How to improve the treatment for head lice at home
Using a lice comb
A lice comb helps to improve the treatment’s effectiveness. Using a lice comb is considered important when the school policy calls for your child to be nit-free. If it is too much trouble for you, you can shave your scalp bald.
Treat friends and family
Getting head lice are common for close friends and family members. It is recommended by lice doctors that you check everyone for the presence of head lice every day for 10-15 days.
When should you see a dermatologist for head lice?
If at-home treatment fails to work, you should prefer seeing a dermatologist for lice treatment. The following prescription medicines are approved by The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat head lice:
- Benzyl alcohol lotion
This medicine is applied to dry hair and is approved to treat head lice in people from 6 months of age and above. You would want to saturate your hair and scalp while using this treatment. Thoroughly rinse the medicine off your hair after 10 minutes. You must repeat the treatment in 7 days as the lotion does not kill the eggs of lice.
While using the medicine, you are required to comb your hair for nits. The most common side effect that you might face is irritated skin.
- Ivermectin lotion
This medicine is known to offer convenience and is also approved to treat head lice in people ranging from 6 months of age and above. It generally treats head lice with a single-use. You might not even be required to comb your hair for nits.
Possible but temporary effects could be eye irritation, burning sensation on the skin, and itchy skin.
- Malathion lotion
Malathion lotion is approved to treat people who are six years old or more in age. It tends to work by paralyzing and killing the eggs and the lice. It is potent medicine. You must make sure to:
- Keep the medicine away from your eyes
- Not smile while you are using the medicine
- Keep any electrical appliance producing heat turned off
- Keep the medicine away from direct flames
- Spinosad suspension
Spinosad suspension is approved for the effective treatment of head lice in 6 months old or older people. It has also been discovered that the medicine is effective and safe when directed by lice doctors.
Conclusion
When you are treating lice, it is important that you carefully follow all the directions as it is. If you fail to follow the prescribed directions for the treatment with medications, that is one of the leading reasons behind re-infestation.
