subject: Head Lice Treatment Methods [print this page] Head Lice Treatment Methods
The first ting to do after discovering that your child has head lice is to get started with the treatment ASAP. In addition to actually treating the infected hair, you will also need to treat the items and facilities that may have also become infected though contact with the child. But, lets deal first with the hair treatment.
Quite a few over the counter products are available in addition to prescription shampoos, creams and lotions. With all commercial products, be sure to follow the directions carefully to avoid safety hazards and make sure the treatment has a maximum chance of working. Most of the shampoo type products require you to shampoo the hair, wait a few minutes and then lather up in the shower and rinse the hair.
After rinsing treated hair, you will need to use a fine toothed nit comb (lice eggs are called nits) to comb out all the eggs and dead lice. Combing is a lot easier if you do it with the hair being wet. After seven to ten days then you should repeat the treatment process to make sure any newly hatched lice (called nymphs) are killed before they mature and lay more eggs.
Lice thrive on the head and do not live more than about 48 hours when separated from their host. But, because there is a risk of reinfection during that 48 hour period, areas of your home that the child came in contact with as well as objects will also need to be treated and cleaned.
A good place to start is by stripping the beds and washing them in water that is as hot as your washer can provide. If something cannot be washed but can be put in the clothes dryer (like pillows for example), a 20 minute treatment there on the hot cycle will kill the little parasites.
If something is not washable, taking it to be dry cleaned will expose the nits and living lice to chemicals that will also kill them. Some items like plush toys that cannot be cleaned can be put into a sealed plastic bag for two weeks to make sure the full life cycle of the lice has been passed and all lice are dead.
Carpets and furniture should be thoroughly vacuumed and so should any vehicles that the child has ridden in. Things like helmets and hair care items such as headbands, combs, barrettes, hair brushes should be soaked in rubbing alcohol for a couple of hours, put in a plastic bag in a freezer (below 5 degrees) or just thrown away.
Even though only one child in the family may have been found to have lice on them, the other children should also be treated just as if they also were infected. Lice are only spread through personal contact. They cannot jump, hop, fly or transport themselves they make the transfer between people strictly by crawling (sometimes very quickly).
Finding lice on members of the family should be taken seriously. If the people and the home are not treated properly, the lice will thrive and can turn into an infestation rather than just a few lice that have been transferred from some neighbor or school friend. Teach you children to avoid sharing things like hats, combs, hair wear etc. Children should also be taught to avoid laying on each other or wrestling while playing. A few simple precautions taken consistently can almost certainly prevent a reoccurrence of the unpleasant situation.
by: Don Ellis
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