The comb and conditioner method is the preferred way to detect and treat head lice because it is effective, does not contribute to insecticide resistance in head lice and also presents a low risk of skin irritation.
What you’ll need
Normal comb to detangle hair prior to using metal lice comb
Fine toothed metal lice comb (available from your local chemist or online)
Conditioner – buy a cheap brand as you will be needing a lot of it, and preferably one that is white to make spotting the lice easier
White paper towel
What to do
1. Try sitting the child between your legs on a low stool and play a video for kid’s entertainment while you work. If the child has long and thick hair this may take up to an hour.
2. Wrap a towel or kitchen paper around the child’s shoulders to catch conditioner spill.
3. Remove any hair clips, ribbons or clasps from the child’s head and comb out plaits and braids.
4. Apply liberal amounts of conditioner to the scalp and massage it through all the hair shafts. Every hair has to be coated to ensure it reaches the lice.
5. Lice live close to the scalp, so make sure that you cover the hair shaft close to the scalp. You don’t have to work the conditioner onto the whole length of the hair. Combing will spread it well enough. The idea of the application is to restrict the movement of the head lice long enough for you to catch them with a comb.
6. After you’ve applied the conditioner, use a large comb to part small sections of the hair starting from the nape and working upwards toward the crown. Eggs are often found behind the ears and toward the back of the head. By using this method, you are more likely to find the head lice on top of and toward the front of the head.
7. When the hair is detangled and manageable, use a fine lice comb to comb out each section several times.
8. After each comb out, wipe the conditioner on the paper towel. If the child has head lice, you will see them on the towel.
9. Keep combing each section of hair until no further lice, nymphs or eggs appear on the paper towel. You may see lots of old egg casings that may take a while to remove.
10. Once you have combed and recombed each section of hair, wash out the conditioner.
11. Simply clean the comb with hot soapy water and rinse off with hot water.
12. If your child has long hair, re-plait or tie it back. Kids with short hair may like their hair spiked.
13. It is very important to retreat the hair after seven days to ensure that any immature head lice that have hatched since the initial treatment are removed before they can lay more eggs.
Source: Health NSW
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