FAQ
Scratching the head because it feels itchy. This only happens when a person is allergic to louse saliva (lice puncture the skin and inject their saliva to keep the blood from coagulating). A sensation that something is crawling in your hair; this might not itch, but can be a very uncomfortable feeling. On items such as pillows, duvets and hats, head lice will appear as tiny black dots.
Tiny bites, above and behind the ears, the nape of the neck, or, when girls have longer hair, on the shoulders. It can look like a rash as the bites are so small.
White or cream coloured dots the shape of a teardrops at the top of the hair shaft, within two to three centimetres of the scalp. If they are well and truly stuck and will only move when slid down the hair shaft with tweezers or nails then this is definitely head lice or nits. Dandruff will flick off easily.
Sometimes head lice will run out of the hair across the forehead, although they tend to stay within the hair as they use their claws to grab on to the hair strand.
NitNot recommend using a clear conditioner onto clean dry hair, immersing all of the hair, including all the wispy bits around the hair line, and completely covering the scalp.
Firstly, prepare yourself for combing by wearing short sleeves and a shower cap or hat to protect your own hair. Then sit in a comfortable chair such that you are eye-level.
Sit by a bright light and use of a magnifying glass or mobile app to see the tiny head lice, lice eggs and nits
Comb the clear conditioner throughout the hair with a large toothed comb to further distribute the conditioner and also to get rid of all tangle and knots.
Use a hairdressing metal pin comb to separate the hair into sections – how many will depend on how thick the hair is – and use big enough clips to keep hair secure in each section. Remember to use straight lines.
Let down one section at a time. Using the metal pin comb take out a small sliced section at the bottom of the hairline. You will be working in an upwards direction. Secure the rest of the section back up and out of your way.
Position the teeth of the lice comb at the very top of the hair shaft and rest on the scalp at a 16-degree angle, pull the comb down the length of the hair from the root to the end of the hair and slide off the hair at the bottom. At NitNot, we will comb using the same method at four angles: north, south, east and west of down the hair.
When combing after each downward stroke wipe the clear conditioner on a white towel/tissue and look for little brown and tan flecks and tiny little lice bugs (up to the size of a sesame seed).
Keep combing until the conditioner on the towel is clear of specks or lice.
Have a look at the section just combed and if any lice eggs or nits are found use a tweezer to slide down the hair shaft and off the hair.
Work in a methodical manner, completing one section before moving to another. Keep the cleared sections away from hair that has not been treated.
When complete take the sections down and comb where the partings were.
When the hair is down comb through all the hair from forehead back and from each side of the head and towards the other side.
Wash out the conditioner and check the water for any lice debris.
Sterilize the combs and put clips and bands in a plastic bag after washing. Do not use and for at least three days.
If using the combing method with conditioner to remove lice and eggs, you must comb every 3 to 4 days until the entire infestation has been removed. This can take up to a month depending on the severity of the infestation.
To prevent further infestations, check hair once a week when washing by using the lice comb and wiping on a white tissue/towel.
Once the lice are killed they should wash or easily comb out of the hair – there is no need for a laborious combing regime. The empty egg cases or nits are glued to the hair shaft and can be removed with the fingers or a fine toothed comb if desired. Stubborn egg loosening lotion can be used to help with removal.
The amount of serum needed depends entirely upon the length of hair to be treated. A bottle should be sufficient for a two-dose treatment of short hair. Longer hair or multiple treatments will require a larger bottle.
Nitnot Eco serum kill lice and eggs in one go. In order to ensure that the lice are effectively eradicated, a second dose lotion should be applied seven days after the first treatment to deal with any eggs which may have hatched since the first application. The ‘nits’ (empty egg cases) are glued to the hair but are completely harmless. Stubborn Egg Loosening Lotion can be used to help remove the eggs when doing so by comb or using your fingers.
To prevent further infestations, check hair once a week when washing by using the lice comb and wiping on a white tissue/towel.
It is never a pleasant thing to find in your families hair, but head lice do adore loving families that hug and cuddle. Because they get around because of hair to hair contact and have no preference for type of hair. We are ALL likely to get head lice at some point..
