Head Lice Treatments Overview
They are very small insects that do not have wings, and are a type of parasite that lives in the head hair of humans, and they live on small quantities of blood drawn out of the scalp.
They are extremely contagious, but aren't known to spread disease.
However, they bite and cause the scalp to itch considerably, which can result in skin infection from constant scratching.
There are many available head lice treatments out there today, like: 1.
Over the counter shampoos- These are the most common head lice treatments used to kill head lice, and they can be purchased in most grocery and health stores.
Some of these products kill both the lice and eggs, or nits, but may have to be reapplied after about a week.
2.
Prescription medications- There are also medicated shampoos that can be gotten through a prescription through your doctor, if OTC treatments have been ineffective.
The directions should be followed very closely since, these types of products are a kind of insecticide, and can do harm if not used the right away.
After shampooing, the nits need to be gotten out through the use of a special comb designed for this purpose.
3.
Remove lice and eggs through manual methods- If you have a child that is younger than two years of age, or simply do not want to use pesticides to kill the lice, you can remove them by hand through the use of conditioner on hair wet hair.
This makes it much easier to get the comb through the hair, but this is a very tedious and time-consuming process.
When combing the hair, use a nit comb or one that has very fine teeth.
The hair must be rechecked and gone through about every three days for two weeks after the last live louse has been seen.
This can be an effective head lice treatment.
Some tips to rid your family and home of lice:
- Be sure to wash all bedding and any clothing that has been worn in the hottest water possible.
After they have been washed, be sure to dry them using a hot clothes dryer for at least 20 minutes. - If you have clothes that cannot be washed, take them to the dry cleaners.
- Put any stuffed animals or pillows in bags that air cannot get into for two weeks.
- Vacuum all carpets in the car and home thoroughly.
- Any combs, brushes, hair ties, or other hair accessories should be placed in either alcohol or shampoo that is medicated for about an hour.
Tell kids not to share hats, hair things, scarves, brushes, combs, towels, helmets, or any other kinds of items like these with others, and to avoid head to head contact.
Using these head lice treatments can finally rid your family and home of bothersome lice.