Head Lice Help: What To Do Now

So you looked at the pictures, and it really is lice? These pages have all the head lice help and info you need to solve the problem quickly. Here's how to get started right now:

  • If you can easily afford it, look for a professional service in your area. These people know what they're doing and can take care of the problem fast. Choose a service with a guarantee.

  • If pros aren't an option (true for most of us), DON'T PANIC. This is not difficult or scary. I promise! Just be thorough.

    • Call your local drugstores/groceries until you find either the Terminator or the Licemeister comb. You need one of these. (The Terminator is better.)

    • You're also looking for a non-toxic enzyme shampoo .
      Lice-R-Gone is the one I used and recommend. It's also the only one I've seen in retail stores so far. (Here's a list of stores carrying it.)

    • Come home, treat with the shampoo (or just lots of regular hair conditioner on wet hair, if you don't have enzyme shampoo yet. Conditioner won't kill the bugs or dissolve nit glue like an enzyme shampoo, but it will make combing easier.)

      Follow the instructions here on how to remove nits. You'll be combing out both the bugs and their eggs. This is not hard, just painstaking.

Continue to check your kids' heads daily after comb-out, just to make sure you got everything. Repeat treatment/comb-out if you find even one missed nit.

Order a bottle or two of enzyme shampoo to keep in your cabinet, so you're ready immediately if you find a missed nit in a few days, or if head lice ever visit your family again. This stuff works like a charm to disable and kill the lice, and to remove the nit glue. Most lice professionals use it. (And of course it's non-toxic.)

My family has not had a repeat visit of head lice in over two years (we faithfully keep up our preventative measures) … but I'm ready with my comb and enzyme shampoo, just in case we ever do get lice again.

Now that you know how to start, here's some more very thorough and complete information about how to treat head lice …

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WHAT TO DO

Read "How To Treat" and "Removing Nits" before combing, to get it right the first time.
But here's a jump-start:

Either hire professionals, or
get the stuff the pros use:
I had mine shipped overnight. But nowadays you can probably find the Terminator comb at your local drugstore.

And if you're in a major city, you might be able to find enzyme shampoo as well. Check the "What To Do" page for info on where to find enzyme shampoo in retail stores.

Don't worry! Getting rid of lice is not hard, just painstaking. Do it right the first time.

Once you've ordered your stuff (or sent your husband out to buy it :-)), start by reading this page on how to treat head lice.

Before you start combing, read how to remove nits, completely.