Head Lice Treatment

KILL THE LICE

Use an over the counter lice killing agent on the hair. Follow the package directions carefully. Examples of lice products include RID, NIX or their generic equivalents.
Do not leave the lice product on the hair longer than recommended. It will not kill the lice faster.
Check all household members for lice and nits. Treat only people who have head lice.
Each person with head lice needs a COMPLETE treatment. Do not split a single bottle of treatment product between household members.
Wait at least 7-10 days before re-treating hair.

REMOVE THE NITS

Use a special nit comb to remove nits. Metal combs are better than plastic combs.
For long hair, divide hair into 1 inch sections with hair clips and work one section at a time, starting at the top of the head. As each section is completed and checked, pin back.
Nit removal is easiest when the hair is wet. You may need to dampen the hair with a spray bottle to keep hair wet.
Continue to inspect and comb hair with nit comb every day for 2-4 weeks.

CLEAN THE ENVIRONMENT

Machine wash all washable personal items such as coats, clothing, towels, bed linens, etc in hot water and dry at least 20 mins on the HOT cycle in the dryer.
Store all items that cannot be washed in sealed plastic bags for 2 weeks, such as stuffed animals or pillows.
Vacuum all affected areas thoroughly including carpets, furniture, mattress and car. Discard the vacuum cleaner bag after you have finished vacuuming.
Disinfect combs and brushes by soaking in hot water (130 degrees F) for 15 mins.
Aerosol lice products are not recommended.

RETURNING TO SCHOOL

Your child must be cleared by the school nurse before being re-admitted to school. A parent/guardian is required to accompany the child to the health room
The student will be able to re-enter school after treatment of hair and if the student is free of lice.
Students will be allowed to re-enter school with nits, depending on the amount/severity of the nits.
Your child will be checked weekly or as deemed necessary by the school nurse and will be excluded if lice reoccur or the number of nits does not decrease in number.

WHAT IF TREATMENT DID NOT WORK

The nits were not completely removed from the hair and re-infestation occurred.
A lice killing agent such as RID or NIX was not used for treatment of live lice.
The directions for treatment of head lice were not followed completely.
The home environment and personal items were not cleaned completely.
Consult with your child’s doctor about prescription lice treatments if active lice persist.

Following items ARE NOT effective in treatment of lice