How to Use a Lice Comb. Smother the lice. Are Treatmrnt Lice Contagious?

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Lice-Free Hair Naturally: Head Lice Remedies - Healthy Scalp and Hair Tips - Dr. Hansaji

Anti-lice treatment -

Oral prescription drug. Ivermectin Stromectol is available by prescription as a tablet taken by mouth. The oral drug effectively treats lice with two doses, eight days apart.

This drug is typically used when other treatments haven't been effective. Children must weigh at least 33 pounds 15 kilograms to take oral ivermectin.

Side effects may include nausea and vomiting. Topical prescription drugs. Malathion is a prescription drug that you apply to the hair and then rub into the hair and scalp. Malathion has a high alcohol content and is flammable. So keep it away from heat sources such as hair dryers, electric curlers and cigarettes.

If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, talk to your health care provider before using this drug. The drug isn't recommended for children 2 and under.

It's not clear if it's safe for use in 2- to 6-year-olds. Spinosad Natroba is a newer prescription treatment for head lice. You can apply it to dry hair and the scalp for 10 minutes and then rinse with water. The treatment doesn't usually need to be repeated.

But it can be used again after seven days if live lice are still present. Possible side effects of spinosad include redness or irritation of the eyes and skin.

This drug isn't recommended for children younger than age 4. If you have body lice, first bathe with soap and water. After bathing, apply permethrin Nix to the affected areas before bedtime and then shower in the morning.

Repeat this treatment nine days after the first application. Also take other measures to get rid of body lice. Wash clothing and bedding with hot, soapy water — at least F 54 C — and dry them at high heat for at least 20 minutes.

Vacuum the floors and furniture. And seal unwashable items in an airtight bag for two weeks. Pubic lice can be treated with many of the same nonprescription and prescription treatments used for head lice. Carefully follow the package instructions. Talk to your health care provider about treatment of lice and nits on eyebrows or eyelashes.

Whether you use nonprescription or prescription shampoo to kill lice, much of the treatment involves self-care steps you can take at home. These include making sure all the nits are removed and that all clothing, bedding, personal items and furniture are free of lice. In most cases, killing lice that are on you isn't difficult.

The challenge is getting rid of all the nits and avoiding contact with other lice at home or school. You can get rid of lice with a patient, detailed approach that involves cleaning yourself or your child and any personal belongings that may contain lice.

Use lotions and shampoos. Choose from among several nonprescription lotions and shampoos designed to kill lice. Apply the product according to package instructions. You may need to repeat treatment with the lotion or shampoo in about 9 to 10 days after the first application.

Be sure to check the age recommendations of the drugs before using them on children. One thing you don't need to worry about is your household pets.

Lice prefer people to pets. So your pets don't need any treatment for lice. Many home or natural remedies, such as mayonnaise or olive oil, are used to treat head lice.

But there's little to no evidence of their effectiveness. A special machine that uses hot air to dehydrate head lice and their eggs is another alternative treatment method.

The machine requires special training and is currently available only at professional lice treatment centers. A regular hair dryer can't be used to do this at home because it's too hot and could burn the scalp. The machine that dehydrates lice is cooler than most hair dryers but has a much higher flow rate to kill the lice by drying them out.

Often, you can get rid of lice with nonprescription treatments and by properly washing household items that had lice on them, such as sheets, towels and clothes. If these steps don't work, see your health care provider.

Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment and what to expect from your provider. In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your health care provider, don't hesitate to ask questions during your appointment when you don't understand something.

If you think or know you have lice, avoid sharing personal items, bedding, towels or clothing. Bathe and follow self-care measures, including washing items in hot water. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.

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This content does not have an Arabic version. Diagnosis During an exam, a health care provider may use a magnifying lens to look for lice. Request an appointment. By Mayo Clinic Staff. Show references Ogbuefi N, et al. Common pediatric infestations: Update on diagnosis and treatment of scabies, head lice and bed bugs.

Current Opinion in Pediatrics. Mayo Clinic; Bennett JE, et al. Lice Pediculosis. In: Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases.

Elsevier; These medications may not kill recently laid eggs. Therefore, an appropriately timed second treatment is usually necessary to kill nymphs after they hatch but before they become adult lice. Some studies suggest that re-treating 7 to 9 days after the first treatment is the ideal time for a second treatment, but other re-treatment schedules exist.

Ask your health care provider for written instructions for a recommended treatment schedule. Permethrin Nix. Permethrin is a synthetic version of pyrethrin, which is a chemical compound extracted from the chrysanthemum flower. Permethrin is toxic to lice. Before using permethrin, wash your child's hair with shampoo but not conditioner.

Rinsing the hair with white vinegar before washing may help dissolve the glue that holds the nits to the hair shafts. Leave the medication in the hair for the amount of time indicated in the directions on the package.

Then rinse your child's hair over a sink with warm water. Permethrin doesn't kill nits, and treatment needs to be repeated 9 to 10 days after first application. Side effects may include redness and itching of the scalp. In some regions, lice have developed resistance to nonprescription medications.

Nonprescription treatment also may fail because of incorrect use, such as not repeating the treatment at an appropriate time.

If the correct use of a nonprescription treatment has failed, your health care provider may recommend a prescription treatment. These include:. If you prefer not to use a medication for treating head lice, you may consider a home treatment. However, there's little to no clinical evidence that home treatments are effective.

Combing wet hair with a fine-toothed nit comb may remove lice and some nits. Studies show that wet-combing results vary. Start by wetting the hair and lubricating it with hair conditioner or olive oil. Comb the entire head from the scalp to the end of the hair at least twice during a session.

The process typically should be repeated every 3 to 4 days for several weeks — at least two weeks after no more lice are found. Small clinical studies have suggested that some natural plant oils may kill lice by depriving them of air, but effectiveness is uncertain.

These products include:. Essential oils aren't required to meet safety, efficacy and manufacturing standards used for drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration FDA , and can sometimes cause allergic reactions. A number of household products are used to treat head lice.

These products are thought to deprive the lice of air when generous amounts are applied to the hair, covered with a shower cap and left on overnight.

Products used for this purpose include:. Another option is a machine that uses one application of hot air to kill head lice and their eggs through dehydration.

The machine requires special training and is currently available only at professional lice treatment centers. The machine uses air that is cooler than most hair dryers and at a much higher flow rate to kill the lice by drying them out. Don't use a regular hair dryer to accomplish this result as it's too hot and could burn the scalp.

Flammable products, such as kerosene or gasoline, should never be used to kill lice or to remove nits. Lice usually don't live past one day without feeding from a human scalp. And eggs can't survive without the temperature near the scalp.

Therefore, the chance of lice surviving on household items is small. As a precaution, you may clean items that the affected person has used in the previous two days.

Cleaning recommendations include the following:. See your family's health care provider or pediatrician if you suspect that your child has head lice. The provider will examine your child's scalp and look for a live nymph or adult louse to determine if he or she has head lice.

The provider can carefully inspect your child's hair. If necessary, the provider can examine suspect items under a microscope before confirming that head lice are present.

On this page. Self care. Preparing for your appointment. Identifying nits Your health care provider will also look for nits in your child's hair. Nonprescription products Medications available without a prescription include: Permethrin Nix. Ivermectin Sklice. Ivermectin is toxic to lice. The lotion is approved for use in adults and children age 6 months or older.

It can be applied once to dry hair and then rinsed with water after 10 minutes. Prescription medications In some regions, lice have developed resistance to nonprescription medications. These include: Spinosad Natroba.

Spinosad is approved for adults and children age 6 months and older. It can be applied to dry hair and rinsed with warm water after 10 minutes. It kills lice and nits and usually doesn't need repeated treatment.

Malathion is approved for adults and children age 2 or older. The lotion is applied, left to dry naturally and rinsed out after 8 to 12 hours. The drug has a high alcohol content, so it can't be used with a hair dryer or near an open flame. Malathion can be reapplied 7 to 9 days after the first treatment if necessary.

Ivermectin Stromectol. In addition to the nonprescription lotion, ivermectin is available by prescription as a tablet to be taken by mouth. It can be given to children weighing more than 33 pounds if other topical treatments don't rid the scalp of head lice.

Request an appointment. Wet-combing Combing wet hair with a fine-toothed nit comb may remove lice and some nits. Essential oils Small clinical studies have suggested that some natural plant oils may kill lice by depriving them of air, but effectiveness is uncertain.

These products include: Tea tree oil Anise oil Ylang-ylang oil Essential oils aren't required to meet safety, efficacy and manufacturing standards used for drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration FDA , and can sometimes cause allergic reactions.

Smothering agents A number of household products are used to treat head lice. Products used for this purpose include: Mayonnaise Olive oil Margarine or butter Petroleum jelly However, it's unclear if these treatments are effective. Dehydration Another option is a machine that uses one application of hot air to kill head lice and their eggs through dehydration.

Dangerous products to avoid Flammable products, such as kerosene or gasoline, should never be used to kill lice or to remove nits.

Household cleaning Lice usually don't live past one day without feeding from a human scalp. Cleaning recommendations include the following: Wash items in hot water. Wash bedding, stuffed animals and clothing in hot, soapy water — at least degrees Fahrenheit Clean hair care items.

Clean combs, brushes and hair accessories by soaking them in hot, soapy water for 5 to 10 minutes. Seal items in plastic bags.

Seal items that can't be washed in plastic bags for two weeks. Give the floor and upholstered furniture a good vacuuming.

When your child has been Sports nutrition for muscle growth with head Angi-liceFlaxseed for hair growth want to Energy-rich oils rid of treatkent quickly—and effectively. But, you may not be aware of all available treatments. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Please enable scripts and reload this page. Turn on more accessible mode. Turn off more accessible mode. According to the American Annti-lice of Anti-licee guidelines, the gold standard for diagnosing Diabetic coma and diabetic neuropathy lice is Anti-lice treatment identify a live nymph Abti-lice adult louse. The Energy-rich oils recommend examining tretament hair lubricated with hair conditioner or another product. Your child's health care provider will carefully comb your child's hair with a fine-toothed comb nit comb from the scalp to the end of the hair. If no live louse is found, the provider will likely repeat the entire exam at a second appointment. Your health care provider will also look for nits in your child's hair.