I'll never forget my first experience with head lice. I was in the 4th grade and the lice infestation was apparently spreading around my school. My poor mother was freaking out. She had never dealt with anything like this before. But believe it or not, head lice is actually REALLY common. Around 12 million kids in the U.S. get head lice. It's a pretty scary and frustrating situation to be in, but luckily there are ways to get rid of them and fast!
Read more ¿Qué más?: Stop roaches in their tracks with these 5 surprising remedies
Once head lice hit your kid's school, it's pretty hard to avoid getting them. If they're already spreading around, chances are your child will get them too. Here are a few easy ways to get rid of head lice!
Relax: Just found out your kid has head lice? The first thing you need to do is take a deep breath. Woosah! Of course, they're gross but if you freak out imagine how worked up your kid is going to get. After all they're on his or her head! Remember, that they're not actually harmful to health and there is a solution.
Comb: The first thing you want to do is actually check for lice. Try combing your kid's hair section by section using a special comb, like Nit Free Terminator Stainless Steel Lice Comb ($11). The long, micro-grooved teeth help trap and remove lice and eggs.
Shampoo: I recommend applying an over-the-counter product, like RID Step 1 Lice Killing Shampoo ($18). It contains Pyrethrum which helps kill off lice. The only problem could be lice may have become resistant to these over-the-counter toxins. So you might have to still do more.
Go DIY: Don't feel afraid to take the DIY route. Apparently olive oil is one of the most effective natural remedies for this. Supposedly it works as a suffocating agent, clogging their breathing holes. They recommend leaving it on overnight covering with a shower cap.
Try a blow dryer: According to a study, blasting a hair dryer on high heat over freshly washed hair can kill up to 98 % or nits and 55 % of lice. How amazing is that?
See a doctor: If all else fails, make an appointment with your child's pediatrician and get a prescription for benzyl alcohol lotion. Supposedly this works better than most of over-the-counter treatments.
Clean up: Make sure to clean any items that have been in recent contact with your child's head, like caps, pillow cases, scarves or towels. Wash them in the washing machine in hot water and under hot settings. Vacuum carpeted floors and store any stuffed animals or non-washable items in sealed plastic bags for at least two weeks.
Image via Corbis Images
