Products to Kill Head Lice

Getting rid of head lice is a task that requires patience and perseverance. Head lice treatment involves killing all the live lice, manually removing nits, and cleaning your home and belongings.It may sound like a lot of work, but proper treatment is essential to stop the spread of these annoying pests.

Here are some tips on some of the available products to kill head lice and how they should be used.

To confirm an infestation, closely examine the hair under bright light. Lice are very small and fast so they can be hard to see. The nits, or lice eggs, will appear close to the scalp and are oval shaped, whitish beads that don't move when brushed with the finger.

Removing these nits is critical, so using a lice comb will be the most effective way of doing so. Metal combs are sturdier than plastic ones and many people recommend soaking the combs in rubbing alcohol, water and anti-lice shampoo or a 2% Lysol solution for one hour before using them.

The best way to eradicate head lice is to treat the scalp and hair with a medicated anti-lice treatment. Products containing insecticides such as pyrethrins with piperonyl butoxide, permethrin and lindane kill lice by damaging their nervous systems. Use caution with these products and use them only as directed. Leaving them on longer than the directions state or applying more treatments than recommended puts children at risk for overexposure to chemical pesticides. Products containing lindane should not be used by pregnant women, babies, young children or the elderly because they may be at risk of neurotoxicity. Children with allergies may be at more risk for allergic reactions to pesticides.

Although it is still being evaluated in the United States, the health authroities in Canada have approved a non pesticide based product called Resultz. The active ingedient in this product is Isopropyl myristate 50%, which is effective at dissolving the outer wax covering of the louse's skeleton. Using Resultz is a two step process. The first step is to apply the product to dry hair for around ten minutes after which, it is rinsed off with warm water. One week later, a second application is made. Isopropyl myristate is an ingedient that is also used in products such as bath oil, lipstick and moisturizers.

After you have completed your head lice treatment and thoroughly cleaned your belongings, it's important to keep checking for the lice and nits. Some geographical areas have reported instances of lice becoming resistant to certain pesticides and treatment. It's best to discuss the problem with a pharmacist or doctor so that you get a head lice removal product that will be effective for you.