How to Get Rid of Head Lice
If you want to know how to get rid of head lice,
remember that it's buyer beware when
it comes to treating head lice.
Lots
of medications are recommended for treating
head lice, but depending on your situation, they might
be ineffective or can truly be overkill, and therefore
not recommended for you.
In this article, we'll take a look at how to get rid of head lice. We'll also look at some of the common treatments for head lice and tell you which ones are right for which people.
The first thing you should always do when shopping for a head lice treatment is to read the disclaimer.
The disclaimer, a short little message provided by the manufacturer of head lice remedies, can tell you a lot about how and if the treatment is going to work. To save time and money, avoid purchasing treatments that say they work in an 'anecdotal' environment. 'Anecdotal' essentially means 'unreliable', and for that reason, these treatments may be of little to no help getting rid of head lice.
How to Get Rid of Head Lice with Common Treatments
If your children have head lice, you need to exercise special caution in order to not harm them with the harsh chemicals that many head lice medications contain. Treatments like 'Rid' and 'Nix' may be too intense for your child. In these cases, you may want to use an anti-lice natural shampoo instead.
You can try a home remedy for head lice to rid your child's scalp of lice, but know that some remedies hae not been tested and therefore should only be used at your discretion. As to how to get rid of head lice out of the hair of adults, the most commonly recommended treatments contain permethrin.
For example, 'Nix' contains permethrin as the active ingredient, with Nix containing 1 percent of the formula. Another product, Elimite, contains a more potent 5 percent. In most cases, only one application of permethrin is necessary to get rid of all the lice from an individual. Of course, if these simple cures for head lice aren't working, you may need to opt for a more drastic treatment.
Getting Rid of Head Lice with Prescribed Drugs
One treatment which has been shown to be rather effective for getting rid of head lice is Lindane, a drug that is only available by prescription. Take caution, though, because if you think you finally discovered how to get rid of head lice, remember that Lindane has also been shown to induce seizures in children in a small number of cases.
You can also get your doctor to prescribe oral agents such as Septra or Bactrim which can also eliminate head lice over a period of 7 to 10 days. Another oral drug, Stromectol, can help destroy the parasitic insects with only one dose.
Don't forget that in addition to killing the parasites present in your hair, you're also going to need to take care of the head lice nits that they leave behind.
Your next question now is: How to get rid of head lice nits? You can do this with distilled white vinegar since it breaks down their adhesive which binds them to the hair. You'll easily be able to remove the nits with little to no trouble. Always focus on the area of the hair shafts that are within one centimeter of the scalp.
Remember that head lice nits that are located more than one centimeter away from the scalp are not necessarily a worry as they are not likely to survive. With a little persistence and determination, you can treat even the worst cases of head lice in the home.
Knowing how to get rid of lice will definitely makes you save time when you'll discover some head lice on your child.