How To Get Rid Of Head Lice

Head lice (pediculosis) are tiny insects that live on the scalp, feeding on blood. These parasites can be found in anyone’s hair, but they particularly favor those of children who attend schools or daycares since these are places conducive to their transmission.

Who And When To Treat?

The best way to tell if a person has head lice is through a visual examination of the scalp. If you discover that your child has head lice, other family members are at risk of having them too. That’s why you have to do a general inspection and treat everyone at the same time. Only people with nits or visible lice should be treated with a pediculicide (a product that kills lice).

Preventive treatment has no benefit. On the contrary, it can contribute to a widespread problematic phenomenon: lice resistance to pediculicides available on the market!

To perform an effective examination, follow these steps:

Start by wetting the hair of the person to be inspected.

Use a lamp that provides adequate light; it is important to see well to detect nits or live lice. The latter tend to move more when exposed to light (they flee it). A magnifying glass can also make it easier for you.

Use a fine-toothed comb to perform the examination.

Separate the hair into strands the width of the fine comb. If the person has long hair, make thinner locks.

Run the fine-toothed comb along each strand, going from the scalp toward the end of the strand.

Then check for nits or lice on the comb.

At the end of the exam, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly.

In the following situations, a scalp examination should be performed:

  • when the child has signs or symptoms suggesting the possibility of head lice
  • if the school, daycare, or daycare has notified you of a head lice problem

To know

As a preventive measure, during the school year, it may be a good idea to inspect your child’s hair about once a week. The period following the start of the school year is particularly conducive to an infestation of lice.

Head Lice Treatments

The first thing to do when someone has head lice is to go to the pharmacy or doctor such as Lice Doctors for example. Available without a prescription, most head lice treatments can be found in the laboratory. So, it would help if you went to a staff member working there to get them. Your family pharmacist can advise you on the best product depending on the situation. He must record the information in a pharmacological file in the name of the person to be treated.

To ensure you make optimal and safe use of the product, and succeed in eradicating lice the first time, put these tips into practice:

Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and your pharmacist’s like Lice removal boston for example instructions in the letter. The success of the treatment largely depends on this.

Do the treatment until the end, as recommended. Over-the-counter treatments usually require two or three applications several days apart. You must repeat the applications even if you no longer see nits or live lice in the hair.

Take note that the application of the product may cause a slight burning sensation and itching. This is normal and does not justify stopping treatment.

If you notice the presence of live lice 17 days after the product’s first application, the product may not have stopped the infestation. Consult your pharmacist, who will probably recommend a product from another brand.