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Lice
Shampoos & Lotions
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Medicated hair products for lice -
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Summary: Medicated lice shampoos and
creme rinses are still effective for killing lice
and ending infestations when used properly. Lice
eggs (nits) must be removed first with thorough
combing or "nit-picking" with a good metal comb. New
combing aids can help with this critical step.
Jack DeAngelis, PhD
OSU Ext. Entomologist (ret.)
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Lice shampoos and nit-picking
The only way to effectively control
lice is to treat both active, live lice and
eggs, or nits. If either stage is missed the
infestation will continue and may even get worse.
Head lice and pubic lice glue their eggs to
hairs (see photo at right) making removal difficult.
Body lice, on the other hand, lay their eggs in
clothing and are easy to remove by washing alone,
which is why body lice are relatively rare in
populations that have access to clean clothes.
The only sure way to remove head lice eggs
is by nit-picking or combing. Active lice
can be killed with a number of medicated shampoos
and rinse treatments after nits are removed. For
information about the different types of human lice
see Related Articles below.
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Louse nit (egg) glued to
a hair shaft. This is actually a pubic
louse nit but head lice nits are very
similar. Body lice nits are found in
clothing, not attached to hair.
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Nit-combing aids
There are a couple of products that may help
with the most difficult and most important part of
lice control, namely nit-picking. These
products are essentially lubricants that help
to de-tangle hair and make the hair slippery so the
nit comb can glide through more easily. LiceMD(tm) and RID Lice & Egg Comb Out Gel(tm) are two such
products. LiceMD is a dimethicone-based product
whereas the RID gel is a more conventional hair
conditioner.
Choose a good nit comb
Good nit-combing begins with a proper
nit comb. Ordinary combs won't work because
the tines, or teeth, are too far apart and too
flexible. Good lice combs have stiff metal tines with
narrow spaces between tines. These combs effectively
remove or crush nits as the comb passes through the
hair. Select a comb with long tines for long hair and
short tines for short hair (see Plastic
vs. Metal Lice Combs).
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Lice shampoos & creme rinses
Lice shampoos like RID contain
pyrethrum and piperonyl butoxide (PBO) that kill adult
lice. Once live lice and nits are carefully removed by
combing these shampoos can provide the final clean up
of remaining lice. Pyrethrum is a natural product made
from extracts of the chrysanthemum plant. Follow
package instructions carefully.
An alternative to lice shampoo is a
permethrin-based creme rinse like Nix. Like
lice shampoo, creme rinses are used to treat adult
lice but are applied after regular shampooing.
Permethrin is a pyrethroid-type insecticide. There has
been some insecticide resistance to permethrin found
in some populations of head lice. However,
this active ingredient is still very effective in most
situations. Follow package instructions carefully.
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Some things to avoid
Don't bother treating household furnishings
with lice sprays. Since lice can't survive for long
off their hosts it may be a waste of time and money to
treat anything other than hair.
- Never use products that contain the
insecticide lindane.
- Never apply products for longer than
package instructions say.
- Never wrap hair when treating.
What about olive oil, and similar oils?
Oils help condition the hair and make nit
combing easier so may be beneficial. Any hair
conditioner will likely work in a similar way but will
NOT be a substitute for careful and thorough
nit-picking with the proper comb.
Head Lice &
School Kids
What Exactly are
Nits?
What are Pubic
Lice & Body Lice?
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