How to Loosen & Kill Lice

Head lice is often thought of as a childhood condition, but lice can affect anyone of any age. Chemical lice treatments are often effective, but because they are a pesticide you must use them sparingly and not on children under 2 years old. Even after a treatment, you may need to loosen and kill some remaining lice. Loosening lice is best achieved with a fine-tooth comb or nit comb. These are included in your lice treatment package or you can purchase a pet flea comb instead.

Things You'll Need

• Conditioner
• Fine-tooth comb

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Instructions

• 1

  Wet and condition the infected person's hair. The water immobilizes the lice and the conditioner makes it easier to comb through and loosen the lice. Once his hair is wet, have him stand in a lighted area for you to inspect his hair.

• 2

  Part her hair into small sections, especially paying attention to the scalp and areas around the nape of the neck and behind the ears.

• 3

  Loosen and remove the lice with a fine-tooth comb. When you find a lice, place the comb behind it and comb through the hair so the lice catches on the comb.

• 4

  Rinse off the comb in the sink under running water. Lice don't survive long once you remove them from a person, so rinsing off the comb should kill the lice. When you finish combing through the hair, make sure to soak the comb in hot water -- at least 130 degrees F -- for at least five to 10 minutes to kill any last remaining lice.

• 5

  Remove lice by hand every three to four days for up to two weeks. After you see the last lice keep checking the hair for lice every couple days for up to two weeks.