The Do’s and Don’ts of What You Need to Know About Treating Head Lice

It’s a fact of life that most parents will need to treat their child for head lice at least once while they are growing up.

If you have ever dealt with this problem, you have probably had more advice than you need. Home remedies, family cures, and over-the-counter cures are ten a penny. Do you know which ones to follow and which to avoid?

Don’t use pesticide shampoos on your child unless it becomes necessary! These shampoos can be a health risk and many strains of lice have become resistant to the chemicals in these shampoos.

Do use normal shampoo, make the water as hot as tolerable and use a good conditioner. Do comb out the nits!

Don’t use sprays that are meant to control nits in your home. They could pose a health hazard to your family and are environmentally unsafe. Do vacuum carpets, furniture beds and wash bedding and clothing.

Do remember that lice cannot live long without feeding on their human host, and they must feed immediately after hatching. Lice can only live for up to two days without feeding.

Don’t treat members of your family if they do not have head lice. This will not prevent them from being infested and will only add to the chemical resistance some strains of lice have developed.

Do use a nit comb to check for lice on other members of your family. A good nit comb will have fine teeth and is handy to keep in the shower. It should be soaked in alcohol or washed in hot water after each time it is used.

Don’t try to treat your pets for head lice. Human head lice cannot live on pets because they need human blood to survive. Treating the pet unnecessarily can be harmful to both the pet and its owner. Do be thankful that your pets can’t be hosts to head lice!

Don’t use head lice chemical treatment products to try and prevent infestation. Not only will not be able to prevent an infestation by doing this, this also adds to the resistance of some strains of head lice to the treatment products making them less effective in future.

Do try using hair spray or gel to attempt to prevent the nits from sticking to the hair shafts. They make their own glue like substance and do not like sticky hair shafts.

Do practice preventive measures. Inform your children about the possible results of sharing personal belongings such as combs brushes and other personal items.

You should check your school-age children other for signs of lice infestation and be sure that your school, camp or day care watch for signs of head lice and are able to take control if their is an outbreak.

Many schools have a no nit policy so your child must be nit free before returning to school. If your school has such a policy, follow it carefully to reduce the risk of other children being infested.

For more information on how to treat and manage head lice read this article: Sticky & Slimy the Alternative Comb and Condition Method for Head Lice Treatment