If you think back to your school days, you will no-doubt remember occasions where the school nurses would visit your class and dig through you and your classmates hair. What they were searching for was head lice, which is most frequently spread in schools where children share close quarters. This guide will show you how to get rid of lice without the use of dangerous chemicals and insecticides.

1. Louse identification

This article will concern itself with three different types of biting lice differentiated by their preferred home on a person's body: head lice, pubic lice and body lice. None of these species are able to jump or fly, so infestation only occurs through direct contact with infested individuals or infested materials (brushes, headgear, pillows). An adult louse is about as large as the tip of a ball point pen and appears tan to light gray in color. Tear-drop shaped eggs are attached to the base of hairs near the scalp and appear yellow, gray or brown.

Head lice

Head lice live in head and very rarely in eyebrow hair. They attach their eggs to the base of individual hairs with a strong glue-like substance that resists washing and brushing. Their bites can trigger an allergic reaction that causes itching. Scratching can cause damage to the scalp along with a subsequent infection of the area. An infested individual will often have brownish-red or black specs on their back and shoulders.

Pubic lice

Pubic lice take up residence in the crotch, anal area, thighs, abdomen, armpits and eyelashes where they live and lay eggs in the hair. This variety is usually spread through direct sexual contact but can also be spread through sharing of clothing or bedding with an infested individual. Pubic lice can be associated with sexually-transmitted diseases so any infested individuals should get tested for STD's. As with head lice, an allergic reaction to the bites can cause itching and will occasionally turn them blue. An infested person will often find reddish or whitish dandruff-like flakes in areas of infestation. Excessive scratching can cause red, scaly skin with hardened or oozing lesions. (Learn how to get rid of pubic lice)

Body lice

Body lice live only in one's clothing, they move to the skin in order to feed and then return to the clothing. This type of louse is often found where large groups of people are crowded closely together such as prisons, orphanages, and refugee communities but is also common in vagrants that sleep in their clothing and rarely wash. It is responsible for the transmission of typhus and other human diseases. They lay their eggs only in the clothing and are easily dealt with by washing.

2. Tools for getting rid of lice

This section will go into detail about the different tools that are readily available to help you fight a lice infestation. Insecticidal shampoos are discussed here, but please consider them only as a last resort. It is very possible to defeat a lice infestation without resorting to poison.

Soaps and shampoos

Coconut oil and olive oil (For other uses of olive oil, read 13 practical uses for olive oil) are claimed to exhibit a mild pesticidal quality that can help kill adult lice, but these claims have yet to be substansiated so don't overspend on soaps and shampoos that contain these products. Regular shampoo is sufficient. Shampoos leave eggs intact and so should always be combined with wet combing (See below).

Lice combs

There are special lice combs that are designed with teeth spaced out just far enough to allow hair to pass, but not nits (louse eggs). Purchase only the metal-toothed type as the plastic variety are often not as reliable for removing all of the eggs. Combing is much easier to do when the hair is moist and soft, so an ideal time is right after shampooing.

Insecticidal shampoos

Please consider insecticidal shampoo as a last resort. They kill both eggs and adults, but the pesticides can be absorbed through a person's skin. Never shampoo with one of these products during a normal bath or shower as the residue can easily travel over most of the body, and never use an insecticidal shampoo on an infant or a person with open cuts, sores, or irritation of the scalp. Be sure to follow the instructions on the bottle exactly and never use them on someone who is not infested.

If you decide to use an insecticidal shampoo anyway, consult your doctor first and stay away from any that contain lindane - Lindane is a known carcinogen and nerve poison that has been banned in many countries around the world. Instead, choose a pyrethrin based shampoo. Pyrethrin is a synthetic insecticide that is not only more effective than lindane, but much safer as well.

Environmental insecticides

Using insecticides in the environment is not necessary or recommended for lice infestations since lice tend to stick close to their hosts. There are some things in the environment that may need attention such as bed linens and headgear, but these are easily cleaned in soap and hot water.

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