Anti-lice Shampoos

Studies have shown, what many parents have already experienced, that popular over-the-counter anti-lice shampoos are only partially effective.

While previous studies of the shampoos relied on tests of the products in laboratory conditions, one company removed lice from the 52 infested children immediately after they had been shampooed and monitored their fate.

His findings: Only about half the lice exposed to the products wound up dying. Some parents have communicated that hardly any shampoo bought over the counter works. The situation is only likely to worsen as lice continue to build up immunity to the class of chemicals found in common anti-lice shampoos. Worldwide head lice outbreaks have increased significantly in the past five years as a result of lice adapting to the chemicals, which have been on the market for about 20 years.

Anti-lice treatments prescribed by a doctor contain the same chemicals, but the concentration is about five times greater, and the treatments appear to be effective at such high levels.

If you want to make sure you're going to kill all the lice the first time, you'd better get the prescription product.

It is important that after using the anti-lice shampoo, check your child's hair every night until all of the lice and nits have been removed. Check the scalp thoroughly and remove all lice (alive or dead) that you find. Next, use your lice comb again and go through each section of hair until all nits have been removed.

Cleaning the House

Lice can live for up to three days off of the human body, so it is important to follow these steps to prevent re-infestation:

1. Wash all bedding and recently worn clothing in hot water and dry in the sun or in a hot dryer.
2. Soak combs/brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.
3. Vacuum to remove all lice and hairs with attached nits from furniture, rugs, stuffed animals and car seats. Place items that can not be washed or vacuumed into plastic bags for three weeks.
4. Change your child's sheets and pillowcases every night for a week and wash in hot water.
Important Reminders

1. Be patient. This is a frustrating problem.
2. Check your children for lice regularly and teach them to not share combs, brushes or hats.
3. Avoid using lice sprays, pesticides, gasoline or other non-approved products on your child.
Treatment Failures

While there is much evidence that lice are becoming resistant to the effects of anti-lice shampoos, the most common reasons for treatment to not work is failure to remove all of the nits or your child is continuing to be exposed to someone with lice. After treatment, if you continue to see nits, but no live lice, then that may not really be a treatment failure. Nits, even when empty, can stay attached to the hair for a long time. Continue checking your child's hair and scalp daily to remove nits until they are all gone.