Steps When Getting Rid of Head Lice
The first step when getting rid of head lice is to ensure that your head is clean and dry. You should also make sure that any clothing or bedding that was used in the last 48 hours is thoroughly cleaned. You should also wash your pillowcases and pillowcase covers and replace them if necessary. It is also important to wash any pillows, hats, or other items that came in contact with the head of an infected person.
To get rid of head lice, you need to comb through your hair several times per week. Use a fine-tooth comb to remove the lice and nits. Be sure to comb through wet hair and condition your hair so that you don’t miss anything. Smothering agents, such as petroleum jelly, mayonnaise, or olive oil, can also be used to suffocate lice.
You can apply an alcohol-based lotion to kill live lice. This is an FDA-approved treatment. However, it is not ovicidal, so you may need a second treatment to kill newly hatched lice. Also, this lotion is not safe for young children under the age of six. It can cause irritation to the skin and should not be used near electrical sources.
Once you have identified a case of head lice, you should inform anyone that has had head-to-head contact with your child. You should check the children and other members of the family to ensure there are no lice in their hair. Head lice are contagious, so you should be sure to treat the whole family to prevent reinfestation.