Head lice are small six-legged insects that feed off human blood. These insects live on the heads of humans. Lice are contracted through close contact with an infected person. Lice can be treated with over-the-counter lice treatments or by manual removal. Over-the-counter lice treatments contain pesticides that may pose health hazards to children and adults. In a study conducted in part by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children who were treated with pesticide-based lice treatments had detectable pesticide levels in their urine. Another potential problem with pesticide-based lice treatments is resistance. The National Pediculosis Association claims that they have received "increased numbers of treatment failure reports from parents and health professionals" regarding pesticide lice treatment products. People who desire to avoid pesticides should use the manual lice removal method.
Conventional Treatment
Step 1
Sit the child on a chair near a sink.
Step 2
Place a washcloth over the child's face to protect the eyes from the lice treatment product.
Step 3
Apply an over-the-counter lice treatment product to the child's scalp and throughout the entire length of the child's hair. Whether the treatment is applied on wet or dry hair is dependent on the lice treatment product. Read the instructions on the bottle to determine if the product should be used on wet or dry hair and to learn how long the product should be left on the hair.
Step 4
Lean the child's head back over a sink, keeping the washcloth over the child's eyes. Rinse out the lice treatment product with warm water.
Step 5
Fill a cup with water.
Step 6
Comb the hair with a lice comb to remove remaining lice and nits (lice eggs). Dip the lice comb in a cup of water to remove lice and nits from the teeth of the comb. The water will drown the lice and nits.
Step 7
Flush the water from the cup down a toilet.
Step 8
Comb the hair with a lice comb every two days until no more lice or nits are found.
Step 9
Follow the above steps to treat each human member in the household.
Manual Removal
Step 1
Fill a cup with water.
Step 2
Divide the hair into sections using hair ties or hair clips to hold the sections.
Step 3
Work on one section of hair at a time. Remove the hair tie or hair clip from one section. Comb through the section of hair with a lice comb. Start from the scalp and run the comb through to the ends of the hair. Dip the lice comb in a cup of water to remove lice and nits from the teeth of the comb. The water will drown the lice and nits. Once all of the lice and nits are cleared out of the section of hair, move to the next section of hair. Continue working on each section of hair until you have combed the entire head of hair and no lice or nits remain.
Step 4
Flush the water from the cup down a toilet.
Step 5
Repeat the process of combing the hair with the lice comb once a day until no more lice or nits remain.
Step 6
Follow the above steps to treat each human member in the household.
House Cleaning
Step 1
Vacuum all carpeted floors. Empty the vacuum outside into a sealed bag and discard in an outdoor trash container.
Step 2
Launder all clothes, bedding, towels and stuffed animals in hot water or dry clean. Place items that cannot be laundered in hot water or dry cleaned in sealed plastic bags for two weeks. After two weeks, the lice and nits will be dead.
Step 3
Soak hair combs, brushes and accessories in hot faucet water for 10 minutes.
Tips and Warnings
- Pets do not carry or contract human lice. Nits are easily mistaken for dandruff. They are small, oval-shaped, white or yellow eggs. Unlike with dandruff, nits stick to the hair shaft and are difficult to remove. According to the National Pediculosis Association, lice can only live off of a human for 24 hours.
- Do not use pesticide-based lice treatment products on children under the age of two or on pregnant or nursing women without a doctor's approval. If a lice treatment does not work, consult with a doctor for advice. Read the warnings on the lice treatment product label before using the product.
Things You'll Need
- Washcloth
- Over-the-counter lice treatment
- Cup
- Hair ties or hair clips
- Lice comb
- Vacuum cleaner
References
- Environmental International Volume 35, Issue 2; Pesticide Exposure Resulting from Treatment of Lice Infestation in School-Aged Children in Georgia; Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Environmental Health, Atlanta, GA, USA; Luke P. Naehera, Dana B. Barrc, Nancy Rithmired, Jeannie Edwardse, Adrianne K. Holmesa, Larry L. Needhamc and Carol S. Rubina; Feb. 2009
- National Pediculosis Association---The No Nit Policy, A Healthy Standard for Children and Their Families
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention---Head Lice Treatment
