Fast Removal of Horrible Lice

Lice are a common childhood issue, even with children who practice good hygiene. Lice are easily passed from one human to another through contact or sharing items such as hats or brushes. There are several treatment methods including anti-lice shampoos and manual removal. You also need to carefully wash and vacuum your house and car to make sure you get rid of all lice.

Adult Lice

• The bugs are gray or reddish-brown and about the size of a sesame seed. They are usually spotted at the back of the neck or behind ears. Anti-lice shampoos such as Nix or Rid are very effective at killing adult lice. Apply Nix to washed and dried hair and Rid to wet, unwashed hair. Leave the shampoo on for 10 minutes and saturate the scalp before rinsing. This will quickly kill most, if not all, of the adult lice. Repeat the procedure in 7 to 10 days to kill any newly hatched lice.

Nits

• Nits are the eggs laid by adult lice. They are white and attach firmly to hair. To completely get rid of lice, you'll need to remove all nits from hair. Anti-lice shampoos aren't good at removing nits so you may need to try additional methods. Ovide is a prescription shampoo with ingredients that are more effective at killing nits than other shampoos. Ovide is flammable so be careful and don't use on infants or newborns. It must be left on overnight.

  You may need to manually remove nits. Use the plastic comb that comes with anti-lice shampoos or buy a fine-toothed metal comb. Using a regular comb, remove tangles and divide the hair into sections. Use the lice comb to go through each section to remove lice and nits. Do a second check to see if you missed any. You'll need to do this every night until all nits have been removed. For eyelashes, apply Vaseline twice a day to suffocate lice. If it's a light infestation, you may be able to remove the lice and nits manually without using a shampoo.

Environment

• Wash all bedding and towels in hot water. Wash any knit hats in cold water and diluted enzyme cleaners or borax. Dry for at least 20 minutes in a dryer. This will kill any nits from fallen hairs. Vacuum every place and surface where children play or sleep. Discard the vacuum bag. Mop with diluted enzyme cleaners or borax. You need to vacuum daily or put rugs aside for two weeks. Don't use synthetic pesticides. You can store exposed items for two weeks or have them dry cleaned. Remember to vacuum your car and upholstered furniture.