page contents

HELPFUL HINTS FOR TREATING HEAD LICE

Saturate the hair with over the counter pediculicide and/or homeopathic product(VAMOUSSE,NIX ULTRA,Little bugs,Lice Free spray or gel,Lice lifters,QUIT NITS,LiceMD, Fairy Tales).Experiments by entomologists at the Harvard School of Public Health have confirmed that extra virgin olive oil smothers and kills active head lice and  has proven highly effective when used alone or in combination with an OTC pediculicide or homeopathic product. www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCoZP5Aso5U;Saturate the hair with extra virgin olive oil,cover with a plastic cap,and leave overnight(or for at least 6-8 hours).Dawn dishwashing liquid is highly effective in removing the oil followed by shampoo.Remove all nits(eggs)with metal comb/by hand regardless of what product states. If one brand does not work,it is recommended that a brand with a different active ingredient be used as there have been many documented cases of resistance, especially if using an OTC pediculicide by itself.If you are removing nits daily after treatment, there is most likely still a live louse/lice in the hair.Oil treatments and homeopathic products can be repeated as often as necessary and can greatly reduce reinfestation.Olive oil treatments can be used twice weekly for 3 weeks if there is fear of exposure to head lice and are safe for infants and pregnant women.Sunlight/bright light are necessary when checking for nits.Nits are found most easily on dry hair behind the ears, at the nape of the neck, and on the crown of the head. This Youtube video is very helpful in identifying head lice and nits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9S1lrliT9w0;

There are also other products available online and prescription products.Call your pediatrician for advice.The LICE-MEISTER comb is available at selected pharmacies and online. Metal pet flea combs also work.  There are also lice removal services, several of which are listed below.

LICE LIFTERS-609-508-1803;LICE BE GONE-973-467-5423; FAIRY LICE MOTHERS-866-561-0492; JUST NITPICKIN-tel:908-698-2160; Licehappens.Jan-908-666-2840

 Supplemental Measures from CDC: Head lice do not survive long if they fall off a person and cannot feed. You don’t need to spend a lot of time or money on house cleaning activities. Follow these steps to help avoid re–infestation by lice that have recently fallen off the hair or crawled onto clothing or furniture.

    1. Machine wash and dry clothing, bed linens, and other items that the infested person wore or used during the 2 days before treatment using the hot water (130°F) laundry cycle and the high heat drying cycle. Clothing and items that are not washable can be dry–cleaned OR sealed in a plastic bag and stored for 2 weeks.

    2. Soak combs and brushes in hot water (at least 130°F) for 5–10 minutes.

    3. Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay. However, the risk of getting infested by a louse that has fallen onto a rug or carpet or furniture is very small. Head lice survive less than 1–2 days if they fall off a person and cannot feed; nits cannot hatch and usually die within a week if they are not kept at the same temperature as that found close to the human scalp. Spending much time and money on house cleaning activities is not necessary to avoid reinfestation by lice or nits that may have fallen off the head or crawled onto furniture or clothing.

    4. Do not use fumigant sprays; they can be toxic if inhaled or absorbed through the skin.

*DO NOT use pediculicide sprays.Vacuuming is proven most effective.

*Put all stuffed animals/fabric toys in a sealed plastic bag for at least 3 weeks OR Vacuum OR dry on hottest cycle of dryer for 20 minutes.

*Put any clothes/bedding in plastic bags until they are able to be laundered/dry cleaned.

*Check head/comb daily for 3 weeks for nits (eggs) and remove(metal lice/flea combs work best). Check family members frequently for signs of reinfestation.WEEKLY HEAD CHECKS SHOULD BECOME A ROUTINE IN ORDER TO IDENTIFY CASES EARLY.

*Concentrate on removing all nits to prevent reinfestation and decreasing time spent on cleaning the environment.Once the initial cleaning is done, items can be put in the dryer daily on the hottest setting for 20 minutes if you are concerned about clothing, bedding, coats, backpacks being exposed instead of washing everything daily.

 Please note some useful websites listed: www.hsph.harvard.edu/headlice.html; https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/Pages/AAP-Updates-Treatments-for-Head-Lice.aspxwww;https://www.nasn.org/nasn/advocacy/professional-practice-documents/position-statements/ps-head-lice;ww.headlice.org;www.state.nj.us/health/cd/f_headlice.htm;www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/lice/default.htm;