How many lice should be removed from long hair? - briefly
All detected lice and nits must be eliminated; any remaining specimen can cause re‑infestation. The target count is zero.
How many lice should be removed from long hair? - in detail
A thorough removal process aims to eliminate every live louse and all viable eggs from the scalp and hair shaft. In a typical infestation, a single adult female deposits 6–10 eggs per day, resulting in an average of 5–15 live insects and 20–30 nits present at any time on a moderate‑length head. When hair extends beyond shoulder length, the surface area increases by roughly 30–50 %, so the expected total count rises proportionally.
Practical guidelines:
- Inspect the entire head, sectioning hair into 1‑inch strips.
- Use a fine‑toothed lice comb, moving from scalp outward with each pass.
- Record the number of live lice captured; each pass should remove at least one adult or nymph.
- Collect and discard all attached eggs; any nits within 1 mm of the scalp are viable and must be removed.
- Continue combing until a pass yields zero live insects and no viable nits.
If the initial count exceeds 10 live lice, a second‑generation insecticide treatment is advisable, followed by daily combing for seven consecutive days. After chemical treatment, repeat the manual removal process until two successive inspections show zero live lice and no viable eggs.
The ultimate target is a complete absence of live parasites and viable eggs, regardless of the initial quantity detected. Achieving this state confirms effective eradication.