Pet & Animal: How to Treat Head Lice

Thursday 25 September 2014

How to Treat Head Lice

Sooner or later, most people end up with a case of lice. As many parents know, it's especially common if you have kids in the house. You can treat lice with a chemical lice treatment or use a nit comb combined with natural lice repellents to get rid of them. Either way will require time and diligence! See Step 1 to get started.

Steps

Treating the Hair and Scalp

Get a bottle of pediculicide (lice shampoo). You'll be able to find pediculicides over the counter, or you can get a prescription from a doctor. Get one bottle to treat someone with short or medium hair, and two bottles for someone with long hair.^[1]
- Some lice shampoos are formulated to kill both the lice and their eggs. Others act only on the crawling lice. For the latter type, you'll need to follow up with a second application once the eggs hatch.
- Keep in mind that chemical lice shampoos contain ingredients that are being studied for potential harmful effects. If you're worried about using chemicals that could harm the scalp and skin, try a natural method. Both ways are equally effective, but the natural method could take a little longer. If you're interested in a natural method, skip down to method 2.

Have the person put on old clothes. Since the lice might jump onto the clothes, they'll need to be washed in hot water immediately after the treatment. For this reason, it's better to wear an old-shirt than something more valuable.

Begin the treatment in the bathroom. It's easier to clean bathroom surfaces than upholstered chairs and couches. Have the person sit on a plastic or metal chair near the sink.

Apply the lice shampoo. Put it on the scalp and in the hair according to the instructions on the bottle. The treatment will need to sit on the person's head for the amount of time indicated, then washed out.
- Don't leave the treatment on for longer than recommended.
- Wash it out with warm water, no shampoo. Shampoo should not be used for at least two days after treatment.

Comb out the dead lice. After about 8 hours, you'll see dead or sluggish lice in the person's hair. You'll need to remove these with a special comb called a nit comb. These combs are available in drugstores, and they sometimes come with the lice shampoo.
- After using the nit comb, soak it in hot water for at least 5 minutes.^[2]
- Check the person's head again in another 8 hours or so. Remove any remaining lice.

Check for lice a few days later. Since lice may have hatched since you treated the person's hair and scalp, it's important to keep checking every few days for at least 2 weeks. If you seem more lice, start the treatment process again. If you'd prefer not to use the chemical treatment twice, try the nit comb method instead.

Using a Nit Comb and Natural Lice Repellents

Use a nit comb to comb lice and eggs from the hair. A nit comb is specially designed to comb out the lice and their eggs. It's a long process, but it works just as well as using a lice shampoo. Section by section, comb through the person's hair. As you find lice and eggs, drop them into a bowl of hot, soapy water. They'll immediately die.
- Comb again in 8 hours. More lice will hatch, and you'll have to be diligent and keep combing them out. Keep doing the process every 8 to 12 hours for several days.
- In between combings, soak the comb in hot water.

Try apple cider vinegar to loosen the nits. Make a rinse with 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar and 1/2 cup hot water. Pour it over the person's hair. Run the nit comb through the treated hair. It should loosen the grip of the nits and make them easier to remove.

Try an oil treatment. Several different types of oil have been said to be effective treatments for lice. Try the following oils:
- Apply some coconut oil. Melt 1/2 cup of coconut oil and massage it into the hair and scalp. Use the nit comb to remove all the lice and nits.
- Use neem oil. This is a natural insecticide that is safe for humans. Comb it through the hair, let it sit for a few minutes, then remove the nits.
- Use tea tree oil. Like neem oil, it's a natural insecticide.^[3]

Try essential oils. You can make an essential oil spray that will cause the nits to loosen and help the lice die more quickly. Get a spray bottle and fill it with 5 drops of oil per 1 ounce of water. Try the following essential oils:
- Lavender
- Oregano
- Peppermint
- Thyme
- Eucalyptus

Cleaning Your House

Wash all the person's clothes and linens. Clothing, bedding, towels, stuffed animals, pillows, and anything else that's washable will need to be washed in hot water. Lice die when they're exposed to temperatures above 128 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes or longer.^[4]

Store unwashable items in sealed plastic bags. The lice will die if they aren't exposed to air. Place wooden, plastic and metal items in plastic bags for at least 2 weeks before using.

Soak hair tools and accessories. Soaking plastic combs, brushes and other hair accessories in hot water for at least 5 minutes is necessary to kill the lice.

Vacuum the carpeting and furniture. Lice don't tend to live very long on surfaces like carpets and furniture, since they need to feed on human blood to live. However, it's better to be safe than sorry, so vacuum all the carpeting and furniture, especially in the person's bedroom.