How can you remove lice from a child's long hair in one day at home? - briefly
Apply a medicated lice shampoo, then comb the wet hair with a fine‑toothed nit comb, repeating the combing every 4–6 hours throughout the day. Dispose of extracted lice and nits in a sealed bag and launder bedding and clothing in hot water.
How can you remove lice from a child's long hair in one day at home? - in detail
Removing head‑lice infestations from long hair can be completed in a single day with systematic wet‑combing and thorough cleaning.
Begin by assembling the necessary tools: a fine‑toothed lice comb (0.2 mm spacing), a spray bottle filled with lukewarm water, a generous amount of regular conditioner, disposable gloves, white towels, and a sealable plastic bag for discarded lice and nits.
Apply conditioner generously to damp hair, ensuring every strand is coated. The conditioner immobilises insects and eases the comb’s passage. Using the spray bottle, keep the hair moist throughout the process; dryness makes combing ineffective.
Proceed with the combing sequence:
- Divide hair into sections of 2–3 cm using clips.
- Starting at the scalp, run the fine‑toothed comb down to the tips in a single, slow motion.
- After each pass, wipe the comb on a white towel, then dip it in the plastic bag to remove captured lice and nits.
- Repeat the combing of the same section at least five times before moving to the next.
Complete the combing for the entire head, then repeat the entire procedure after four to six hours. This second round eliminates any newly hatched nits that may have emerged since the first session.
If a chemical treatment is preferred, select a pediculicide containing 1 % permethrin or 0.5 % pyrethrin, following the manufacturer’s instructions precisely. Apply to dry hair, leave for the recommended duration (usually 10 minutes), then rinse thoroughly and repeat the wet‑combing method to extract remaining insects.
After treatment, wash all bedding, clothing, and personal items used within the previous 48 hours in hot water (≥ 60 °C) or place them in a sealed bag for two weeks to starve any surviving lice. Vacuum carpets and upholstery, focusing on areas where the child sits or rests.
To prevent reinfestation, educate caregivers on regular hair inspections, discourage head‑to‑head contact in group settings, and advise the use of personal hair accessories that are not shared.
Following these steps, the infestation can be eradicated within the same day, with a follow‑up combing session later that day to confirm complete removal.