Use heat. Wash any items used or worn by the person in hot water, and dry them on high heat. Lice and nits die when exposed to temperatures higher than 130 F for more than 5 minutes.
Spinosad (Natroba).
Spinosad is approved for adults and children age 6 months and older. It can be applied to dry hair and rinsed with warm water after 10 minutes. It kills lice and nits and usually doesn't need repeated treatment.
No treatment is 100% effective at killing the nits. Removing nits from the head by combing with a metal nit comb. Removing nits with a nit comb is easier on wet, well-conditioned hair. Active lice are challenging to physically catch and remove when running around the scalp.
Lotions and sprays for head lice and nits
There are several different products that can be applied to the scalp and hair to kill head lice, including: dimeticone 4% lotion or lotion spray – applied and left for 8 hours (usually overnight) dimeticone 4% spray gel – applied and left for 15 minutes.
Lice cannot “fall” on pillows, sheets, stuffed animals, and other bedding unless the hair that they are attached to fall. But they can't live on these surfaces, or on hats, scarves, furniture, or carpet. They also can't live on pets or any other animals. Nits can't live without a human host.
Lice aren't spread through bedding, Dr. Shetlar says. However, kids sleeping together or with their parents can readily spread the lice person-to-person when they touch heads together. If a person in a family is found to be infested, there is a high probability that someone else in the family also will have them.
Machine washing and drying laundry at the target temperatures of at least 125 degrees Fahrenheit will kill lice.
Lice dislike the smell of many things, but the thing they hate most is peppermint. So, before you send your kid off to hang out with other kids, spray them with a peppermint spray. It's the same concept as using a mosquito or bug spray in the summer months, except the scent is less offensive.
What repels head lice? Coconut, tea tree oil, lavender, eucalyptus, rosemary, lemon grass, and peppermint are scents popularly believed to repel lice. Using any coconut scented shampoo and conditioner is an easy way to increase your defense. At 1% concentration, tea tree oil killed 100% of head lice after 30 minutes.
Bites are more often seen on the neck of long-haired girls, when the hair is pushed aside. The local reaction is due to the saliva that the louse injects during blood-sucking.
Spinosad (Natroba).
You usually need only one treatment with this product. It kills nits and live lice. It's safe for kids aged 6 months and older.
Pediculicides or medications that kill lice are the strongest measures to get rid of a lice infestation. Of the various pediculicides, ivermectin lotion has emerged as one of the strongest solutions to get rid of lice. A single application can kill the lice without any need for nit combing.
While head lice infestations can be frustrating and inconvenient, it's important to note that they don't resolve on their own and require treatment for elimination. "Without intervention, lice can reproduce and persist," says Dr. Jason Nagata, a pediatrician at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in San Francisco.
Do head lice prefer a particular hair or blood type? No. Head lice are not selective and do not prefer a particular hair type or length. Head lice can infest hair that is clean or dirty.
Unfortunately, there is no proven head lice deterrent that will prevent your child from getting head lice again. The best you can do is stay alert for suspicious head scratching. Itching is an allergic reaction to chemicals in a head louse's saliva.
Unlike head lice, body lice are most often attracted to individuals with poor hygiene. Similar to head lice, body lice are highly contagious and can be spread through contact with an infected person, including by borrowing their clothes or sharing a bed or furniture that is infested.
Lice and nits can be removed by wet combing. You can buy a special fine-toothed comb (detection comb) online or from pharmacies to remove head lice and nits. There may be instructions on the pack, but usually you: wash hair with ordinary shampoo.
Head lice are passed from one person to another by direct head to head contact, (friends whispering to each other, goodnight cuddles etc.), and therefore can spread easily. It is possible that they can be spread by the sharing of hats, combs and brushes. Head lice do not live in bedding, clothing or furniture.
Why do only some forms of heat kill lice? A hair dryer or straightener must have enough airflow, a hot enough temperature, be used for the minimum duration, and be directed properly at the head to properly kill lice. Unfortunately, hair dryers and straighteners fail on all these fronts.
How does a head lice infestation occur? Head lice have no wings and do not fly or jump, but they can crawl or run through hair quickly. Most commonly, head lice are spread by direct head-to-head contact with an infested person.