How to Manage Head Lice

Head lice, or Pediculus capitas, are common parasites that infect millions within the United States. These annoying pests live on human skin, primarily on the scalp and neck, and survive off small amounts of blood. Kids 3 to 12 years of age seem to have more head lice occurrences then other populations, especially girls. These pests are contagious and annoying but don't harbor disease or are dangerous. You can manage head lice by using a fine-tooth comb in combination with the use of a head lice shampoo to battle these buggers.

Things You'll Need

• Fine-tooth comb
• Regular comb
• Lice shampoo

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Instructions

Diagnosing Lice

• 1

  Check you or your children's scalp for live lice or nits, the eggs from adult lice, to confirm a lice infestation. Adult lice are reddish-brown and 1/16 of an inch long. Nits are whitish and are stubbornly attached to hair.

• 2

  Use a prescription or over-the-counter medicated shampoo to deal with lice. Possible lice agents are NIX Creme Rinse, RID and Ovide. Read the instructions carefully depending on which medicated shampoo you use. Some shampoos require the hair to be washed and towel dried while other products require your hair to be dry. Each shampoo has different time requirements for leaving the product in your hair.

• 3

  Use a regular comb to remove tangles and separate the hair into sections. Soak the fine-tooth or lice comb in hot water for 10 minutes, and then use it to go through each section of the hair. Begin at the scalp and go to the end of the hair. Remove all the lice and their nits. Finish every section of your hair. Repeat the step to make sure you have not missed any nits or lice.

• 4

  Check your hair and scalp thoroughly every night before you go to bed until there are no more signs of lice or nits.