Treatment

If your child has lice, use an anti-lice shampoo or rinse. Wait at least eight hours after using the shampoo to remove the nits. Remove them by combing the hair with a fine-tooth comb or pulling them out individually.

Lice can’t live more than 24 hours off the human body. Vacuum your child’s room. Soak combs and brushes one hour in a solution made from the anti-lice shampoo. Wash your child’s sheets and pillowcases in hot water. Items that can’t be washed can be sealed in plastic bags for two weeks (the longest that nits can survive).

Check the heads of everyone living in your home. Treat anyone who has scalp rashes, sores, or itching. Your child can return to school after the first treatment with the shampoo.

Call your child’s doctor during office hours if:

• The rash and itching are not gone one week after treatment
• The sores start to spread or look infected
• The lice and nits return
• You have other questions or concerns