Get Rid of Head Lice
Photo Credit: KostaMumcuoglu, Wikipedia
What Works
Killing Lice on the Head
Honestly, prescription medications don't work better than over-the-counter products, but they do tend to be more toxic to people, which is why you need the prescription. Some lice will die from the mildest of treatments, while resistant lice require fullblown chemical warfare. Here's a look at your options.
Mayonnaise: You can totally coat hair with mayo or with olive oil, wrap the head with plastic, and leave the product on overnight. Does it kill the lice? Maybe. It work, when it works, by preventing the lice from being able to intake air through their bodies, basically suffocating them. The eggs (nits) are still active, so new lice will hatch. The process needs to be repeated within a week to catch those lice before they are mature enough to lay more eggs. The downside is, the treatment isn't always effective and your hair will be a greasy disaster. The upside is, it's the least toxic method out there, except for one.
Combing: This is a non-toxic method, plus it works. The downside is, it takes forever to use a comb and fingernails to remove adult lice and scrape nits from very full or very long hair. You can buy lice combs at most pharmacies. Another option is to use an inexpensive pet flea comb. It greatly helps to apply a nit-loosening gel to the hair. Some people have success applying conditioner to the hair to plump it up so the nits can't slip through the comb. You use the comb by systematically going through the hair. Expect some split ends and damage.
Lice-Killing Shampoos: These contain an insecticide that usually kills adult lice within 10 minutes. The product needs to be re-applied within a week to kill lice that hatch from the nits. I'd love to be able to tell you the pesticides always work, but... they don't. You may need to resort to combing. Now, there is another option here, too... you can use cat/kitten shampoo for fleas/ticks/lice. Cats are very sensitive to toxic pesticides, so their products tend to be safer than products intended for dogs/puppies or for people. It's not an approved use, to apply a cat shampoo, but it tends to work. With any lice-killing shampoo, be aware you're using a potentially toxic chemical. Only use these products with adult supervision.
Zapping Head Lice
Flea Zapper Comb
Amazon Price: $25.95 (as of 11/11/2009)![]()
Yes, I know it's a flea comb. That doesn't mean you can't use it for lice instead of fleas. The beauty of this comb is it electrocutes head lice. You can hear it zap lice and I'm pretty sure it kills unhatched nits, too. With a normal comb you have to remove the critters to kill them. Bugs can't escape this comb since it kills on contact.
Treating Your Home
Lice Beyond the Head
Combs & Brushes: These need to be treated. The easiest thing to do is dip them in boiling water.
Bedding & Clothes: Clean sheets, pillowcases, coats, hat, and any clothes that might have been exposed to lice.
Furniture: There are insecticidal products that you can spray on sofas and chairs to kill any lice that may be lying in wait. If you aren't up for spraying poison on your furniture, there are natural insect repellents that you can use. Look in the pet aisle of the store for natural flea and tick repellents. As with fleas, vacuuming and steam-cleaning are effective at removing adults.
Get Rid of Head Lice
Blog Posts on Head Lice
- What Head (and Other) Lice Tell Us About Evolution
- An important part of what we know, though, comes from the genetic study of lice. And not just head lice. Using ?paleoartists,? digital filmmaking and the ...
- Head lice policy about to change
- By Barbara O'Brien The Orchard Park School District is planning to change its policy on head lice and will send children home from school if they have ...
- Harvard professor thinks parents should stop freaking out about lice
- Richard Pollack, a public-health entomologist with the Harvard School of Public Health, says schools are doing a horrible job of diagnosing head lice. ...
- Mum gets nit-picky
- Dolly D-Arling and son Torv, 6, who she has pulled out of school because of continued problems with head lice. PIC: JASON SAMMON A CAULFIELD mother is ...
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gardenlady wrote...
Nice lens. My daughter (who has very long thick hair) got lice at camp over the summer. I didn't think we'd ever get rid of them. You're right, the over the counter stuff didn't work, and the comb that came with the treatment was useless. I ended up getting a prescription that she had to leave on for 8 hours. It did kill the lice, but it was highly toxic and gave warnings about fainting & breathing difficulty from the fumes. I ended up spending hours hand picking the nits out of her hair. Now I know where to come for the RIGHT kind of comb if she ever get them again. Thanks for taking the time to make this lens.
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