by Adrienne Shelar

Created on: June 08, 2008   Last Updated: June 11, 2008

You're combing your child's hair, and you see a tiny brownish-grey bug in it. Your child has gotten head lice. This is a common childhood occurrence and doesn't mean your child is dirty. On the contrary, lice are more attracted to clean hair. Still, you do not want to have them, as they itch and hurt, so here is a helpful guide on lice.

Getting rid of lice takes persistence and time. First, you must kill the live bugs. There are several ways of doing this. Over the counter lice treatments are sold in nearly all drug stores. Be careful not to use these on young children and realize you can't use them more than once every 2 weeks, however. Home remedies also work. Covering the hair in vegetable oil and then sleeping in a shower cap is very effective, if messy. Unfortunately, you must do this nightly for at least a week and continue to check for live lice for at least two weeks in order to make sure you've gotten them all.

Second, you must remove all the nits, or eggs. They are tiny white dots on your child's hair, normally within an inch of the scalp. They are most commonly found around the ears and at the base of the head. Unlike dandruff, you can't easily flick these little eggs off with your fingertips. You must scrape the egg off the hair, one at a time. A good metal lice comb (again, bought in the drug store) is invaluable. The best way to see a nit is in direct sunlight. Go through the hair one section at a time and make sure you pull every single egg out.

Now it's time to rid the house of lice. You must go through and wash all the sheets, pillows, and clothes your child has had on. Next, any stuffed animals must go in black trash bags for at least twenty-one days. You then have to go through and throw away all hair bands and bows that can't be washed. Hairbrushes and combs can contain lice, so remove all excess hair and soak them in tea tree oil for at least thirty minutes each time you use them. You must vacuum all the surfaces your child is on, such as the floor, couches and bed mattresses. When you empty the vacuum, do so outside, far away from your home. It might be a good idea to put plastic sheets and covers over your pillows. Don't forget the car upholstery.

There are several ways you can prevent your child from getting head lice to begin with. First, always encourage your child not to share combs, or hair bows with other children. Teach your child not to lay their head on other children's shoulders. Putting a girl's hair up in a ponytail is helpful. Lice can't jump. Pubic lice is considered an STD and should be treated by your doctor, in addition to checking for other STD's. Symptoms of pubic lice are intense itching, possible sweeling and burning in the genital area.

Having lice invade your home is time-consuming and annoying but with the proper treatment your family will be back to normal in no time.

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