Head Lice Home Treatment is as Important as Head Treatment

There's no doubt that it's vitally important to remove every adult and egg louse on your child's head. But, it's equally important to make sure that they're removed from our home, too. Follow these steps to make sure head lice home treatment is done properly.

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When your child comes home with a case of head lice, home treatment is just as important to keeping them from coming back as pulling lice and nits from their heads. However, this task can be just as daunting, owing to the wide array of surfaces they can crawl to and take up residence. Though lice do not survive very long away from their hosts, they will keep coming back again and again if these sources of re-infection are not dealt with in a very thorough manner.

Treating head lice with heat

The first line of defense is to wash linens, pillowcases, hats and clothes in very hot water that is at least 150F/66C for no less than 10 minutes. This is usually accomplished by washing these items in hot water and drying with high heat. In the case of heavy infestations, you may want to repeat this step twice and follow up by tightly sealing these items away in plastic bags for at least 10 days, with 20 days being the best. This allows plenty of time for the nits to hatch and starve. Most eggs will hatch within a week with the new “nymphs” succumbing within a few days. It's better safe than sorry, though it is debatable as to whether adding bleach has any effect on the ability of nits or adults to survive., despite being heavily touted on community health.

Isolation for non-washable items

There are many items that are not machine washable, but must also be treated. Again, isolation is the best method for dealing with these items, including stuffed animals and pillows. You should expect these items to be out of commission for up to 14 days. This can be hard on young children, but you'll have to be strong for the duration, especially when they ask when their toys can come back. Lice removal can be hard on a kid, no matter how old they may be.

Vacuuming the rest up

It’s essential that you thoroughly vacuum your home. When you change the vacuum bag, dispose of it immediately and if your vacuum requires emptying dirt into the trash, throw it out right away. Don’t forget to vacuum the furniture as well. If there are items you cannot wash you can bag them or put them in a room that you don’t use for a few weeks. Removing their food source is a good way to prevent lice reinfestation. Vacuum regularly so that you can catch any freshly hatched nits.

When addressing any lice treatment, home treatment is just as important in making sure the problem doesn't just keep coming back.

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