Back in the 1940’s the family caretaker knew how to get rid of nits. Constant nitpicking kept head lice under control and less that 5% of Australian children carried the parasite. Today, without the nitpickers head lice now infest around 35% of kids (4-11ys).

Head lice are a parasite, breeding and feeding off the human scalp to survive. They cannot survive off the human scalp. The entire lifecycle of a head lice lasts about 35 days and in this time the females can each lay up to 150 eggs (nits). Without complete eradication the lifecycle continues.

There is a simple set of rules to follow giving you relevant, helpful information on how to get rid of nits. That is to treat the problem, comb out the nits, treat again 7-10 days after the initial treatment and finally defend against future infestations.

Treatments are designed to eradicate the head lice (not the nits). The treatment should be applied to cover all of the hair and scalp as nymph’s (adolescent lice) live on the scalp for the first stage of their lifecycle. Following directly after treatment run a nit comb through the hair, separating the hair into small sections (4cm is ideal) to ensure accurate coverage. After each stroke wipe any lice or eggs onto a tissue.

All products recommend that you retreat approximately a week later. This is not a marketing message to get consumers to use more – but a very important final step to stop the head lice lifecycle and eradicate the problem. It is quite likely that some nits can be left behind as they are comparable in size to a sesame seed. Nits aren’t affected by the treatment and continue to hatch after seven days, starting a new generation of head lice. Retreating will ensure that this generation of head lice are eradicated.

It is quite easy to learn how to get rid of nits, however, treatment could possibly be avoided altogether if there was a heavier focus on checking for head lice and prevention.

Defend your children against future infestations. Tie long hair up into a plait or bun. Hair that is not tied up gives head lice something to grab on to when children play in close vicinity. Don’t wait for head lice, be proactive and check your child’s hair once a week with a nit comb concentrating on areas such as behind the ears and the back of the neck.

Use an Anti-Lice spray (repellent) to ward of head lice that may be lurking in the playground. Used in conjunction with daily styling this can help prevent an infestation.

There should be nothing embarrassing about head lice as they do not have a preference to clean or dirty hair, they are not unhygienic. They do move very quickly and are quite hard to find when you’re not looking for them. It is important to notify the school or day care in the case that you find head lice as it is more than likely other children in the class are also carrying head lice. This will ensure that other children are checked and treated if necessary stopping the head lice life cycle and to prevent further transfer at school.