use treatments made especially to kill lice if you think you may have them. Frequent hair coloring won’t stop an infestation, so preventative measures and good maintenance are required.

Because lice feed on blood from the scalp rather than the hair itself, they can survive on any kind of hair, colored or natural. Hair dye is not an effective deterrent against lice infestations, nor does it eradicate them. Since they can easily access blood, which they need to survive, lice prefer to live close to the scalp where conditions are warm.

Video on the topic

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