Head lice are a parasite that live on the scalps of both children and adults, and can only survive by feeding off the blood of the scalp. They are a common problem among school age children, are highly contagious and can easily spread though a family by the sharing of infested combs and brushes, hats and by lying on a bed or pillow of an infected person. While treating these parasites is fairly easy, it may require persistence before the infestation is completely eradicated.
Step 1
Purchase an over-the-counter lice shampoo at your local pharmacy. Your child's pediatrician can provide you with a prescription for a lice shampoo. Keep in mind that everyone who is infested in your home must be treated, so you must purchase enough shampoo for the number of people who require treatment.
Step 2
After reading the lice shampoo bottle instructions carefully, apply the medicated shampoo. When applying the lice-killing medication, be sure to apply it to dry hair, saturating it. It is important to pay close attention to the nape of the neck and the area behind her ears, as these are the areas where you may find the most lice. If your child has longer hair, a second bottle may be required according to the Directors of Health Promotion and Education. Leave the shampoo on as recommended by the manufacturer.
Step 3
Comb through your child's hair. To remove the dead lice, you need to use the nit comb included with the medicated shampoo, or a fine-tooth comb. Taking small sections of hair, slowly comb through each section, wiping the comb on a paper towel to remove the dead lice from the comb. You may also rinse the comb under hot water before using it on the next section of hair. The process of washing and combing out the dead lice needs to be repeated in seven to 10 days to prevent re-infestation.
Step 4
Apply conditioner for children under the age of two. Children under the age of two cannot use the medicated lice shampoo. In this situation, you will need to remove the lice by hand, applying conditioner to your child's wet hair. The wet hair neutralizes the lice, making it impossible for them to move along the shaft of the hair, while the conditioner makes it easier for you to comb through your child's hair as you attempt to remove the lice.
Kids Health states that you should use a fine tooth comb to remove any eggs and adult lice to comb through the hair, and repeat this process every three to four days. Continue doing this for two weeks after the last live louse was seen to ensure reinfestation does not take place.
Step 5
Gather all clothes and linen. All bed linens and clothing should be gathered and washed in the hottest water, preferably 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Following the wash cycle, these items should then be dried on the hottest cycle in your dryer for at least 20 minutes.
Step 6
Soak all hair items in hot water. Gather all hair items such as combs, brushes, barrettes and hair ties, and soak them in medicated shampoo or hot water for a minimum of one hour. This will kill any lice or eggs that have attached themselves to these items.
Step 7
Vacuum your furniture and bag stuffed animals. Vacuuming any carpeted areas of your home, along with all furniture is another way of preventing infestation. Gathering all stuffed animals that cannot be washed, and packing them away in plastic garbage bags for a period of two weeks suffocates any live lice that may exist on these items.
