If you have a child in daycare or school, you are likely to have to deal with a head lice outbreak at some point during your child's academic career. Head lice is a common problem in areas where lots of children come together, and, contrary to popular belief, it's not a problem that results from poor hygiene. Head lice latch onto hair with their tiny, sharp claws and feed on blood from your scalp. If you can dislodge them and remove them from their food supply, lice will die fairly quickly.
Step 1
Wash the hair of the person infected with lice with a permethrin-based shampoo, such as Nix. Because permethrin has a fairly low toxicity level, it's a good choice first choice for a medicated lice shampoo, according to the Utah Department of Health website. Rub the hair vigorously with a towel to stop it from dripping.
Step 2
Have the person sit in a place with good natural or artificial light. Make sure you can comfortably see the top of the person's head.
Step 3
Drape a towel around the person's shoulders, and gently brush the hair with a regular brush or comb to work out any tangles or snarls.
Step 4
Use your fine-toothed comb to separate a small section of hair--about the size of the comb itself--from the rest of the hair. Starting at the scalp, slowly pull the comb through the section of hair from root to tip several times.
Step 5
Use a tissue to clean any lice or nits off the comb as you finish each section. Discard the tissue after each wipe.
Step 6
Use tweezers to firmly squeeze and remove any stubborn lice from the hair. If a louse is particularly stubborn, you can cut the strand of hair close to the root.
Step 7
Pin each section up with a hair pin or clip as you complete the combing, before moving on to the next section. Repeat the process until you've combed the entire head.
Step 8
Change and wash your clothes and the clothes of the person with lice. Wash the towel you used, as well. Vacuum or mop the floor around the place where you combed the person's hair. Empty the vacuum in the garbage outside, and dispose of the tissues in the outside garbage as well.
Step 9
Repeat the entire process in seven to ten days.
Tips and Warnings
- Combing for lice can be a long and tedious process if you do it properly. Consider offering the person with lice a book or view of the television while you're combing. According to a study published in the Journal of Pediatric Nursing in 2004, medical remedies for lice are more effective than home remedies like mayonnaise, petroleum jelly or vinegar.
Things You'll Need
- Medicated shampoo
- Towel
- Regular comb or brush
- Fine-toothed nit comb
- Tissues
- Hair pins or clips
- Tweezers
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