The only thing worse than discovering that your child has lice is to realize that you have it, too. Lice infestation is highly contagious and reveals itself with intense itching on your scalp. While it is not difficult to get rid of lice, it is painstakingly detailed and requires the help of another person as you can't see the back of your own head. With work and determination, you can rid yourself of these pesky creatures and ensure it doesn't spread to other family members.
Step 1
Wash every article of clothing and every piece of bedding in hot water. Warm water is not sufficient to kill off the nits (lice eggs) that may be infesting your clothes and bedding.
Step 2
Place anything you can't wash in a sealed, plastic bag. Leave it for two weeks to ensure that any adult lice have died off and any nits that developed into adult lice have also died.
Step 3
Wash your hair, which is the most common hiding spot, with a lice shampoo (see Resources).
Step 4
Vacuum everything with which the infected adult has been in contact. This includes furniture, seats in the car, patio pillows, earphones, carpet and office chairs.
Step 5
Use a fine-toothed comb, magnifying glass and desk lamp to search for and remove nits. This stops adult lice from developing. Nits are most commonly found behind the ears and at the base of the hair shaft, near the scalp. Do this every day until you have not found any evidence of nits for two weeks.
Tips and Warnings
- Generally, there's no need to visit your doctor unless you see evidence of infection at the site of any bites.
- Lice shampoo is not recommended for children under the age of 2.
Things You'll Need
- Washing machine
- Plastic bags
- Lice shampoo
- Helper
- Desk lamp
- Magnifying glass
- Fine-toothed comb
