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Warnings About Head Lice Treatment
There will be failures in attempts to control head lice. Not every treatment will work for everyone and lice are becoming more resistant to the pesticides found in most lice shampoos. If you find that head lice treatment is not working, stop using it immediately. Do not repeat the treatment thinking it will work the second time. Lice treatments have pesticides and if used repeatedly could cause health problems.
Avoid using lindane if possible. This drug found in prescription head lice treatments can pose serious health hazards. It is not safe to use dog or pet shampoos on your child’s head to treat lice. Kerosene is another dangerous product you should not use on a human head. These products can cause irritation and may cause more problems.
Another warning posted to the National Pediculosis Association advises to never use flea and tick spray on a human head. Lice sprays are not recommended because a louse that has fallen off a host head cannot survive more than 48 hours. Thorough vacuuming can remove any lice that have fallen off the host head. Lysol spray is a good alternative to the lice spray sold in retail stores. It is important to vacuum daily if you have a lice infestation in your household.
Suffocating the lice is a popular method and many products have been recommended. Petroleum jelly, vegetable and olive oil, and hair gels all have been used in successfully getting rid of head lice. However, you should know that if you use these treatments on your child’s hair it might take a month or more for the hair to return to normal.
These products may help control the lice problem but they are extremely difficult to get out of the hair. A better method may be to use a conditioner after shampooing, leave it in the hair while combing out the nits with a metal nit comb.
Physically removing the nits is the most important step in treating an infestation of lice. Using a nit comb and manually and meticulously combing through the hair is the best method of removing these eggs. You may also want to find a pair of safety scissors and snip out the individual hairs that have nits attached to their shafts. This will not work if the infestation is heavy!
Removing the nits is a crucial part of treating head lice. It is helpful if you have two people working on the infested person’s head at the same time. You can use your fingernails, tweezers, and double edge tape. Nit removal is not the total solution to the head lice problem, but it’s a necessary step.
Be careful with using any form of chemicals or pesticides on an infested head and scalp. They can be dangerous, toxic, and cause side effects that can harm your child. Continue to check your children for head lice. Do it often especially if they are in school or a setting with close contact with other children. Early detection is an advantage in managing a head lice problem.
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Mon 6 Oct 2008 09:19:54 CST | |