Lice and Nits

Tips on How to Get Rid of Lice and Nits

1. Work under a good light, such as a lamp or the natural sunlight from sitting by a window or going outdoors. 

2. Use a grooming comb or hairbrush to remove tangles then divide the hair in sections and section off the hair that is not being worked on.

3. Use a fine-tooth comb to detect the presence of lice and nits (lice eggs).

4. Using the comb, go through each section from the scalp to the end of the hair. You can dip the comb into a cup of water or use a paper towel to remove any lice, nits or debris from the comb between passings.

5. Look through the same section of hair for attached nits and live lice. Nits are always oval-shaped. While usually grayish-white, they can vary in color. Viable nits are generally laid close to the scalp. Remove all nits anywhere on the hair shaft. Check other household members.

6. Lice-killing products are pesticides. Follow the directions carefully and exactly. Treat only someone who is infested. Consult your pharmacist or physician before applying or use lice shampoos when the person involved is pregnant, nursing, has allergies, asthma, epilepsy, preexisting medical conditions, or has lice or nits in the eyebrows or eyelashes. 

7. Wash bedding and recently worn clothing in hot water and dry in hot dryer. Vacuuming is the safest and best way to remove lice from upholstered furniture, rugs, and car seats. Avoid lice sprays!

8. Even under the best of conditions, a few lice or nits may be missed. Use a fine-tooth comb to screen the infested person every day and regularly thereafter. Seeing a nit or two the next day does not necessarily mean re-infestation. However, be sure to remove the nits immediately. Being consistent and diligent about screening and manual removal will go a long way toward controlling the problem.

9. Routine screening at home is vital in identifying and effectively treating a head lice problem. The average case of head lice is 3 weeks to 3 months old before it is detected.

10. General Head Lice Info:
a. Head lice infestation is not a serious medical condition.
b. Head lice are small parasitic insects that live on the scalp of a human host.
c. Lice prefer to attach their eggs (nits) to the base of the hair shafts.
d. Over-treating with lice treatment (pediculocidal) shampoos is more serious than head lice.
e. Direct physical head-to-head contact is the usual method of transmission.