Nitless Noggins

Nitless Noggins Scotts Valley
4200 Scotts Valley Dr, Suite D
Scotts Valley, CA 95066

Phone Icon (831) 566-6978

Nitless Noggins Campbell
Campbell, CA 95008


Phone Icon (408) 478-2748

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SCOTTS VALLEY rotary-phone-w (831) 566-6978
CAMPBELL rotary-phone-w (408) 478-2748

Lice Treatment Home Remedies

Home Remedies for Lice Treatment Frequently Asked Questions

How do I Check for Lice?

Method 1: Clean and dry the hair removing all tangles. Part the hair in sections and then begin to look for nits (lice eggs) focusing on the scalp starting at the top of the head working your way down to the hair line at the nape of the neck. Dandruff will easily flake away and move off the hair strands.  However, lice eggs (nits) will be firmly attached to the hair and appear to be little bumps. The eggs are white or tan in color. Some of the living lice may be moving around while you are checking.

Method 2: If you don’t trust your sight, another method to spotting lice is to dry comb the hair.  Part the hair into four sections. Using a metal nit comb, comb the hair from the scalp down to the ends of the hair making sure that you are scraping the comb along the scalp. Then, place an empty bowl (preferable a white one so you can see things easier) beneath the comb.  Run your fingers across the comb as if the bristles were guitar strings. Each time you brush the comb, you may see nits and lice fall off the comb into the bowl.  If you are still having a hard time distinguishing dandruff from nits, send me a photo to evaluate.

How Do I Treat Lice at Home?

Chemicals: There are numerous ideas on the internet such as Mayonnaise, Cataphyll, Vaseline, Listerine, and over the counter products with chemicals and pesticides.  Head lice are insects and like other insects, repeated exposure to chemicals over an extended period of time has allowed the lice to build up a resistance to the very products once used to kill them.

Nit Comb: If you are going to try to remove the lice using a nit comb, the most important thing to remember is that removing all the eggs is the main goal.  If all the eggs are not completely removed, you may face another round of lice after the eggs hatch.

Manual Nit Picking: If you are going to do it this way you should spend a few hours each day going through manually picking and combing with a metal comb to make sure that you find all the remaining nits.  This should be done for a week or two depending on the severity of the lice infestation and the type of hair.  This is a very time consuming way but it can be done.  To make sure you removed all the nits I would recommend have a professional lice technician make sure you are clear so that you are not having to start all over again in a few weeks.

How do I prevent a re-infestation of lice after treatment?

Flooring –   Sweep hardwood or use a vacuum for carpets and floors.

Bedding/Clothing – All clothing and bedding that has been used within the last 3 days must be washed in hot water and dry on high for 30 minutes or more. Wash only the items that cover the bed and pillow cases, not underlying covers, pillows, underlying padding.

Furniture/Car– Leather couches or chairs may be wiped clean. Cloth couches need to be vacuumed. Do not use lice spray. The spray may hurt people and animals. Also, be sure to clean child carriers!

Toys and Stuffed Animals – Vacuum all stuffed animals and store them in a plastic bag for at least 72hrs, or, if heat resistant, they can go in the dryer for 30 min on high heat.

Combs, Brushes, and Hair Accessories – There are three methods for taking care of hair accessories.

1) Remove all remaining hair from each item and place on the top rack of dishwasher for a complete cycle.

2) Heat a pot of water to boiling. Turn the heat off and place the brushes and combs in the water for 20 minutes. Do not boil the items.

3) You can also freeze items in a plastic bag for 24 hours. If you cannot pull all the hair out completely you may want to let the brush sit for 3 days.