What head lice treatment options are available for children?

Many people prefer to try natural methods, rather than medication, to treat head lice. This is advisable, as there is evidence that lice are becoming more resistant to certain treatment options that were frequently used in the past. The most effective treatment to rid hair of nits and lice is wet combing, although this takes a long time to do thoroughly and is not a guarantee against re-infestation.

Wet combing doesn’t require any particular lotions or sprays, but it does need to be carried out regularly in order to be effective. It has a set method which needs to be followed carefully:

• Wash your little one’s hair using shampoo and then apply lots of conditioner, leaving it in the hair

• Use a wide-toothed comb to untangle and straighten all hair

• Once the comb moves freely through the hair, switch to a louse detection comb

• Comb your little one’s hair over a piece of paper so that you can see all the lice drop out (this will probably take around 30 minutes). The hair should be combed in small sections and the comb cleaned with tissue between each stroke. It should be continued until no lice can be seen dropping out of the hair. This should take around 30 minutes

• Repeat every 3-4 days for a fortnight to remove any lice before they have a chance to lay new eggs

Only lice can be removed by combing, not eggs.