How to Remove Nits from Hair
Exterminate all adult lice., Try a prescription shampoo., Suffocate the live lice as an alternative., Prepare your nit-removal area.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Exterminate all adult lice.
Removing the nits from the hair of the person affected won't make a difference if adult lice are still able to breed.
As long as there are adult lice, new batches of eggs will continue to appear on the hair.
These additional eggs will then hatch into more lice, which in turn will lay more eggs.
This unending cycle is not broken until all adult lice have been killed.Submerging your hair underwater for an extended period of time will not kill or drown lice.
Studies show that the lice simply cling to the hair or scalp while underwater and can survive underwater for several hours.
The chlorine in pool water, unfortunately, is also not strong enough to kill lice.
To kill adult lice, wash your hair, or that of the person affected, with over-the-counter lice shampoo.
In extreme cases of head lice, prescription-strength head lice shampoo is also available. -
Step 2: Try a prescription shampoo.
One option is Pyrethrum, which comes from chrysanthemum flowers that harbor natural insecticides called pyrethrins.
Pyrethrins attack lice’s nervous systems, though some lice are now resistant to the toxin.Apply the shampoo to dry hair.
Then, wait ten minutes, add water, work into a lather, and rinse.
You should then try to remove nits and repeat the process seven to 10 days later, to kill any remaining bugs. , Although there are few clinical studies on its effectiveness, some people believe that you can kill lice by suffocation.
The way this works is that certain products, they argue, clog the bugs’ breathing holes.
Lice can survive for hours without breathing, but eventually they will die.Try a petroleum jelly like Vaseline.
Apply the jelly to your hair and scalp thickly.
The jelly must remain for up to eight hours to kill, and you should wear a shower cap to restrict air flow.
Keep in mind that Vaseline will be very hard to remove and will not kill the nits.Some people also advocate the use of common olive oil.
Again, some claim that the oil plugs the insects’ breathing holes and suffocates them.
Like Vaseline, you should apply the oil to your hair and scalp, don a shower cap, and wait about eight hours before cleaning the oil.
As a bonus, the oil should loosen the nits from your hair and make it easier to remove them.Mayonnaise may work as well.
Mayo contains a large amount of oil, which seems to be the suffocating ingredient.
Apply to your hair and scalp like Vaseline and olive oil.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that regular, high fat mayonnaise works best., Sit down in an area with plenty of natural or artificial light.
This will make it easier the person removing the nits to actually see them, as they are small and are glued to the hair near the scalp.Additionally, drape a towel over your shoulders to catch any hair or nits that fall off. -
Step 3: Suffocate the live lice as an alternative.
-
Step 4: Prepare your nit-removal area.
Detailed Guide
Removing the nits from the hair of the person affected won't make a difference if adult lice are still able to breed.
As long as there are adult lice, new batches of eggs will continue to appear on the hair.
These additional eggs will then hatch into more lice, which in turn will lay more eggs.
This unending cycle is not broken until all adult lice have been killed.Submerging your hair underwater for an extended period of time will not kill or drown lice.
Studies show that the lice simply cling to the hair or scalp while underwater and can survive underwater for several hours.
The chlorine in pool water, unfortunately, is also not strong enough to kill lice.
To kill adult lice, wash your hair, or that of the person affected, with over-the-counter lice shampoo.
In extreme cases of head lice, prescription-strength head lice shampoo is also available.
One option is Pyrethrum, which comes from chrysanthemum flowers that harbor natural insecticides called pyrethrins.
Pyrethrins attack lice’s nervous systems, though some lice are now resistant to the toxin.Apply the shampoo to dry hair.
Then, wait ten minutes, add water, work into a lather, and rinse.
You should then try to remove nits and repeat the process seven to 10 days later, to kill any remaining bugs. , Although there are few clinical studies on its effectiveness, some people believe that you can kill lice by suffocation.
The way this works is that certain products, they argue, clog the bugs’ breathing holes.
Lice can survive for hours without breathing, but eventually they will die.Try a petroleum jelly like Vaseline.
Apply the jelly to your hair and scalp thickly.
The jelly must remain for up to eight hours to kill, and you should wear a shower cap to restrict air flow.
Keep in mind that Vaseline will be very hard to remove and will not kill the nits.Some people also advocate the use of common olive oil.
Again, some claim that the oil plugs the insects’ breathing holes and suffocates them.
Like Vaseline, you should apply the oil to your hair and scalp, don a shower cap, and wait about eight hours before cleaning the oil.
As a bonus, the oil should loosen the nits from your hair and make it easier to remove them.Mayonnaise may work as well.
Mayo contains a large amount of oil, which seems to be the suffocating ingredient.
Apply to your hair and scalp like Vaseline and olive oil.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that regular, high fat mayonnaise works best., Sit down in an area with plenty of natural or artificial light.
This will make it easier the person removing the nits to actually see them, as they are small and are glued to the hair near the scalp.Additionally, drape a towel over your shoulders to catch any hair or nits that fall off.
About the Author
Larry Taylor
Committed to making organization accessible and understandable for everyone.
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