How Can Head Lice Eggs Be Killed?

If you suspect that your child has head lice, the best way to deal with the problem is to prevent further infestation. This means avoiding head-to-head contact with infected individuals and treating all household members. Head-to-head contact is the most dangerous form of transmission, so keep your child away from sharing hats, stuffed animals, and other personal items. When cleaning up the problem, use hot water or hot soapy water on all household items. This will kill the eggs.

Lice do not survive cold temperatures. They can survive in warm environments but will die quickly if they cannot find a source of food. A cold environment also makes it much more difficult for adult lice to survive. Even if your child swims regularly, freezing them will not kill them – they will only stay on your child’s head and cling to your hair with their legs.

Medicated shampoos and lotions contain chemicals that can kill the lice. Some of these products contain permethrin and pyrethrin, which are both effective insecticides. A fine-toothed comb can also be used to remove lice from the hair. But make sure you use a comb that is soaked in hot water for at least 10 minutes.

Head lice eggs can survive on the scalp for one to two days, but they can’t survive outside of the scalp. That’s because the eggs need to be incubated in similar conditions as the scalp. Otherwise, they would hatch into adult lice in about a week.