The solution to dealing with head lice is very simple, but that doesn't mean it is easy. It is easy to say, "Just simply remove all eggs and bugs from the hair" but it is another thing altogether to actually get it done. It requires time and persistence over days or even weeks depending on the magnitude of the problem. I know that you want to deal with head lice quickly - that's why people purchase the chemical treatments. These treatments claim to deal with head lice in less than a half hour! But, they simply don't work. I'm so sorry - I wish they did, but they don't.
But proper combs are effective. I have seen people spend dollar after dollar on treatments, but they don't want to spend the money on getting a proper lice comb and I don't understand this. Maybe these people think that one comb is just like another or that the comb that comes with the chemical treatment is sufficient. I'm not sure, but I do know that getting a proper comb will drastically cut the time spent on lice removal. And, it is of great value because you can use it again and again for years to come. I have gone to homes where the client is sure they have picked out every egg and bug, and then I take a look and also see no signs of active lice infestation. But then I comb through the hair with a proper metal lice comb and teeny live bugs are found.
So please, do yourself a favour. Get a proper metal comb such as the Licemeister (available in Edmonton at Split Enz Hair, 780-406-8181), the Nit Free Terminator, or the excellent purple dual sided lice comb that is selling so cheaply at Walmart. (The other combs at Walmart - the metal one with the blue handle, the all metal one, or the plastic combs - will NOT do.) Stop buying the chemical treatments and do something that really works. Once you get the right comb, follow the steps for picking lice out of someone else's hair, or the steps for picking lice out of your own hair.
If you have purchased one of these combs, I thank you. If you use it properly and regularly, your neighbours thank you, your kid's teachers thank you, and your co-workers thank you. Well done.
The purple comb looks a lot like the metal comb that comes in the RID kits. Would it work just as well?
ReplyDeleteI don't know which comb is in the RID kits. Does it have a blue handle? I have seen kits that come with metal combs and the teeth are quite bendable which makes them less effective. If the teeth on your comb are very rigid and don't easily separate, then it may work. A good metal lice comb combs out nits and nymphs as well as adult lice. If your comb isn't doing that, you probably should get a better comb.
ReplyDeleteI'm finding the combs ( Nisska metal comb) as well as many others do not get all the eggs out. I literally pull them out with my nails. Is that a common problem with the nits are they so small they slip through the comb?
ReplyDeleteI use the Nit Free Terminator and I don't have that problem at all. It gets out all the eggs, I even scour my kids hair checking for JIC any are missed and nope.
DeleteAwesome comb! :-D
Much appreciate your blog post
ReplyDelete