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Easy Nit Removal

Getting rid of lice is the easy part of ridding yourself of an infestation of the blood-sucking parasites that live in human hair. The difficult part is getting rid of the nits---the eggs laid by adult lice. The female louse attaches her eggs to the hair shaft with a strong glue-like substance that makes the removal of the nits difficult. This means removing nits is a time-consuming process that requires patience.

  1. Identification

    • Nits are oval-shaped objects attached to the hair shaft. They are white in color and difficult to see. The nits are laid near the scalp and move down the hair shaft as the hair grows and the insects inside the eggs mature. The eggs will hatch six to 10 days after they are laid and will develop into mature lice within two to three weeks.

    Loosen

    • The process of removing nits begins by reducing their attachment to the hair shaft. Olive oil, natural essential oils or common products sold to treat lice are the most common ways of loosening the eggs. If you choose olive oil or essential oils to loosen the nits, place the oil on the scalp. Massage it in completely and allow it to set for several minutes. If you use a product specifically designed for killing lice and removing nits, follow the manufacturer's instructions.

    Removal

    • Run a cleaning pad, such as a Scotch Brite pad, along the hair to begin removing the nits. Follow this with a fine-toothed comb to remove additional nits. There are special combs sold just for this purpose and the metal combs are generally the most effective. Divide your hair into sections, running the nit comb through one section at a time. As the nits are removed, put them into a container filled with alcohol to ensure they do not survive to reinfect you or another member of your family.

    Environment

    • It's also important to ensure no nits remain in the environment to cause a re-infestation. Rugs, furniture and floors should be vacuumed and vacuum bags should be thrown out. Wash bedding and clothing in hot water and run the laundry through an electric dryer. Other fabrics should be dry-cleaned or stored in sealed plastic bags for at least 20 days.

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