Once a stylist or barber realizes a client has lice, they will tell them, as politely as possible, they can't continue to cut or work on their hair because of potential contamination from lice to other clients. They will tell them they have to leave the shop until they are no longer contaminated.
The most effective way to treat head lice is with head lice medicine. After each treatment, using the comb-out method every 2 to 3 days for 2 to 3 weeks may help remove the nits and eggs. Head lice medicine should be used only when it is certain that your child has living head lice.
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.
Children diagnosed with live head lice do not need to be sent home early from school; they can go home at the end of the day, be treated, and return to class after appropriate treatment has begun. Nits may persist after treatment, but successful treatment should kill crawling lice.
All infested persons (household members and close contacts) and their bedmates should be treated at the same time. Some pediculicides (medicines that kill lice) have an ovicidal effect (kill eggs). For pediculicides that are only weakly ovicidal or not ovicidal, routine retreatment is recommended.
The common braid, a French braid, a fish tail braid, or a crown braid are all excellent hair styles to keep your hair up and out of the way of others. Any braid type that keeps your hair pulled back and contained is perfect for helping to prevent your contact with head lice.
Lice and nits can't survive the high heat. It's true that lice and nits can't survive temperatures above 113°F (45°C). This makes them susceptible to any heat source, such as a hairdryer or the plates of a hair straightener.
It is not a solution to treating lice. Sorry to break it to you, but a buzz cut with clippers will definitely not get rid of lice. The reason shaving will not work is because lice live on the base of the hair, and on the scalp.
Suffocate the Lice
Soak your child's head in olive oil or coconut oil. Cover with a shower cap for at least 2 hours (or preferably overnight). When ready, remove the shower cap, and separate the hair into small sections, then use a metal nit comb to carefully remove the lice and eggs. Rinse the hair well with shampoo.
The law requires you to stop the service, and ask the client to leave as head lice is highly contagious. Especially in a salon setting where hair is being touched by hands and tools. You have to sanitize everything at your station, the mat, the chair, your cart.
As previously discussed, hair color may kill the bugs, but with a full-blown infestation, can lice survive hair dye? Yes, they can. You may be successful at getting rid of some of the bugs with hair dye, or you may even use hair dye to get rid of all of them.
Hairspray makes it harder for the louse to grab hold. The smell of hairspray and the use of solvents (sad but true) in them can also deter creepy crawlies from finding their way in. Not to mention that if you're tying longer hair back, you've got a double whammy.
Lice are spread by head-to-head contact, primarily among children. This happens through hugs, sharing hats, combs, brushes, hair accessories, and, increasingly, through selfies and headphones. Kids push their heads together to fit in a phone's viewing field and create a situation ripe for head lice to spread.
By narrowing the lice target, we mean put long hair up in a bun, braid or ponytail. You can still get lice when heads touch but by putting hair up you are making an effort to keep your hair to yourself and are at less of a risk of having hair to hair contact.
There is no product available to prevent head lice. Using the conditioner and comb method once a week will help you detect head lice early and reduce the problem. Tying back long hair can help prevent the spread of head lice.
Mimi Stamer, Massachusetts School Nurse Organization:
If you haven't told anyone that your child was recently treated for lice, you need to do so because it is likely that other children may have live lice hatching and the spread may continue if those children aren't treated too.
Head lice don't jump, they don't live on pets and they have nothing to do with personal hygiene. The most common way head lice spread is by head-to-head contact. This means your child must have been touching heads with someone who has head lice.
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.
Although lice only survive 1-2 days without a human host, it is prudent to take some simple steps to clean the home environment. Clean hair care items and bedding used within the last 2 days by the person with lice. Wash clothing and bedding in hot water (at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit) and dry on high heat.
You should only treat your child for head lice if you see live lice or viable eggs. Make sure to check all the members of your family for infestation, and treat everyone at once.
Place the patient in Contact Isolation until 24 hours after initial treatment. 2. A gown and gloves are required.
Wash items on a hot water cycle and dry on high heat for at least twenty minutes. The heated wash and dry will remove and kill any lice left. Carpets, mattresses, and flooring can simply be vacuumed and cleaned with everyday cleaning products.