How to Get Rid of Lice

It's back to school time and all us moms know what that means, it's lice season .It will start out with a letter stating there has been a case of lice in the school, then in your child's class, next it's your child. Stays calm don't panic! With these easy steps your child will be nit free in no time.

First realize that it's not your fault, you didn't do anything to cause this problem at home, lice don't discriminate, they don't care if you are rich or poor, all they care about is getting a place to live and for now that happens to be your child's head.

There are three forms of lice: the nit, the nymph and the adult. The adult is about the size of a sesame seed, has six legs and is visible to the naked eye, as are the nits, or eggs. A nymph is a baby louse and takes about seven days to become an adult. Lice can be difficult to spot because they move quickly and shy away from bright light. But begin by inspecting the scalp, nape of the neck and the areas behind the ears. Look for small white or yellowish-brown specks attached to the hair. Dandruff can sometimes be confused with lice, but dandruff is easily removed by flicking, whereas lice and their eggs are not as easily dislodged.

If your child and other family members catch head lice, it will take 10 days to two weeks of daily treatment and vigilance to get rid of them.

Treatments can vary a little but the main idea is to get the nits and eggs out of the hair. Here are a few ways you can do this, First you will need to purchase a nit comb, you can get this at any pharmacy, or Wal-Mart, k-mart etc., you should get one with metal teeth as you will need to use it several times and one with plastic teeth might not hold up, then you can use a variety of products such as vegetable oil, olive oil, conditioner, mayonnaise, anything that will make the hair slippery so you can easily comb out the nits and eggs put the product on the hair and cover with a plastic bag or shower cap then leave on for a few hours, now take your nit comb and section off the hair so you can comb threw it making sure not to miss any. After this you can rinse the hair in vinegar to remove any residue that the products may leave behind. You can also use tea tree shampoo, this is available anywhere they sell professional hair products, any salon should carry it. This will kill the lice and help keep them from returning.

Now you will need to do the head every other night for about two weeks to make sure you get rid of them for good, make sure you keep check on everyone in the house and treat them if needed.

Next you will have to take all the bedding, sheets, pillows, blankets and wash them in the hottest water you can, and put them in the dryer on the highest heat the fabrics can handle. You also need to do any coats, hats and scarf's that had been used recently. Any stuffed animals will also need to be put in the dryer on high heat for twenty minutes or put them in an air tight plastic bag for two weeks to make sure there is no nits or lice present on them, If an item cant be put in the dryer you can place it in a plastic bag and lay it outside in the sun for a few hours this will kill the lice. Make sure to vacuum the mattress and any affected areas like the carpet, or furniture.

Then make sure to change the vacuum bag. You'll need to boil combs and brushes or throw them out and get new ones. The main key to removing them completely will be persistence, keep checking the heads of everyone in the family for weeks after the treatment to make sure they haven't reinfested. And remember there is nothing to be embarrassed about lice can happen to anyone, you can try to prevent it by following some simple steps.

Tell your child not to share combs, brushes, hats, scarves, bandannas, ribbons, barrettes, hair ties or bands, towels, helmets, or other personal care items with anyone else, whether they may have lice or not.

Tell your child not to lie on bedding, pillows, and carpets that have recently been used by someone with lice.
Examine members of your household who have had close contact with a person who has lice every 3 or 4 days. Then, treat those who are found to have lice or nits close to the scalp.

Follow these easy treatment steps and you should be on your way to a lice free home in no time.