BingBumpier
BingBumpier
Most head lice cases in Vancouver get sorted out in the bathroom, not at a clinic. The process is annoying but not complicated. Here is the short version of what to actually do, and the longer version of why.
Effective treatment has two parts: kill the live bugs, then physically remove every nit. Skip either half and the cycle just restarts in seven to ten days when the eggs you missed hatch.
Pharmacies in Vancouver carry the standard options. Permethrin 1% (sold as Nix) and pyrethrin shampoos (RID) have been around for decades and still work on most populations, though some local lice strains have grown resistant. If the first round of treatment leaves you with live bugs three days later, switch products instead of repeating the same one.
For stubborn cases, your pediatrician can prescribe stronger options like spinosad (Natroba) or ivermectin lotion (Sklice). These are more expensive but generally clear an infestation in one treatment.
Get a real metal nit comb. The plastic combs that come in the OTC boxes are not great. Apply a thick conditioner to wet hair so the comb glides, work in sections from scalp to tip, and wipe the comb on a paper towel between strokes. Plan on thirty to sixty minutes for a typical kid, longer for thick or long hair. Repeat every two or three days for two full weeks.
Lice cannot survive long away from a human scalp. You do not need to clean obsessively. Wash anything that touched an infested head in the last two days — pillowcases, hats, hair ties, brushes — on hot, dry on high. Stuffed animals can go in a sealed bag for two weeks if you cannot wash them. Vacuum the couch and car seats once. That is enough.
Read next: A Brief History of Lice Treatment