Can Head Lice Disappear on Their Own?

Head lice are parasites that feed off the blood and hair of humans. Fortunately, they do not carry disease. However, if left untreated, they can survive up to 30 days on your head. The best way to get rid of head lice is to treat them as soon as you notice them. A quick treatment with medicated products will kill them within a week or two.

If you do not treat head lice, they will continue to multiply. Without treatment, a single louse can lay more than 300 eggs during its lifetime. These eggs hatch after nine to 12 days, and after 30 days, a single adult louse can produce up to four hundred eggs! That means that by the end of the month, a child can have thousands of head lice and up to 100,000 nits!

The best way to treat head lice is to keep your child’s clothing and pillowcases clean. If possible, wash the clothing with hot water and then dry it on high heat. If you can’t wash the items, you can either dry clean them or store them in the fridge for two weeks. If you do have to wash clothing or pillowcases, you should wash them in hot water and then dry them in a hot clothes dryer.

It is also important to follow treatment instructions. Make sure to treat head lice as recommended by your physician. Never skip the second treatment or retreat too soon after the first. This could lead to missed nits and eggs.