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What to Remember When Using a Louse Comb

By: Rashel Dan Lice is such a common and enduring problem that even people a long time ago have had to deal with these pests. Before there were chemical products, there were natural home remedies and louse combs. Here are things to take note of if you still prefer to use a louse comb over other methods.

Why You Need a Comb

Even in this modern day and age with modern treatments you may still need a louse comb. Lice have become so adaptable that some of them have learned how to resist even chemical treatment. Some of them survive natural home made treatments too. This means that even though you do manage to kill off a lot of lice with a specific treatment, some may survive long enough to lay more eggs and suck more blood. A good louse comb will help make sure that you really get rid of every single louse.

A Good Comb

Combs come in different kinds. Some are made of plastic and others of metal. They also have different shapes and sizes and teeth spaces. A lot of parents however would prefer a sturdy metal louse comb with very fine teeth.

The teeth of a louse comb are a very important feature because some nits are no more than .2 mm wide. Widely spaced teeth will not affect or damage the nits. Some parents would also prefer to buy a louse comb with slightly rounded tips to help protect your child's scalp from injury.

Combing and Picking

Some parents will have to manually look for evidence of lice on their kids' hair. Experts suggest though that a louse comb can do the job better especially if you have poor eyesight. Once you do find lice, you can continue to use a louse comb as a safe and natural solution to lice.

The louse comb can be used immediately, as it is. However, others suggest soaking it in rubbing alcohol or disinfectant first. The added substance may help smother the lice as you comb through the hair. Always remember to comb from the scalp outward. Most nits can be found near the scalp.

Your Child's Hair

Using louse comb can be disadvantageous to your kids, though. The real trouble with using a louse comb is that the fine teeth could damage your child's hair. Using it with alcohol could also result in hair damage and scalp dryness. A tip to help prevent too much hair breakage is to comb your child's hair first with a regular brush or a widely spaced comb. Taking care of your child's hair and scalp is as important as getting rid of lice.

Using Oil

You can use olive oil or coconut oil on the hair and scalp. It is believed that both substances can help both smother the lice and get the nits loose. Too much oil though might make the hair too oily for the comb to do its job. It might also be a little difficult to get the oil off and your kid's hair might require a few shampooing sessions before the oil is removed.