Frequently Asked Questions

Head Lice Treatment, Washington D.C., Virginia and Maryland..

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a person have nits but not lice?

Not really. If the person has been treated with something to kill the lice, then they may have nits without bugs, but an untreated head with nits must also have at least one adult female louse, and typically, she (the louse) has friends.

If a person is treated with an OTC product, doesn’t that mean all of the nits are dead?

No. These products aren’t designed to kill the louse that is developing inside the nit. The only product that is available to kill the nits is prescription Ovide. It is my opinion that this product is too toxic to be a reasonable treatment option. Furthermore, there is only about a 20% chance that OTC products will kill the nits, and there is no efficient way to distinguish between viable and unviable nits. Thorough and diligent nit removal is the best option if eradication is to be achieved.

Can a person be treated successfully with natural products such as olive oil, mayonnaise, or petroleum jelly?

There are no guarantees with any of the treatment options, and any treatment is only as good as the person who is administering it. It is very difficult to suffocate lice. If these techniques are used, they must be combined with tremendous amounts of nit combing to remove all bugs and nits. In my opinion, isolation of the infested person is mandatory for not less than two days, since the method leaves a big margin for human error. I recommend using OTC treatments twice at a ten-day interval while using the other methods as back up in between. It is crucial to break through the life cycle of the lice by getting all of the bugs and eggs out of the head before new generations are allowed to prosper.

What is the life cycle of lice?

A nit will hatch between 7 and 10 days after an adult female louse has laid it. The nymph will grow and molt 3 times in the next 10 to 12 days to become an adult. There is usually 1 male louse to every 5 female lice, and the females need to mate once before laying nits for the rest of their lives. The females usually lay one nit every 3 to 4 hours, and they tend to live for a total of 30 to 32 days.

I have found the directions inside the OTC treatments to be confusing. What is the best method for using these products?

We recommend starting to apply the pediculicide to clean dry hair. I always suggest that the head to be treated should first be flipped upside down and brushed vigorously over a sink or bathtub. Often, this will result in live bugs falling out of the head, and these creatures should be immediately washed down the drain. We are performing this task to dislodge as many bugs as possible, and to force the smallest bugs that may be on the scalp to move down into the length of the hair. This will enable the product to better contact the live bugs. The treatment should be applied liberally from the nape of the neck all the way to the front hair line, saturating the hair from root to tip all over the head. Most products say to leave them on for ten minutes, but because the lice today are so hardy, I usually suggest leaving the treatment on the head for 30-40 minutes for children and up to an hour for adults. Most people prefer to cover the hair with a plastic conditioning cap for the duration of this time. After waiting for whatever time you are comfortable with, it is necessary to add some warm water to the hair (the eyes of the person being treated should be covered with a dry towel) and the product should be lathered up like a shampoo for 3-5 minutes. Finally, the product should be thoroughly rinsed out with warm water directly from the head down the drain.

Is it true that the products continue to work killing the lice for 24 to 48 hours after use?

Most of the products make some questionable promises, but it is generally believed that there may be some continued effect of the products. Sometimes people report product failure because they find live lice after treatment, but it may mean that the bug is just not dead yet. It is also suggested that substances such as vinegar, conditioner, and alcohol may interrupt the residual effectiveness of the products. It is my opinion that diligent nit combing following treatment is essential, and this requires complete detangling. If the hair cannot be detangled without the help of conditioner, than I think we have to risk compromising the residual effectiveness.

What is the best tool for nit combing?

I strongly recommend the patented NPA Lice Meister Comb. There are other metal combs on the market, and some claim they have outperformed the Lice Meister in clinical studies, but I have found that the other combs may cause more discomfort for the person on whom they are being used. The plastic combs that are typically found inside the treatment boxes are completely useless. For more information on the Lice Meister Comb please refer to the NPA (National Pediculosis Association) website, www.headlice.org.