3. How to get rid of head lice

Eliminate the source of the head lice infestation

If you or your child has been infested with head lice you should immediately figure out where it came from. Failure to do this will likely result in re-infestation immediately after de-infestation. If it's a child, then inform the school immediately so the other children can be inspected for infestation. If you or another adult has been infested then retrace your steps for the past week or so and call everyone you have been in close contact with. Lice cannot jump or fly so transmission is usually caused by sustained contact with someone else who is infested or with infested objects (a hair brush, hat, seat back, shirt, pillow, etc).

Eliminate resident head lice

In order to get rid of head lice, you will need to perform the following actions in immediate succession. The required tools are: shampoo, a lice comb, a bowl of soapy water, some tissue, towels and some hair pins. These materials were discussed detail in the previous section.

1. Wash all used clothing, bedding and head gear on the hottest setting with detergent to kill any lice or eggs that may have reached them. Any items that cannot be washed in the washer can be placed in the dryer on the hottest setting for 1/2 hour to kill all stages of lice. This much cleaning may be overkill - the point is to clean anything that could have come into contact with the head or nape of the neck. Pillow covers, shirts, and headwear are likely sufficient .
2. Shampoo the infested person with hot water. Start with warm water and gradually increase the temperature until it is in your upper range of comfort. If you are shampooing a child's hair, please be very careful not to burn them. Vigorously wash with your shampoo of choice and then rinse. After rinsing, lather the hair back up and wrap a towel around the infested person's head for about 15 minutes to let the hair soften.
3. Comb out the eggs with a lice comb. Unwrap the towel and straighten the hair by combing with a regular comb - do not rinse. If you're combing a child's hair then it may help to sit them down in front of the TV to keep them still. Start on one side of the head and comb the hair towards you making sure to drag the comb as close to the scalp as possible. Work over the entire head of hair in one inch sections, pinning cleaned hair out of the way as you progress. When the comb begins to clog, wipe it clean with a tissue and place the tissue in a bowl of soapy water to kill any lice or eggs. When the bowl becomes full flush it's contents down the toilet and then refill it. After the entire head has been combed, thoroughly rinse the hair with more hot water and then clean the comb by submerging it in boiling water for 5-10 minutes. Before putting the comb away, scrub the teeth clean with a stiff brush.

If it's possible, keep the recently infested individual out of the house for a day or so (head lice generally won't survive longer than 48 hours without a blood meal) and lower the humidity to kill off any left in the environment.

The combing process is called "wet combing" and should be repeated weekly for 4 weeks or as long as there is a lice problem in the surrounding environment. The infested person should also carry the comb around with him or her and use it whenever they feel an itch - afterwards it should be rinsed off in the hottest tap water available. During the extermination process keep all things that touch hair separated from one another and don't share hats, hairbrushes or anything else that touches the head. (For more information on head lice removal, see how to get rid of head lice)

4. How to get rid of pubic lice a.k.a. crabs

Eliminate the source of the pubic lice infestation

If you've found yourself with a case of pubic lice, it is important that you contact everyone that you've recently had sexual relations with or shared bedding and clothing with so they can take appropriate measures to identify and destroy any personal infestations as well.

Eliminate resident pubic lice

To eliminate a pubic lice infestation perform the following two steps in rapid succession:

1. Wash all of your used clothing and bedding on the hottest setting with detergent to kill any lice or eggs. 30 minutes in the dryer on the hottest setting will also kill them.
2. You can then successfully squelch the infestation by shaving the effected areas and vigorously washing the skin daily with soap and hot water. Use coconut oil or olive oil based soaps if possible. Smaller infestations can also be combed out over the course of a week or so.

5. How to get rid of body lice

Eliminate the source of the body lice infestation

Cases of body lice are rare, and most often occur in vagrants that sleep in their clothes and don't routinely bathe. If you are struck by a case of body lice you most likely got it from someone who fits this description.

Eliminate resident body lice

A body lice infestation can be defeated by washing your clothes on the hottest setting with detergent to kill the lice and then routinely bathing with soap and hot water. You should also visit your doctor to be tested for any pathogens that may have been transmitted to you by the lice.

6. Off-site resources

• For more information about lice, visit The National Pediculosis Association.
• Are you sure you're really infested? You could be suffering from "delusionary parasitosis" - "an unshakable false belief that live organisms are present on the skin"

Special thanks to Dr. Vincent S. Smith, a research scientist with the University of Illinois for his contribution of knowledge and experience to the creation of this article.

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