Things You'll Need:
- Tight Fitting Disposable Rubber Gloves
- Nit Comb
- Hair Clips
- Bright Directional Light
- Trash Bag
- Bowl Of Warm Water
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Step 1
Have your child sit in a chair near a brightly lit area. Direct sun light is best, but a strong directional light will also work. Put on the disposable gloves.
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Step 2
With a comb or brush work through the hair to remove all tangles or knots. Keep the brush or comb you are using isolated until the check is complete. If your child is infected you will need to de-lice or throw it away.
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Step 3
Using hair clips, divide the hair into small sectional clumps, similar to how you would separate for braids. Inspect one separation at a time by carefully and slowly pulling the lice comb through the hair. Start at the scalp and move all the way through to the end of the hair shaft. Keep the examined sections away from the unexamined.
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Step 4
After each run through, dip the comb in water to check for any caught nits (eggs) or lice. Continue combing through each section of hair until all sections have been thoroughly searched.
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Step 5
As you are combing do a close visual check for nits (eggs) that will appear as tiny white tubes that are attached to a strand of hair. The closer they are to the scalp the fresher they are. They do not move up or down the hair once the egg is attached, so if you are finding eggs 1 or 2 inches up the hair strand, the lice have been around for awhile.
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Step 6
If you discover your child's scalp is raw with open sores, it's not from the lice but from the child's scratching. There is a risk of infection at this point, so a doctor's visit needs to scheduled as soon as possible.
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Step 7
Check the collar or inside neck line of the child's shirt. Lice drip tiny black feces that get stuck to the fabric of the shirt. You are not looking for these tiny black spots but small black streaks on the shirt. The feces get rubbed against the neck and spreads.
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Step 8
Once you have completed the examination and you have discovered traces of lice, dispose of the gloves and brushes immediately. Now it's time to go into remedy mode - fast.
