How to get rid of head lice and nits
Treatments to get rid of head lice are available to buy from pharmacies, supermarkets and online.
The main treatments are:
- lotions and sprays
- wet combing
Everyone with head lice in your household should be treated on the same day.
If a treatment doesn't work the first time, you can:
- try it again
- try a different treatment
- get advice from your school nurse, health visitor, pharmacist or GP
Lotions and sprays for head lice and nits
There are several different products that can be applied to the scalp and hair to kill head lice, including:
- dimeticone 4% lotion or lotion spray – applied and left for 8 hours (usually overnight)
- dimeticone 4% spray gel – applied and left for 15 minutes
- mineral oil and dimeticone spray – applied and left for 15 minutes
- isopropyl myristate and cyclomethicone solution – applied and left for 5-10 minutes
Some treatments need to be done twice – 7 days apart. This makes sure that any newly-hatched lice are killed.
Detection combing should usually be done 2 or 3 days after finishing treatment, and again another 7 days after that, to check for any live head lice.
Always check the pack or leaflet to see if a product is suitable for you, particularly if:
- you're pregnant
- you're breastfeeding
- your child has head lice and is less than 2 years of age
Your pharmacist can recommend a suitable treatment and advise you on how to use it correctly if necessary.