How to Comb for Head Lice

Sharing brushes and hats can spread head lice.

Head lice are tiny, parasitic insects that feed off blood from your scalp. They lay their eggs, or nits, along the hair shaft and cause extreme itching and discomfort. If you've discovered head lice in your child or yourself, you will need to shampoo with a lice treatment product and carefully comb the nits from your hair. Combing is key to removal, since any nits left on the hair may hatch and cause a resurgence of lice.

Things You'll Need

• Lice treatment shampoo
• Bowl
• Plastic bag
• Lice comb

Instructions

1. Wash your hair with lice treatment shampoo. Follow the manufacturer's directions for use carefully. The shampoo will kill the adult lice. Wring the excess water from your hair after shampooing but leave it wet for combing.

2. Line the bowl with a plastic bag. This will make cleanup easier and prevent contamination.

3. Hold your head over the bowl. Select a 1-inch section of hair from the front of your head.

4. Hold the hair in one hand and the comb in your other. Angle the comb down toward your scalp. Insert the comb into your hair as close to the scalp as possible.

5. Comb through the hair to remove the nits. You may need to comb through several times to remove every single egg. Be sure the nits are falling into the bag.

6. Continue combing 1-inch sections of hair until you complete the entire head.

7. Discard the bag full of nits and change your clothes. Launder your clothing and bedding immediately.

Tips & Warnings

• Check your hair for lice or nits every day for 10 days after treatment. You may need to repeat the shampoo and combing procedure, if the lice return.

References

• Mayo Clinic: Lice Treatments and Drugs
• University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Family Quick Guide to "Removing Head Lice Safely"