The Importance of Lice Treatment

If you are one of the millions unlucky parents who discovered your child has head lice, don’t feel alone. Head lice is a rampant issues across the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that 10 to 20 million people a year get head lice in the U.S. The prime age group for the spread of head lice is children between the ages of 5-14 years old. To stop the spread of head lice, many schools have a “no nit policy” which means that children end up missing school and parents end up missing work. As a parent, it is important to treat your child thoroughly, effectively and safely as quickly as possibly.

Thankfully, there are many head lice treatment options available. It is important to be aware of your options and choose a natural lice shampoo over a chemical (toxic) treatment. Studies show that lice can be resistant to the chemical shampoos. They can also be harmful to children because their young immune systems can’t always tolerate the toxins. Look for a natural lice treatment in your local high-end pharmacy or health food store. Since lice themselves are not harmful, remain calm and remember a safe lice treatment for children makes much more sense! And, when you choose a non toxic lice treatment, it can be used repeatedly. Look for natural lice shampoo that has several applications per bottle. This makes natural lice treatment more cost effective as well.

A good natural lice shampoo will kill the live lice. Make sure you work the lice shampoo into the scalp thoroughly and let it soak in for a few minutes. Rinse the hair. Then, it is important to remove as many nits as possible. This is best done with a long-toothed metal nit comb and some conditioner. (Look for natural lice treatment kits that come with everything you need!) Divide the hair into sections and comb through each section thoroughly, making sure you graze the scalp and bring the comb all the way to the ends of the hair. Use paper towels to wipe the comb clean. Continue the process until you get a “clean” comb. It is essential to repeat the non toxic treatment every few days for 2 full weeks, and continue to comb out any nits during this period.

If you are looking for ways to prevent a head lice outbreak in your home, there are also effective lice repellent products available. Head lice do not like the scent of some essential oils such as tea tree and lavender. It is recommended that children with long hair always wear it up and back at school. This habit, along with the daily use of a natural lice repellent product, can be helpful. It is also worth noting that head lice prefer clean hair to dirty hair. By using lice repellent products such as leave-in conditioners and hair gels, the hair is “coated” and therefore less hospitable to head lice.

Other tips to avoid head lice include never sharing hairbrushes or hair accessories, not sharing helmets or hats and not sharing bath towels or pillows. It’s a good idea to share this information with your children—and keep reminding them!

Getting head lice is a huge nuisance. But knowledge is power! So stock up on some natural lice treatment—just in case. It’s better to have some non toxic lice shampoo on hand because it is not always readily available (it’s generally not available at large chain drug stores). Also, grab your kids on the way out the door for school. Just before you kiss them good-bye, give them a spritz and a dab of good natural lice repellent!

Melissa Gordon is the author of this article on Lice Repellent. Find more information on Lice Treatment here.