Your guide to head lice treatment

Head lice are very common, particularly among school-age children. In addition to causing physical symptoms like an itchy scalp and discomfort, they can also be a source of great anxiety for the people affected and their caregivers. They’re also very transmissible, so you’ll likely want to get rid of them as soon as possible.

Often, OTC lice treatments are enough to get rid of the infection, while at other times, stronger prescription medications may be the best option.

There are also home remedies you can try, as well as prevention methods to keep lice away for good. The treatments are the same whether you’re an adult or treating a child.

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OTC lice treatments

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), OTC treatment methods are often effective at treating lice. They may be available under several different brand names. There are two main forms:

• Pyrethrins with piperonyl butoxide: These are approved for anyone older than 2 years. Brand names include A-200, Pronto, and RID.
• Permethrin lotion (1%): Permethrin is approved for anyone older than 2 months, so it may be suitable for younger children. One brand name is Nix. It’s usually the first-line treatment for lice.

These medications are applied topically, directly onto the scalp. Both of these medications can kill live lice. But they can’t kill their eggs (called nits). So, you’ll need to do a follow-up treatment after about 9 days to get rid of any newly hatched lice.

Prescription lice treatments

If OTC medications aren’t working for you — for example, in cases of resistance to the OTC drugs — you can speak with a doctor about prescription options. These include:

• Benzyl alcohol lotion (5%): This is approved for people over the age of 6 months. This medication only kills live lice, so you’ll need to do a second treatment after 7 days. Its brand name is Ulesfia.
• Ivermectin lotion (0.5%): Ivermectin is also approved for people older than 6 months. It kills lice and can stop newly hatched lice from surviving, so you’ll usually only need one treatment. One brand name is Sklice.
• Malathion lotion (0.5%): Malathion lotion is approved for people older than 6 years. It may be able to kill both live lice and nits. But a second treatment may be necessary if you still see live lice after 9 days of treatment. The brand name is Ovide.
• Spinosad topical suspension (0.9%): Spinosad is approved for anyone older than 6 months. It kills live lice and their eggs, so repeat treatment isn’t usually needed. Its brand name is Natroba.

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Home remedies for lice

The main home treatment for head lice is known as wet combing. This is where you comb through wet hair to manually catch and remove lice and nits. You can try this method alongside medical treatments. In fact, many lice medications come with a fine-toothed comb for this purpose. The steps are as follows:

1. Thoroughly wet the hair and apply conditioner.
2. Separate the hair into small sections.
3. Starting at the scalp, slowly comb through each section with a fine-toothed comb.
4. Wipe the comb after each section.
5. Repeat as needed until you can no longer find lice or nits in the hair.

You can use a flashlight and magnifying glass if this makes finding the lice easier.

Online care for head lice

According to some 2019 research, head lice might be overtreated with OTC products by worried parents, which can increase resistance to these drugs. If you’re unsure, it’s best to speak with a doctor for an accurate diagnosis and treatment.

Online care services, including Optum Perks Online Care, may make getting treatment easier. With these services, you can submit an online form answering a few questions about your symptoms, and a US-licensed healthcare professional will respond soon after to prescribe a treatment plan.

Head lice prevention

After getting rid of head lice, you might feel anxious about making sure they don’t come back. There are many steps you can take to help prevent head lice and stop recurrence:

• Before starting treatment, make sure you check every member of your household for lice. Treating everyone affected is essential to prevent recurrence.
• Avoid sharing clothing or hair accessories such as hats, scarves, hair clips, or hooded jackets.
• Avoid head-to-head contact with others.
• Avoid sharing brushes, combs, bed linens, and towels.
• Disinfect brushes and combs after use by soaking them in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Machine wash and dry clothing, bed linens, and towels used by a person with lice.

The CDC also notes that you don’t need to keep your children home from school if they have head lice.

Summary

Head lice can be worrying and may cause unpleasant symptoms like itching. It’s important to treat them correctly to help prevent spread and ease your symptoms.

OTC treatments are often enough to treat head lice. You might need to do a repeat treatment to make sure all the lice have been killed. If OTC treatments don’t work, doctors can prescribe stronger treatments. Some of these don’t need repeat treatments as they kill both live lice and their eggs.

You can also manually remove lice and nits by combing through wet, conditioned hair with a fine-toothed comb.

Make sure to follow prevention methods to stop lice from coming back.

Download the free Optum Perks Discount Card to save up to 80% on many prescription medications. Plus, you can now get them delivered to your home in as little as 3 days. Search for your medication here.