To remove lice and nits by hand, use a fine-tooth comb on wet, conditioned hair every 3–4 days for 3 weeks after the last live louse was seen.
Comb each section of hair at least 5 times. Wash the hair as normal. Scrub the comb with an old toothbrush to remove any eggs or lice that may be present. REPEAT.
Wet combing with cheap conditioner and a fine-tooth head lice (nit) comb is an effective way to find and remove head lice, if done properly.
Do a comb-out for everyone who has an active infestation every day or two until you've seen no live lice in the hair for about two weeks. The first combing should get rid of most of the lice.
Fine tooth combing in dry hair is as good as wet combing to detect lice. The most reliable way to check is to wet comb because soaking wet lice stay still. In dry hair lice move quickly away from disturbance.
Can someone have nits but no lice? It may be possible to have nits but no lice. If a person cannot find any nymphs or adult lice in the scalp and the nits are more than a quarter of an inch from the scalp, these may be dead and from an old infestation. However, the lice could be in hiding.
After each treatment, checking the hair and combing with a nit comb to remove nits and lice every 2–3 days may decrease the chance of self–reinfestation. Continue to check for 2–3 weeks to be sure all lice and nits are gone.
Combs with flat-faced teeth spaced 0.2 to 0.3mm apart are best for removing head lice, although combs with smaller gaps can be used to remove eggs and nits (egg cases) after treatment. Detection combing can be carried out on dry or wet hair.
Using the Nit Comb can take 1-3 HOURS in order to get out all nits and lice from the hair.
Not everyone feels lice moving around on their scalp, but some people do. Dr. Garcia says that most of her patients say they “don't feel anything,” but others may get a creepy, tickling sensation as lice move around their head.
Mechanical removal or 'comb and conditioner' method
The conditioner does not kill lice but stuns them for about 20 minutes enabling easier removal. The long toothed metal comb will remove nits and the stunned head lice. Wipe the comb on a white tissue and check for any lice or nits.
No. The two treatments 9 days apart are designed to eliminate all live lice, and any lice that may hatch from eggs that were laid after the first treatment. Many nits are more than ¼ inch from the scalp.
Head lice do not have wings or jumping legs, so they cannot fly or jump from head to head. They can only crawl. People catch head lice from direct head-to-head contact with another person who has head lice. This can happen when people play, cuddle or work closely together.
Tying wet hair If your hair is wet and you have a habit of tying it up in a knot or bun, be rest assured you will be infested with lice. Leave your hair open to dry on its own or if you do not have enough time on your hands, dry it using a blow-dryer.
A preventative shampoo and spray can break the life cycle. A shampoo that kills lice before they can lay eggs is critical for closing the “bridge” from one head to another. Ladibugs experts recommend parents seek effective, pesticide-free options.
Most methods suggest repeating regularly for at least 2 weeks. The method used in the trial is to repeat the wet combing procedure every 3 days, until on four consecutive occassions no head lice are detected.
Lifespan of Lice
Off the scalp, nits (eggs) can't survive over 2 weeks. Adult lice survive 3 weeks on the scalp or 24 hours off the scalp.
The life cycle of the louse starts with a female laying her eggs, which are known as nits. Nits are minuscule, smaller than the head of a pin. They're hardy too, attaching on the hair shaft close to the scalp with a glue-like adhesive. This is what makes it so tough to get rid of head lice permanently.
Avoid head-to-head (hair-to-hair) contact during play and other activities at home, school, and elsewhere (sports activities, playground, slumber parties, camp). Do not share clothing such as hats, scarves, coats, sports uniforms, hair ribbons, or barrettes. Do not share combs, brushes, or towels.
Shaving the head does not cure lice. The itching should go away within a few days, but the medicated treatment will need to be repeated in 5 to 7 days to kill any new lice that may have hatched since the first treatment.
It's essential to wash all bedding after a head lice treatment. The heat from a hot water cycle will ensure that no surviving lice can find a host again.
If a head lice treatment that you can buy without a prescription fails to work, the CDC recommends that you see a health care provider. Highly effective prescription treatments that you apply to the scalp are available.
Do not use a conditioner. It can keep the lice medicine from working. Rinse well with warm water and towel dry. Do not use the towel again until it has been laundered.