Nitty Nora
Question
I keep catching head lice from my little girl. I'm finding it really embarrassing and can't even get my hair cut in case there are some lice there.
The thing is, I only have to think about them and I start to itch, so I don't know if they've gone or not. I used treatment from the chemist but someone told me it doesn't always work. How can I tell for certain they have gone?
Answer
To check if you still have head lice in your hair, you should wet comb it with a special comb available from chemists. It is true that lice are sometimes resistant to insecticidal lotions, which is why the wet combing method is recommended.
You should wet the hair and then comb through fully from the roots to the tips onto a light coloured cloth. Any lice or eggs in the hair should fall onto the cloth. Make sure you cover every area of hair fully. Alternatively, you could use the comb to examine your scalp in the mirror (again with wet hair). This may not be as effective as lice are very good at hiding!
It's a good idea to check all members of the family with this method at the same time to prevent passing the lice back and forth.
If the problem persists then it may be worth speaking to your local doctor (GP) about the situation to see what treatments they can recommend.
Updated: 25/01/2007
Question answered by bss
