Nit Combs
Step two in a successful head lice removal is to thoroughly comb out the head lice and their eggs. To do this you will require nit combs.
A head lice treatment will help to suffocate and kill the adult lice and nymphs but generally will not penetrate the shell of the nit (egg), therefore without physically removing these from the hair the head lice life cycle will only start again once these eggs hatch.
A specifically designed nit comb should be your tool of choice. Nit combs are specially designed with teeth that are fine enough to remove nits and the head lice, there’s actually not much of gap at all between the teeth. Nits, the head lice eggs, are between 0.5 millimetres and 2 millimetres long which makes using a normal comb to remove lice almost impossible as the teeth are too far apart to hold the eggs as they are being removed.
Young children with longer, thicker hair may find head lice removal a little uncomfortable. However there are many conditioners, combing solutions and detanglers on the market that make removing head lice and their eggs with a nit combs much easier. Check out Lenny's Kids Corner for great activity downloads.
A conditioner or combing solution will actually slow the head lice down allowing you to see where they are and assist in head lice removal. As they do crawl exceptionally fast in some cases you may find them difficult to locate. Apply the solution after treatment to complete the treatment or you can use the combing solution to examine the hair/ check for head lice – ensuring the hair is dry.
Apply and then work to untangle any knots which will help to make the combing a little easier. Use a detangling spray in addition to the combing solution for that extra little helping hand and a detangling comb.
The hair should be divided into 4cm sections and, using the metal teeth of the comb, run the comb from the root of the hair to the tip. After every comb wipe off the head lice and eggs on to a tissue and repeat until every strand of hair has been combed.
As the size of this pesty parasite is quite small (Nymph – between 1 and 2 millimetres and a Louse between 2 and 3 millimetres) try using a magnifying glass to help locate those hidden in behind the ears and towards to back of the neck.
Most eggs will detach from the hair shaft quite easily, however, you may find some are a little bit harder to remove. The egg is actually secured to the hair shaft by a glue like substance the female louse secretes after she has laid the egg. This glue hardens around the hair shaft as well as the egg –which could prove to make some a little more stubborn to remove. In this case you can try to use your fingernails to loosen the attachment and then return to the nit combs.
NitWits Natural have specially designed a nit comb (NitWits Head Lice Comb) which has been laboratory tested by the Insect Control & Research Inc. It is an all in one comb with detangling teeth to help remove knots, fine metal teeth to remove the head lice and their eggs plus a 5 x magnifying glass to help detect the lice and eggs.
See the full NitWits range of head lice products
Always read the label. Use only as directed.
