That Depends on the Type of Lice

If you’re wondering how to get rid of lice, the answer depends on the type of lice you have.  Remember, there are three types of lice (pubic lice, head lice and body lice) and each is treated differently.  Also, to completely get rid of lice you will have to take certain steps to insure that they don’t start another life cycle.   Additionally you should take certain actions and practice certain rules among other members of the household to be sure the lice don’t and aren’t infesting more than one member of the home.

The Easiest Lice to Get Rid Of

Body lice are perhaps the easiest to get rid of.  Since these lice are usually contracted by individuals that live in crowded, unkempt places and who have terrible personal hygiene, eliminating the lice usually only requires improved hygiene and cleaner living conditions.  Body lice don’t actually reside on the person, they go on the person to feed on blood; the lice take up residence in the individual’s clothing and also the bed clothing where they sleep.   Individuals infested with body lice usually are not able to bathe often.  Returning to good habits of bathing regularly and changing into clean clothing as well as sleeping in clean bedding with kill off the lice.  To clean the clothes and bedding they should be washed and dried at a high heat.    Washing water should be at least 130 degrees F and the dryer should be set to the highest heat setting.  Any items that cannot be laundered by normal means should either be dry cleaned or placed in a plastic bag and sealed for two weeks to insure the lice die off and can’t start a new life cycle.

What to Use to Get Rid of Lice

Destroying head lice and pubic lice will require the use of a medicine or lice shampoo.  There are both over-the-counter and prescription products that will kill off the lice.  Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the product; follow your doctor’s instructions if you have seen a doctor about the infestation or the pharmacist’s instructions if you asked them to help you pick out the right product.  Nine days after the first treatment, you will have to repeat the medicinal treatment.  This insures that any eggs that were left behind after the first treatment, that might have been able to hatch, are completely destroyed.  Additionally the person’s clothing and bed clothing should be treated as described for body lice.

It’s important also to follow a few other rules if you have head or pubic lice.  If you have pubic lice you should abstain from all types of sexual activity to prevent spreading the infestation to your partner.  It will also prevent you from getting lice back from them and ideally, both parties should be treated.  If you have head lice do not share combs, brushes or hair adornments, hats, etc…  They should be washed in water that at least 130 degrees F or placed in plastic bags and sealed for two weeks.  Where children are considered, be mindful of playing where head to head contact is a part of the activity.

The good news is that lice is treatable and by following the proper treatment plan you can completely get rid of lice no matter what type it is.  The first step to determining how to get rid of lice is to figure out what type of lice you have and then following the correct regimen for that specific kind of lice.

Other Useful Websites

• Body Lice
• Lice Eggs
• What Does Lice Look Like
• Head Lice Treatment