Extremely Effective Ways to Treat Super Lice

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get rid of them, but they just won’t budge. What now? Well, there’s a good chance you’re dealing with super lice.

Super lice are increasingly becoming a drag on US parents. Studies have found that they consist of up to three-quarters of the head lice population – this means that up to 9 million of the estimated annual infestations are due to these nasty pests.

What does this mean? More missed days of school, more missed days of work for parents, and some very uncomfortable children!

With common over-the-counter treatments ineffective against super lice, you need an effective treatment as soon as possible. But what works? How can we send lice packing?

Prescription lice treatments

When that over-the-counter insecticide didn’t work, the next port of call for many parents is their child’s pediatrician. For cases of super lice, your doctor is most likely to recommend a chemical treatment that is only available by prescription.

The CDC lists a few prescription treatments approved for lice. You may have come across treatments such as Ulesfia, Sklice, Ovide or Natroba before. All of these have been shown to be effective against super lice, however, you need to weigh the usage against potential side-effects. All of them mention skin irritation as a possible risk of usage, while Ovide warns that “Malathion lotion is flammable. Do not use electric heat sources, including hair dryers.” Hmm, that’s not exactly comforting! As parents, we want safe treatments for our kids and if we can avoid nasty side-effects, we’re probably going to take that option. It’s also worth noting that the jury is out among scientists in terms of these drugs being effective long-term. They suggest that doctors need to rotate what they prescribe, to prevent over-exposure and the lice developing further resistance.

Lice treatment salons

If you prefer to give the prescription chemicals a miss, then there are several lice treatment clinics across the country where you can get your child treated. That’s right, someone else will remove the nits and lice!

Salon methods vary between clinics, but a common treatment option is one using heat. Special heated devices are used on the hair to dehydrate the lice and their eggs. This can kill the lice and eggs (although not always all of them) so that they are then removed by combing.

As an alternative, some clinics use a “smothering” technique on lice, such as by coating the hair with olive oil. Again, they comb the insects and eggs out afterwards.

The big pro for parents of going to a lice treatment clinic is that you don’t have to deal with the mess. Someone else is doing it all for you and you can walk out feeling relieved. On the other hand, convenience comes at a price. Most of these clinics have rates that start somewhere around $100 per hour. Anyone with long, thick hair will easily use more time than this. You’ve then got to consider the cost across multiple children, or if you need to go back for further treatment.

Lice treatment salons are a nice convenience, but the cost can quickly add up for parents. If you don’t have that sort of money available, then you’re probably looking for something that is both safe and effective that you can do at home.

At-home super lice treatments

With insecticide treatments not working on super lice, you’re left with finding a method to physically remove them at home.

Combing them out is the most common, effective method, with the bonus of not using nasty chemicals. You could use a salon method (such as the olive oil), then use a special, fine-toothed lice comb to remove them. On the positive side, this is a cheap method, on the negative, it is time-consuming, messy and may not work if you find it difficult to be thorough. Every strand needs to be combed!

Another home-based method is to use an electric lice comb. These boost the effectiveness of your combing by zapping lice with an electric charge, stunning or killing them. A product like the RobiComb® is easy to use, safe and proven effective.

The cons of electric lice combs are much like other forms of combing – it can be time-consuming to do properly. On the pro side, they are more effective than a regular comb, relatively cheap (under $25) and can be used on the whole family. Bonus – there is no sticky mess! The RobiComb® can also be cleaned and reused any time it is needed, making the investment worth it for parents of young children!

If you’re dealing with super lice, it can be incredibly frustrating trying to get rid of them. Rest assured though, you can treat them effectively and get your life back to normal before you know it.