How to Treat amp Get Rid of Head Lice in Your Home Fast
How to Treat & Get Rid of Head Lice in Your Home Fast Skip to content
Motley Fool Stock Advisor recommendations have an average return of 397%. For $79 (or just $1.52 per week), join more than 1 million members and don't miss their upcoming stock picks. 30 day money-back guarantee. Sign Up Now Nicolle learned that sterilizing the clothing of the infected person helped stop the spread of the disease. This method of prevention was used during World War I, but millions of people continued to die as a result of typhus after World Wars I and II. While we now think of a head lice infestation as a harmless annoyance, before the age of antibiotics, it was sometimes fatal. From the 1950s to 1970s, the extensive use of DDT limited head lice infestations. After 1977, head lice cases began to resurface and were treated with a new chemical, Permethrin, the active ingredient in NIX. By the 1990s, several countries, including the U.S., reported that lice were resistant to Permethrin. People continue to use commercial chemical treatments with mixed success today. In addition, within the last 10 years, salons that specialize in removing head lice have cropped up around the country, usually in large cities. Head lice infestations happen to a reported 6 to 12 million people a year, according to the CDC, and that only includes the number of reported cases; millions of cases may go unreported every year. As a fun fact, many words in the English language today come from our experience with lice, including nit-picking, lousy, nitwit, nitty-gritty, and reviewing something with a fine-tooth comb.
When we arrived at the salon, the owner and his assistant were very friendly. They immediately checked each of our heads to confirm that we had head lice. The fee for this was $25 a person, but for the four of us who did have an infestation, they rolled that $25 into the cost of the treatment. Surprisingly, my youngest did not have any lice, probably because her baby hair is still so fine, and it was difficult for the lice to cling to her hair. If I had not gone to the salon, I would have unnecessarily treated her with an insecticide, because I mistook some of her flaking cradle cap for nits. The salon was equipped with personal DVD players at each station so kids could watch movies while undergoing the lice removal. The salon used no harsh chemicals. Instead, they applied mint spray, which slowed down the movement of the lice, and the workers then meticulously combed through our hair stand by strand until we were lice and nit-free. My husband required a 1.25 hour treatment; my son required a 45 minute treatment, and my other daughter and I, who both have long hair, each required a 1.75 hour treatment. At this particular salon, treatment ran $75 an hour, so the cost was considerable. The costs for salon lice treatment varies, but expect to spend at least $150-$500 per person for treatment. Followups & Return Visits
We had to return to the salon one week later so they could once again comb through our hair and remove any nits they previously missed or that hatched during the week. On our return visit, my daughter had a single louse; the rest of us were lice-free. We returned for a third visit one week after the second visit, where the salon stylists pronounced that we were officially lice-free. The salon guaranteed their work, so, after the third treatment, if there were any remaining lice, the salon would have treated us for free. Total Cost & Insurance
The salon treatment cost us almost $800. Thankfully, insurance often reimburses this expense. Our insurer reimbursed 80% of the salon fees, so we only had to pay $160. The salon eliminated hours of work for me, and eliminated the need for harsh chemicals, so I thought the salon fees were well worth the cost. Many people try to use at-home lice removal kits or homeopathic lice removal products before going to a salon. This compounds the costs, and the costs for lice treatment may become even more expensive if you or your spouse have to miss work, or your children have to miss school while you receive treatments.
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By Melissa Batai Date September 14, 2021FEATURED PROMOTION
As a child, perhaps you had the unfortunate experience of contracting head lice. I managed to avoid it throughout my school days, even though my brother once had a terrible case. Just recently, however, in middle age, I contracted a case from my son. Four out of the five members in our family became infested. While I wouldn’t wish the experience on anyone, we did learn quite a bit about the history of head lice and the best ways to treat an infestation. The experience also taught us that head lice can take a heavy toll on your pocketbook. Because of this, it’s important to take preventative measures to avoid head lice infestation in your home.History of Head Lice
Head lice were documented as early as 8,000 B.C. In 2000, archaeologists found a nit on the hair of a 10,000-year-old mummy in South America. In fact, as documented by Herodotus in 430 B.C., many Egyptian priests shaved their heads and their eyebrows every other day to eliminate head lice. In 1909, Charles Nicolle discovered that the excrement of body lice transmitted epidemic typhus, a sometimes fatal disease often spread in close quarters such as prisons and refugee camps. Symptoms of epidemic typhus include chills, fever, delirium, dropping blood pressure, and high fever.Motley Fool Stock Advisor recommendations have an average return of 397%. For $79 (or just $1.52 per week), join more than 1 million members and don't miss their upcoming stock picks. 30 day money-back guarantee. Sign Up Now Nicolle learned that sterilizing the clothing of the infected person helped stop the spread of the disease. This method of prevention was used during World War I, but millions of people continued to die as a result of typhus after World Wars I and II. While we now think of a head lice infestation as a harmless annoyance, before the age of antibiotics, it was sometimes fatal. From the 1950s to 1970s, the extensive use of DDT limited head lice infestations. After 1977, head lice cases began to resurface and were treated with a new chemical, Permethrin, the active ingredient in NIX. By the 1990s, several countries, including the U.S., reported that lice were resistant to Permethrin. People continue to use commercial chemical treatments with mixed success today. In addition, within the last 10 years, salons that specialize in removing head lice have cropped up around the country, usually in large cities. Head lice infestations happen to a reported 6 to 12 million people a year, according to the CDC, and that only includes the number of reported cases; millions of cases may go unreported every year. As a fun fact, many words in the English language today come from our experience with lice, including nit-picking, lousy, nitwit, nitty-gritty, and reviewing something with a fine-tooth comb.
Head Lice Treatment Options
At-Home Treatment
If you prefer to conquer head lice removal yourself at home, you need to purchase a head lice kit containing the insecticide that kills the lice, a very fine-toothed metal comb to remove the nits and lice from the hair, and a magnifying glass. Head lice are very small. The adult is usually no bigger than the size of a sesame seed, and the nits can be impossible to detect by the naked eye when they are first laid. Here are steps to follow for at-home treatment: Wash hair without using conditioner, and towel dry until damp.Apply the cream solution and leave it on the head for 10 minutes. Avoid getting the solution in the eyes or ears.Rinse the cream out of the hair and use the nit comb to remove all of the lice and nits. Some of the lice may still be alive, but slow-moving.If you see lice after 7 days, repeat the treatment. As stated earlier, some lice resist this type of treatment. If you or family members still have lice after two treatments, do not treat again without first contacting your doctor. The prices for at-home lice treatment kits vary, but on average cost $20. If you have to repeat the treatment, or use the treatment for more than one person in your family, the cost quickly escalates. If you apply the medicine incorrectly, or the infestation seems resistant to the first treatment you try, you may need to turn to prescription medications or get professional salon treatments. The Licefreee non-toxic hair gel with steel comb (pictured right) sells for around $12 on Amazon.Salon Treatments
Salons that focus on removing head lice have cropped up around the country, and many of these salons offer chemical-free treatment by manually removing the head lice. My family and I took this route because, with two of our children under age three, we did not want to apply insecticides to their heads. My youngest daughter continually touches her hair and sucks her thumb, so we did not want to risk her accidentally ingesting the chemical treatment. Plus, my three children probably wouldn’t have sat still long enough for me to carefully remove all of the nits and lice. Getting Treatment at a Lice SalonWhen we arrived at the salon, the owner and his assistant were very friendly. They immediately checked each of our heads to confirm that we had head lice. The fee for this was $25 a person, but for the four of us who did have an infestation, they rolled that $25 into the cost of the treatment. Surprisingly, my youngest did not have any lice, probably because her baby hair is still so fine, and it was difficult for the lice to cling to her hair. If I had not gone to the salon, I would have unnecessarily treated her with an insecticide, because I mistook some of her flaking cradle cap for nits. The salon was equipped with personal DVD players at each station so kids could watch movies while undergoing the lice removal. The salon used no harsh chemicals. Instead, they applied mint spray, which slowed down the movement of the lice, and the workers then meticulously combed through our hair stand by strand until we were lice and nit-free. My husband required a 1.25 hour treatment; my son required a 45 minute treatment, and my other daughter and I, who both have long hair, each required a 1.75 hour treatment. At this particular salon, treatment ran $75 an hour, so the cost was considerable. The costs for salon lice treatment varies, but expect to spend at least $150-$500 per person for treatment. Followups & Return Visits
We had to return to the salon one week later so they could once again comb through our hair and remove any nits they previously missed or that hatched during the week. On our return visit, my daughter had a single louse; the rest of us were lice-free. We returned for a third visit one week after the second visit, where the salon stylists pronounced that we were officially lice-free. The salon guaranteed their work, so, after the third treatment, if there were any remaining lice, the salon would have treated us for free. Total Cost & Insurance
The salon treatment cost us almost $800. Thankfully, insurance often reimburses this expense. Our insurer reimbursed 80% of the salon fees, so we only had to pay $160. The salon eliminated hours of work for me, and eliminated the need for harsh chemicals, so I thought the salon fees were well worth the cost. Many people try to use at-home lice removal kits or homeopathic lice removal products before going to a salon. This compounds the costs, and the costs for lice treatment may become even more expensive if you or your spouse have to miss work, or your children have to miss school while you receive treatments.