It was about a month ago that I was in a quandary. I was suffering from a severe predicament that was pre-dominantly cerebral in nature. I was making a comeback to MS after nearly 9 months and didn’t know what topic to pick for my comeback review. I thought and thought and scratched and scratched(my head, silly!), but no tangible solution seemed to present itself.
This never-ending, ever-cyclical process of thinking and scratching continued unabated for 2 days at the end of which I hit on the right topic. I thought my cerebral problems had seen their “End of Days”, but the propensity to scratch my head obstinately refused to abate. As it is, my hair are like copper wires and the continuous scratching left me more irritated every time.
On the third day, Mr. Ram(our “Bhai” or man-servant – as compared to the “Bai” on the distaff side, and he insists on me tagging the “Mister” before his name) noticed my apparent discomfiture and suggested that I might be suffering from head lice. Terrified, I rushed to my room and taking out my large-toothed comb, began attacking my hair and scalp with it. The results were terrifying. I did have lice. To compound problems, I also detected(rather belatedly) that I had lots of flaky dandruff as well.
What are Head Lice?
There are supposedly three kinds of lice - The Nit, the Nymph and the Adult(highly discretionary names). The “Nits” are the ovum or eggs of the Lice. The “Nymph” is a “chhotu” louse and takes about a week to become an “Adult”, which is very small in appearance and has six legs(two more and it could have been an arachnid). (Source: “Common Domestic Ailments And Their Solutions”, Chapter 5, Page 78)
Lice spread from one head to another when common household articles like Towels, Bed-sheets, Pillow Covers, Combs, etc. are shared between two or more people. The problem with these little r*scals is that they bore into our heads to suck blood for their sustenance and this causes all that itching and scratching. Thankfully, (or is it?) Lice are difficult to spot with the naked eye except on close inspection. I later spent 30 laborious minutes punishing my scalp and found that more “Adults” than “Nits” and “Nymphs” had made my crowning glory their permanent residence.
What is Dandruff?
Dandruff are small flakes of skin that are continuously being shed from the scalp. The process of the human body shedding its skin from time to time is a normal happening and all of us invariably have the dandruff problem at sometime or the other in our lives. New skin or cells automatically grow to replace those displaced and the dead cells or scalp keeps getting pushed to the top of the hair resulting in dandruff.
So if you have dandruff, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about because ALL of us suffer from it throughout our lives, though in varying degrees of visibility. Contrary to popular beliefs, Dandruff isn’t caused by dry skin/scalp nor can it gotten rid off just by washing the hair regularly.
TiC’s tips for getting rid of Lice
1. The most effective way is to take a comb with large teeth and run it repeatedly through the hair. This could involve some degree of pain as one has to comb deep(by running the comb on the scalp) but then there’s no gain without pain. For it to be more effective, soak the comb in hot water for 10-15 minutes before embarking on the combing spree. The lice are not heat resistant(Thank God for small mercies!).
2. There are some Ayurvedic shampoos in the market that claim to tackle the problem of lice but just like mosquitoes became resistant to DDT by being exposed too much to it, the possibility of lice developing such an immunity system as well cannot be entirely ruled out. Still, special shampoos like “Mediker”, “Lizol”(& there’s one by The Himalaya Drug Company, “Ayurvedic Concepts”, perhaps?) are worth trying out.
3. Once you are rid of lice, ensure that they don’t come back again. This can be done by ensuring firstly that all the people who reside in the house don’t have lice and then by keeping the combs, towels and bed linens clean regularly.
I diligently combed my hair with a fine-toothed comb for 2 days and then used “Mediker” shampoo for a week.
TiC’s anti-dandruff solutions
1. Shampoo Regularly – There is an entire segment of anti-dandruff shampoos out there in the market vying for your attention. Do give them a chance. Personally, I found “Head & Shoulders” and “Clinic Active Plus” to be most effective for getting rid of dandruff. For those allergic to shampoos for whatever reasons, “Shikakai” soap is equally good, especially for women. To be frank, I believe more in the soap than the shampoos to tame my Medusa-like-mane.
2. Stop Scratching! – Avoid attacking your hair every time you feel itchy. Scratching the head only breaks off more skin/scalp and increases the dandruff flakes.
3. Have a Shower After You Sweat a Lot – After a strenuous exercise regimen or simply at the end of a hot and stuffy day, it pays to take a thorough shower. Sweat actually causes more dandruff.
4. Go Easy On Those “Special Effects” – Avoid abusing your hair as much as possible by using gels, sprays, dyes, mousses, etc. These contain hundreds of chemicals, each having widely varying effects on the scalp. In most cases, they actually contribute to the buildup of dandruff.
So the next time you want to deeply deliberate over something, make sure that you don’t end up scratching your head as well. In the unlikely event that you do, you know what the problem could be and how to tackle it;-)