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How to Treat Lice Effectively

Let’s face it; lice are a hassle to deal with. Not only do they make your child’s head itchy, but they can be easily transferred to other people in the household.

While they are relatively harmless, that doesn’t make them more fun to evict from your home.

Here are some ways to effectively treat a lice infestation in your house. 

Although lice are a nuisance, they don't have to be incredibly difficult to get rid of. Although lice are a nuisance, they don't have to be incredibly difficult to get rid of. Here are some ways to effectively treat lice effectively.

Over-the-Counter Lice Medication

This is the first stop for most parents to get rid of lice.

Unfortunately, it’s easy to pick up an ineffective medication, costing you time and money in the process.

You want to make sure that you are picking out a product that will kill both the lice and their eggs; see Healthline for types of products.

All too often, medications will kill the adult lice, and you’ll end up with more of them in just a few days or weeks. 

When picking out an over-the-counter solution, try to find something that works for “super lice.” Not only will this application kill both lice and eggs, but it will also get rid of lice that are resistant to other treatments. 

You want to make sure that you are picking out a product that will kill both the lice and their eggs.

Shave Your Child’s Head

While this may not be a viable option for all children, one of the most effective ways of getting rid of lice inexpensively is to destroy their habitat.

Lice need a host to live on, and if there is no hair, there’s no place for them to live.

Understandably, most girls may be hesitant about having their heads shaved. While boys will probably be more open to this solution, not all will want to part with their hair either. 

Although lice are a nuisance, they don't have to be incredibly difficult to get rid of. Here are some ways to effectively treat lice effectively.: While this may not be a viable option for all children, one of the most effective ways of getting rid of lice inexpensively is to destroy their habitat.

Professional Treatment

Probably one of the best options on this list is to have your child seen by a professional. Places like Hero Lice Clinics offer effective, non-toxic treatments to get rid of head lice. Not only will they treat your child for lice, but they will comb through your child’s head thoroughly to remove dead lice and nits.

This means you won’t have to ask your child to have their head shaved. However, it will require a bit of patience since the appointments can run for about an hour. It’s completely worth it, though, to alleviate some of the stress from the lice removal process.

Smother the Lice 

People often refer to the process of saturating the hair with oil and then combing out the lice and nits as “smothering” lice.

Whether or not it suffocates the lice is debatable, says Science Daily, but either way, it stops them from moving around so you can get them out with a comb.

The oil also helps when it comes to getting the nits off of the hair shaft. 

This method is easy enough to separate the hair into sections and coat the hair with either olive or almond oil.

Things like mayonnaise or Vaseline can be challenging to wash out, so avoid using those oil-based products.

Go through the hair with a nit comb until you’ve entirely covered and combed the entire head.

Once you’re done, wash your child’s head with their regular shampoo.

You may need to do this twice to get all of the oil out.

Additionally, you may need to use this method more than once to see results. 

Although lice are a nuisance, they don't have to be incredibly difficult to get rid of. Here are some ways to effectively treat lice effectively.: People often refer to the process of saturating the hair with oil and then combing out the lice and nits as "smothering" lice.

Although lice are a nuisance, they don’t have to be incredibly difficult to get rid of.

Make sure that you buy the right medicine if you’re going to use an over-the-counter product.

Smothering the lice is also another viable option, but it may require many applications to be effective.

While shaving your child’s head is 100% effective, not all children will want to get their hair cut that short. Professional treatment may be costly, but it’s also guaranteed to be effective and will save you a ton of time and energy. 

About Julee: Julee Morrison is an experienced author with 35 years of expertise in parenting and recipes. She is the author of four cookbooks: The Instant Pot College Cookbook, The How-To Cookbook for Teens, The Complete Cookbook for Teens, and The Complete College Cookbook. Julee is passionate about baking, crystals, reading, and family. Her writing has appeared in The LA Times (Bon Jovi Obsession Goes Global), Disney's Family Fun Magazine (August 2010, July 2009, September 2008), and My Family Gave Up Television (page 92, Disney Family Fun August 2010). Her great ideas have been featured in Disney's Family Fun (Page 80, September 2008) and the Write for Charity book From the Heart (May 2010). Julee's work has also been published in Weight Watchers Magazine, All You Magazine (Jan. 2011, February 2011, June 2013), Scholastic Parent and Child Magazine (Oct. 2011), Red River Family Magazine (Jan. 2011), BonAppetit.com, and more. Notably, her article "My Toddler Stood on Elvis' Grave and Scaled Over Boulders to Get to a Dinosaur" made AP News, and "The Sly Way I Cured My Child's Lying Habit" was featured on PopSugar. When she's not writing, Julee enjoys spending time with her family and exploring new baking recipes.
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