Having lice in the head is not unusual, high temperature, dusty climate, and irregular follow-up of cleanliness give rise to the population of lice in head. And if you don’t get the right treatment for its eradication your head lice then it will not only reflect your irresponsibility but it will also be annoying for other near you as lice tends to transfer one place or head to another rapidly thereby growing their generation but destroying your confidence.

Kids are the most vulnerable host for lice but that doesn’t mean that lice cannot appear in heads of young ones. Whoever the suspect is, finding the long-lasting head lice solutions is important because you want your child to smile, participate, and grow confidently among others (fellow children).

Steps for the Ultimate head lice solutions

If your child got scurf you need to determine the reasons and for this, first of all, it is recommended to visit the doctor. Your doctor will also look for nits in your child’s hair. To find nits, he or she may use a specialized light called a Wood’s light, which causes nits to appear bluish. But the identification of nits does not necessarily confirm the diagnosis of an active lice swarm.

To survive a live nit needs to be near the scalp. Nits are deemed to be dead or empty those found more than about 1/4 inch-6 mm from the scalp.

To check if they are living, suspect nits are examined under a microscope (evidence of a likely active lice infestation).

In case, no live nits are found, they are probably left from a previous infestation and do not need to be treated.

Treatment

In case, live nits are found treatment is started. To kills lice and some of the nits, your doctor would recommend an over-the-counter also known as OTC prescription.

It is not necessary that these medications kill recently laid eggs. Therefore, to kill nymphs after they hatch but before they become adult lice a suitably scheduled second treatment is necessary to apply. Recently conducted researches showed that for a second treatment, retreating seven to nine days after the first treatment is the ideal time, but other retreatment schedules exist. Consult your doctor for written instructions for a recommended treatment schedule.

Over-the-counter Medications 

Pyrethrin is employed in OTC products. This is a chemical compound extracted from the chrysanthemum flower that is ultimately toxic to lice. It is suggested that before using one of these treatments wash the hair of your child with shampoo with no conditioner. Rinse the hair with white vinegar prior to washing. It will eventually dissolve the glue that holds the nits to the hair shafts.

It is noteworthy to follow the guidelines on the package to learn how long to leave the chemical product in the hair and rinse your child’s hair over a sink with warm water.

Generally, in over-the-counter treatment method following chemicals are included;

• Permethrin (Nix)

In this OTC medication, a synthetic version of pyrethrin, Permethrin does not kill nits, and treatment needs to be repeated nine to ten days after the first application. Side effects may include redness and itching of the scalp that are temporary.

• Pyrethrin with additives (Rid)

Pyrethrin is combined with another chemical that augments its effectiveness and results. This product only kills lice and needs to be reapplied 9-10 days after the first treatment to kill the eggs as well. Side effects may include itching and redness of the scalp. Pyrethrin should not be used if your child is allergic to chrysanthemum or ragweed.

These chemicals are harmless for human skin or hair but toxic for lice, nits, and eggs. Also, type of hairs i.e., length, thin, heavy, etc. also dictates the time of treatment needs to be repeated to get complete results 

Prescription medications

It is also not worthy that these reliable head lice solutions (OTC) may not work in some geographic regions. Incorrect use of the medication, such as not repeating the treatment at an appropriate time may also cause the failure of treatment. Your doctor may recommend a prescription treatment in case the accurate use of an over-the-counter treatment has failed.

It will include;

1. Ivermectin (Sklice)

Ivermectin also known as ‘Sklice’ is venomous to lice. It is approved for use with children age six months or older. It can be applied once to dry hair and then rinsed with water after ten minutes. Ivermectin is also available as a tablet to be digested orally by children weighing more than 33 lbs, if other topical treatments do not effectively eliminate a lice influx.

2. Spinosad (Natroba)

Spinosad is approved for use with kids of age six months or older. It can be applied to dry hair and rinse with warm water after 10 minutes. It kills lice and nits and usually doesn’t need repeated treatment.

3. Malathion

Malathion is approved for use with people age 6 or older. The lotion is applied, left to dry naturally, and rinsed out after eight to 12 hours. The drug has high alcohol content, so it can’t be used with a hairdryer or near an open flame. Malathion can be reapplied seven to nine days after the first treatment if necessary.

How Long Lice Can Survive

Studies say that on a person’s head an adult louse can survive up to 30 days. A louse needs to feed on blood several times a day to live. Lice will die within 1-2 days off the host without blood meals. The life cycle of head lice has three stages; egg, nymph, and adult.

Since lice can only crawl and survive outside your head for 24 hours, most infestations come from direct head-to-head contact. If someone you know has lice, so the chances are he or she might get it from a friend, family member, or stranger with whom they had close contact. Influx is also facilitated by sharing items like hats or brushes.

So, if your child gets lice don’t need to get panic although it is important to get rid of this unwanted guest, but find a reliable and the best head lice treatment from the above-mentioned OTC medications.