Treatment Information

The biggest step in eradicating head lice is to manually remove all the live lice and nits. If you do not completely remove each and every nit they will hatch and your infestation will continue. This is why some cases take months, sometimes years to clear up. Unfortunately, there is no quick-fix to getting rid of head lice, average infestations take 2-3 weeks to clear up.

There are two main approaches to head lice removal: Chemical Treatments or Manual Removal.

Manual Removal: Your safest option is an all-natural approach, such as the  Wet-Combing Method. This method is safe and cost-effective as all you need is a good lice comb. Focus is on breaking up the life cycle by manually removing all live lice and nits. Any lice that hatch after the first session are removed with each subsequent comb-out and before they can reproduce.

Chemical Treatments: Topical pesticides can be purchased through your pharmacy. These include over the counter lotions, cream rinses and shampoos. Keep in mind that nothing will kill the nits and you will still need to comb them out. Also, do not be fooled by their packaging... if it kills a bug like it says it will, then it is a pesticide by definition. Extreme caution should be used when choosing this method and certainly do not use these treatments as a preventative for head lice. They can be quite dangerous when used in this manner.

The following methods are not considered safe and are not recommended: alcohol, gasoline, bleach, hair coloring, essential oils or enzyme treatments. Do not use lice sprays for the environment as they do not work and contain potentially harmful pesticides.

Remember that head lice can only live 48 hours when off the head so your cleaning should focus on where the infested person has been in the last 2 days. There is no need to freeze or bag items. Placing items in a hot dryer for 20 minutes will kill any lice. Items that cannot be dried can simply be set aside for 2 days. Combs, brushes, hair accessories, and lice combs can be cleaned by washing them in hot water (65 degrees) for 10 minutes. You can vacuum any upholstered furniture, booster seats and car seats.