The Best Possible Ways of Getting Rid of Lice

Nits and lice can be uncomfortable and frustrating. They are more common in children, but this is not to say adults are immune. The best ways to get rid of them is to follow a three-pronged approach: shampoo, combing and environment. You need to kill the lice with shampoo, remove them with a comb, and deny them a place to live by changing your environment.

Shampoo

• In general, the most effective method to get rid of lice is with a medicated shampoo. Discuss your lice problem with your doctor and he will either prescribe you a shampoo or point you in the direction of an over-the-counter shampoo.

  Take extra caution to ensure you use the shampoo correctly. It is not just a shampoo--it is an insecticide, so following the instructions is extremely important. Too much can damage a child's hair.

Combing

• Lice are sometimes resistant to shampoo. Even if they are not, it is hard to be sure you've killed all of them with the shampoo. So, whether the shampoo works or not, comb them out of the infected hair.

  Get the hair wet before you comb it with a fine-toothed comb; it is important that it is fine-toothed because lice are so small.

  Getting your hair wet makes the lice stop moving, which will make them much easier to spot and comb out. To make it even easier, put some conditioner in your hair too. This will make it easier to comb.

  Do this every few days for a couple weeks after the lice are gone, just to make sure.

Environment

• Deny the lice a place to live outside of your head. This is fairly easy, as lice do not survive very long without a head of hair to live in.

  The rule of the thumb is this: anything soft or anything that touches hair needs to be washed. This includes sheets, clothing and stuffed animals. Hats are extremely important, as they touch your hair and they are soft. Wash combs, hair clips and the like in hot water too--or, if you can afford it, just throw them away.