Head lice aren't discriminatory insects. Although they’re most commonly found among children, they can affect anyone at any time. They’re not harmful, but may cause intense itchiness to the scalp and can be notoriously difficult to eradicate.

 But, they won’t clear up on their own, so you must take steps to remove head lice. They're found in all types of hair - short, long, clean, dirty, straight or curly. Head lice cannot jump or fly. Instead they pass between people through direct head to head contact by walking along strands of hair.


They survive by living on blood drawn from the scalp and reproduce by hatching tiny eggs called nits. Removing head lice will take time and patience. But as long as anyone infected by head lice is regularly checked, it’s possible to remain louse free.

There are several solutions available, both insecticides and non-insecticides which are quite efficient at treating head lice. But if re-infestation occurs, this can become expensive.

The method described here uses hair conditioner which helps the nit comb slide through the hair easily. It also assumes two people are involved with one person removing the head lice from the infected person who is sitting down. To avoid the possibility of side effects to avoid using insecticides, applying a substance such as hair conditioner or olive oil, will help the nit comb slide through the hair with greater ease, especially if hair is long.

Step 1: 

Be prepared. Assemble your head lice removal kit so everything is within easy reach. You’ll need your fine tooth nit comb, bowl of water, paper towels and magnifying glass if you’re using one.


Step 2: 

Applying conditioner. Wash hair with shampoo then apply the usual conditioner but don’t rinse it out. While their hair is still wet, sit the person on a chair and place the towel around their neck and shoulders. Comb through their hair with a regular comb to remove all tangles.


Step 3: 

Sectioning the hair. Using the regular comb, divide the hair into two sections, starting at the forehead and continuing right through to the back of the neck. Now divide one section in half again, starting level with the ear and making a parting through to the back of the head. Clip the top section of hair out of the way. Repeat this parting on the other side.


Step 4:

Combing through. Next, take the nit comb and place it against the scalp on the underneath section of hair. Slowly slide the comb down the hair right through to the end. Inspect the comb for any moving lice and nits then rinse the comb in the bowl of water. The nits are the lice eggs and will appear white or pale brown in color. Continue combing through the same section of hair and rinsing the comb until no more lice or eggs appear in the comb.

Step 5:

Working through the hair: Continue working methodically through all remaining sections of hair until you are sure there are no more lice or nits. This can take up to half an hour for very long hair. Be patient and take your time. Make sure you always place the comb against the scalp and work right down to the end of the hair shaft. The more thorough you are at this stage, the more success you’ll have with removing the lice completely. Once you’re finished with the nit comb, you can rinse out the hair conditioner and dry or style hair as usual.

Step 6:

Repeating the process. Three days later you should repeat the above steps. This is to ensure you pick up any lice you may have missed the first time around. It’s also possible you missed some eggs which may have hatched. By repeating this process every three days for two weeks, you’ll stand an excellent chance of removing all head lice. As a precautionary measure, use this method of lice removal every two weeks as a method of detection. The sooner you spot any new infestation of head lice, the quicker you can stop them multiplying.

Things you need: 

• Fine tooth head lice (nit) comb 
• Regular comb 
• A towel 
• Paper towels 
• Sectioning hair clips 
• Your usual hair conditioner or olive oil 
• Bowl of warm water 
• Magnifying glass (optional) 
• Time, patience and persistence!

Tips and Warnings:

• The nits (eggs of the lice) are most likely to be found very close to the scalp, attached to strands of hair. They are tiny and can be confused with flakes of dandruff. 
• The eggs hatch after around 7-8 days which is why it’s essential to keep checking the hair at regular intervals until no more live lice are found. 
• It’s important to check all members of the family regularly or anyone else in close contact. 
• Take care to remove all live lice each time you comb. This prevents the laying of new eggs. 
• When you part the hair, the lice will move away quickly so make sure you check all areas of the head.
• Head lice don’t spread via clothing, bedding or hair brushes 
• Head lice appear to adapt their color according to the hair color, so someone with dark hair will have darker colored lice. 

Source: http://www.cdc.gov/lice/head/factsheet.html