Ways to Get Rid of Your Head Lice

It's not just kids that get head lice. Adults get them too, and it can be difficult to remove them on yourself since you can't see the back of your own head. You can use lice shampoo, but use of a lice shampoo usually needs to be followed with lice combing and nit picking. If you don't have someone to help, you may need to go to a lice-removal clinic to get rid of the pests. Whether you treat your lice yourself or go to a clinic, here are some of the heat-lice removal options you can try.

Manual Removal

The least toxic but most most time consuming method of removing lice is to pick them out manually. You have to be meticulous and thorough to get rid of them all, and you'll need to go through your hair several times over the coming weeks to make sure all the lice are gone. The easiest way to pick out the lice and nits is with a nit comb. You could also buy a flea comb at the pet store since they work the same way. The teeth of this sort of comb are very close together so when you pull the comb through your hair, the lice and eggs get caught so you can pull them out.

You may have better results if you use a smothering agent before you use the nit comb. This includes things like olive oil or hair gel. These products smother the lice and slow them down so they are easier to comb out. If several family members have lice at the same time, or if you don't have someone to remove lice from the parts of your head you can't see, you can go to a lice-removal clinic that uses the manual removal method. This is time consuming, but you'll be able to avoid exposure to chemicals, which could be important to you and your family.

Lice Medications

There are a variety of lice medications available for killing lice and their eggs. You can buy some over the counter, and others require a prescription from your doctor. It's important to read the label so you understand how to use the product you buy because each one is different. Some are used once, and others need a follow-up treatment. Most of them require thorough nit combing after the application. After using the medication, you should notice the lice stop moving or at least move much more slowly, as this indicates that the lice are dead or dying. If the lice still seem active after you've used the medication, this probably means that pesticide isn't effective. One problem with lice is that they've become resistant to the pesticides used in the shampoos designed to kill them.

If one medication doesn't work, you may need to try another, but don't use it or use an additional application until you've talked to your doctor. The chemical pesticides used in lice treatments can be toxic, so you don't want to use more than you should. Also, if you plan to use a product on your children, be sure it is approved for use on kids. Some products have a lower weight and age limit because they are too toxic to use on kids.

Heat Treatments

Some lice-removal clinics use heat treatments to kill lice and eggs. This process is similar to using a hot blow dryer, and the treatments are non-toxic. The treatments are also quick and easy for kids to endure. You can try a heat treatment at home using a hair dryer, but you may not get the same results as having a professional treatment. High temperatures kill lice, so heat is a good solution for linens and clothing that have been exposed to the lice. Just wash them in hot water and run them through a hot dryer, and you can eliminate the risk of reinfecting yourself with lice from a pillow or hat.

The key to getting rid of lice and preventing their return is to focus on cleaning the lice and their eggs out of your hair. Although some lice will fall to the carpet, couch, and other parts of your home, they will die off once they are removed from their food source. You don't have to waste a lot of time and money on cleaning your home in an attempt to get rid of the lice.

About Me

Learning To Take Care Of Your Skin

When I was a teenager, I had terrible skin. In addition to worrying about dry skin, I also had more pimples than I could even count. In addition to being painful and embarrassing, it seemed like the problem drug on and on for years. Finally, a close family friend offered some suggestions about how to take care of my skin, and it really helped me. She taught me how to exfoliate and cleanse my skin without damaging the underlying tissue, which helped to alleviate the problem. My blog is all about skin care, so that you don't have to suffer with acne like I did.