Help Minimize Lice This School Year – Try These Tips
Head lice are a common nuisance of childhood but can happen to anyone. Lice can quickly be picked up by sharing hats, scarves, hair accessories, and clothes; sharing combs, brushes or towels; or lying on a bed, couch, pillow – even cuddling a stuffed animal that belongs to a child who has lice can be a vehicle for transport.
To help prevent lice, avoid the kind of sharing discussed above, particularly if you know there’s a local outbreak.
To treat head lice: Try a natural solution of one-percent permethrin cream rinse, sold as Nix and Neem, which is derived from a tree in India. While lice can develop resistance to permethrin products and they can aggravate asthma in some children, both are relatively safe. Lice B Gone, a non-toxic, multi-enzyme shampoo made from plant sources that seems to get rid of lice in a single application, is another option. It works by softening the glue that holds the nits (lice eggs) to the hair shaft and also dissolves the exoskeletons of adult lice. Since it contains no pesticides, Lice B Gone is considered safe for pregnant women, nursing mothers, young children and people with asthma. It may take several rounds of treatment to finally overcome lice. Meanwhile, make sure you are limiting its spread to those around you.
Today’s Health Topics
Editor's Pick
Health Focus
Ask Dr. Weil's Q&A
