How to Treat Nits

Nits are the eggs that lice lay. These tiny eggs are small, white and about the size of the point of a needle. They aren't visible on someone's head or hair unless you look for them because lice deposit nits on the shaft of the hair, close to the root. Left unattended, nits will hatch into lice and continue to procreate and perpetuate your lice situation. Lice and nits must be removed as soon as they're noticed in order for the infestation not to become worse.

Things You'll Need

• Medicated lice shampoo
• Towel
• Olive oil
• Metal nit comb
• Facial tissue
• Trash bags
• Laundry detergent
• Lice spray
• Vacuum

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Instructions

• 1

  Wash your hair and scalp with a medicated lice shampoo. Scrub your head, gently, for a few minutes to work the shampoo into a lather and give it time to kill the lice present in the hair. Rinse your hair thoroughly to wash out the shampoo and dead lice; then towel dry.

• 2

  Olive oil aids in nit removal.

  Pour olive oil into the palm of your hand and rub it on your hands and fingertips. Work the olive oil into your hair along your scalp. The olive oil makes it easier to remove nits that are adhered to the shafts of your hair.

• 3

  Have someone else comb through your hair with a metal nit-removing comb. Your hair must be combed in small sections, starting at the root. Once the person can see the comb scraping nits from your hair shafts, the comb should continue to be moved up the length of the hair, to the end, and then wiped off on a facial tissue, which will be thrown away.

• 4

  Continue with the hair-combing until all the sections have been combed over your entire head. Depending on the length of your hair and size of your head, this process can take an hour or two. Have the person that's helping you check through your head once more to ensure no nits have been missed.

• 5

  Shampoo your hair a second time with the lice-killing shampoo to ensure all lice have been killed and remove the olive oil.

• 6

  Launder all washable fabrics, linens and textiles using laundry detergent and the hottest water possible. Dry the items in the dryer, when able, to kill any lice or nits that made it through the hot water in the washing machine.

• 7

  Apply lice spray on non-washable surfaces such as your furniture upholstery or carpet. Allow the spray to sit on the surface for a few hours; then vacuum to remove any dead lice. Discard the vacuum bag as soon as you're finished vacuuming.