Will Heat Kill Head Lice?

While household cleaning techniques can be effective at killing head lice, they’re not a permanent cure. Many methods fail to eliminate the parasite completely, and you may need to try different methods before you find a treatment that works for you. The best way to kill head lice is through dehydration, not by killing them with heat. Hot air machines are available at lice treatment centers, but they require special training and equipment. They use air that is much cooler than ordinary hair dryers and at a higher flow rate. Regular hair dryers are too hot and can burn the scalp.

The next step in getting rid of head lice is to remove infested items from the home. You should first wash all the clothing and bed linens that were worn by the infested person. You can also dry all the clothing in the washing machine using hot water (130degF) and then store it for two weeks to kill the lice. Also, you should wash the combs and brushes that may have gotten infested with lice.

Before applying heat for killing head lice, it’s important to ensure that the items are properly sterilized. Heat kills lice eggs and larvae, which can live for up to two days off of a human scalp. It’s also important to note that lice cannot survive outside the human scalp, so there’s no need to apply fumigation to prevent reinfestation. Plus, fumigation can be toxic to humans if absorbed through the skin.