Head Lice Treatment - It Works!
With around 12 million cases of head lice seen in the United States per year, the condition occurs mostly in kids. Everybody is looking for a sure way of getting rid of it. So far, the accepted head lice treatment methods included chemicals and also some pesticides; which were not only bad for the scalp, but also to the environment. Nowadays mechanical methods of lice and eggs (or nits) removal is preferred. If you want your "nit picking" to work, you need to apply the following procedure.
Anyone with lice should first be treated with an over the counter lice shampoo. Carefully follow all instructions, paying special attention to the length of time the product should be left in the hair. Lice can also be suffocated by covering the scalp with a generous coating of mayonnaise, olive oil, or petrolatum, and leaving it in overnight. Wear a shower cap or something similar to protect bedding, and rinse the hair in the morning.
Whether you use a commercial wash or a home remedy, the next step in treating head lice is combing out the nits. A special nit comb can be purchased at any pharmacy. Nit combs are extremely fine toothed and stiff. The close spacing of the teeth catch nits as the comb passes through the hair. You may be squeamish about this task, but knowing some basic information about head lice may help you get over it. Head lice cannot jump or fly so they are not easily transferred to the person combing the nits out.
It is not enough to remove head lice and their nits from the hair. They must also be removed from the home environment. Lice can live several days without being on a person's head. To completely get rid of them, all the sheets and blankets need to be washed and stuffed animals or other items that cannot be washed can be sprayed with a head lice treatment spray or sealed in plastic bags for several days to kill the lice.
Unfortunately nits can live without a host for two weeks, so anything that cannot be cleaned must be either discarded or quarantined for that period of time. Any children's toys should be kept in an airtight bag for the two week period, additionally some people have recommended that, if possible, a two week vacation away from your home be taken.
Following the elimination of the last head lice, prevention of re-infestation becomes paramount. Children must be instructed to avoid sharing items which have touched another child's scalp, most commonly combs, brushes, hats, hairpins and scarves, and to minimize contact with other children's heads. Anyone who may have had physical contact with your child, or his or her head coverings, combs, brushes and clothing, should be alerted. Head lice is not a sign of poor hygiene. There is no cause for undue alarm, fear or stigma.
This article will outline how to get rid of lice. There are many of head lice treatment. The first step is to apply an over the counter lice wash. It is essential to comb out the nits. This makes many people uncomfortable. Some basic lice information may help make this task more tolerable. Next, you will need to eliminate all lice and their eggs from your house. Nits are capable of surviving for 14 days without a host, so items that can not be cleaned should be discarded or quarantined for two weeks.
Published September 26th, 2007
Filed in Family