Sticky & Slimy the Alternative Comb and Condition Method for Head Lice Treatment
You may not want to use over-the-counter treatments on your child's scalp. Fortunately there are other methods that are good at getting rid of head lice.
Combing alone will not eradicate head lice. A comb running through dry hair can be avoided by the fast moving lice. The hair should be wet and covered with a substance that slows the lice and loosens the nits from the shafts of hair. Head lice breathe through small openings on their abdomen, and covering these openings with a sticky slimy substance for more than twenty minutes will slow them down. Anything that is thick and slimy should slow them down so they can be combed out more easily.
Among the substances that have been tried are mayonnaise, hair styling gel, Vaseline, and vegetable oil. If you choose to try this method ensure that you have a bowl of hot soapy water to rinse the comb in after each pass through the hair. Alternatively, tissues may be used to wipe the comb after each use. This method of eliminating head lice is fine but you should be aware that the residue can be hard to remove from the hair. It may take up to month to completely wash our the residue.
Combing out nits can take time so will require some patience from the parent and child. A video or some other form of entertainment for the child will help keep the child distracted while you comb out the nits. Remove all hair accessories and comb out any braids. To catch drips wrap a towel around the child's shoulders. Apply hair conditioner liberally to the head and gently work it in between all the shafts of hair. The conditioner must reach every shaft of hair so that there isn't a place for the lice to survive.
Its not necessary for the whole length of hair to be covered with the conditioner because by combing you will spread it through the hair. Use a good nit comb. They can be bought at the local drugstore or even some grocery stores. You may use an new pet flea brush if need be. The teeth of the comb should be close together so that the comb gathers up all the lice and nits as you pull it along the hair.
After having applied the conditioner, with a large comb divide the hair into sections. Starting from the neck, comb each section with the nit comb and work up toward the crown of the head. The eggs are most commonly found near to the ears and at the nape of the neck. So if you start at the neck you have a better chance of removing all the lice.
After you have combed each section, wipe the comb onto a paper towel. You will be able to see the lice and nits on the towel. Keep combing until you no longer see any lice or nits being deposited on the paper towel. You will need to be thorough with this process so that all of the lice and nits are combed out. Any nits left behind will develop into adult lice. Putting in braids will help control reinfestation once you have completed combing and treating the hair.
For more information on managing head lice read this article: The start of school is followed by more cases of head lice infestation
