Discovery that one's child has head lice has to rank as one of the most unpleasant moments of parenthood. But it doesn't have to be one of the hardest to deal with when one is armed with accurate and effective information on how to eradicate them.

Common head lice, or pediculus humanus capitis, are closely related to body lice. But unlike their close relatives, which can appear anywhere on the body, head lice, as the name indicates, are only found in the hair and on the scalp and sometimes in the eyebrows and lashes.

A head louse is about the size of a sesame seed. It bites the victim's scalp in order to feed on blood. The bites can cause intense itching that is sometimes the first sign that someone is infested. The lice themselves are sometimes seen close to the scalp, or nits (lice eggs) are seen in the hair. Nits are tiny whitish/yellowish egg cases that are attached to individual hair shafts.

Head lice cannot jump. They are passed by direct contact with someone who has them, or by using an infested person's comb, brush, etc.; by wearing their hats, helmets, or hair accessories, or by sharing towels or pillows. Having head lice does not mean you are unsanitary or practice poor hygiene. They are very common in schools where children easily pass them to each other.

For years the most popular way to remove head lice was by means of commercial chemical treatments. Some of these chemicals are not only harmful to lice, but toxic to humans as well. Because it is the mechanical removal of the lice and nits that does the most good, it is really unnecessary to take the risks associated with harsh chemical treatments. There are many natural herbal treatments that are just as effective for lice removal, like shampoos made with tea tree oil.

A nit comb is also critical in removing any eggs from the hair shafts once the live lice are killed. It is very hard to tell if nits are dead or alive, so it is best to remove them all in order to prevent further infestation. It is a laborious process to remove all of the nits from a full head of hair, to be sure, but is really the only way to ensure they do not hatch and start the whole process over again!

While most people would still want to wash any bedding used by an infested person, it is really not necessary to launder or dispose of other items like stuffed animals and other belongings like experts used to advise. Lice cannot live for more than a day without the blood they obtain from their human hosts. Very thorough vacuuming to remove any hairs from carpet and other surfaces should suffice, or, for smaller objects, a tumble in a hot clothes dryer for a half hour.

Having head lice is not fun. But with a little knowledge, some safe natural remedies, and a nit comb, they can become simply a bad memory in no time.