Head Lice FAQ

There are many home remedies out there that, for the most part, simply don’t work and can be dangerous. Gasoline or kerosene is dangerous because of the possibility of ignition and inhalation of fumes. Methods using tea tree oil, olive oil, petroleum jelly, margarine or mayonnaise are messy, time-consuming and inconvenient. Head shaving is unnecessary and would probably upset your child. As for garden insecticide sprays, they are very dangerous for your family, including your family pets.

If you have treated your child with Licefreee Spray and then they are exposed to head lice again, they may be re-infested. You can help by teaching your children not to share personal items like hairbrushes and hats with other children.

As far as we know, there have not been any clinical studies proving any human population to be immune to head lice. However, head lice can have difficultly attaching their eggs to hair that is thick or coarse; therefore, those individuals may be less likely to experience head lice infestation.

No head lice do have wings, and do not fly.  They are transferred from head-to-head contact or through items like hats, brushes, pillows and anything else which may come in contact with your head. Lice eggs (nits) take up to 14 days to hatch.  We recommend completing the treatment and do follow up head checks for the next 14 days.  If you find any live lice during that time we recommend completing the treatment again.

It is unlikely, as ocean water does not have a high enough concentration of salt nor does it provide a proper delivery method to effectively kill head lice and nits. Ocean salt water has not been tested by Tec Labs to be proven effective.

No, human lice do not typically affect pets. In fact, lice are host specific.

No, head lice do not jump as they are not equipped with legs made for jumping (like fleas). Rather, head lice were built to crawl quickly. See our post about lice versus fleas, and other pests.

Yes, you do! Our patented stainless steel nit comb (designed with the help of school nurses) is included with our treatments, Licefreee Spray! & Licefreee! Gel, to help remove dead lice and nits.

For helpful hints and tips for successful product application, how to get rid of lice in the house, and preventing a re-infestation, visit our resource guides for more information.

Great question! A female louse can lay up to 100 eggs in her lifetime of approximately 30 days. A nit (egg) incubates for 10-14 days, when the nit hatches it becomes a nymph; it takes 7-10 days for a nymph to evolve into a sexually mature adult louse (capable of laying eggs).

You can use the nit comb as often as you’d like. After an infestation, it’s a good idea to perform head checks for 7-10 days post-treatment. If you continue to find nits, keep combing until you no longer find any.

The telltale sign is an itchy head. Scratching the itch could lead to sores on the scalp or around the neck and ears. Severe cases may cause swollen lymph glands. Other signs may include eggs and, in some cases, live lice in the hair, frequent head scratching, loss of sleep, shortened attention span and depression.

There are several reasons lice may remain unaffected after treatment. With any head lice treatment, all lice and nits (eggs) must come in full contact with the product. Lice can move quickly to avoid contact with the shampoo, lotion or gel. Reinfestation from environmental contact (i.e. infested hats, pillows, stuffed animals, etc.) can also occur. Missing any nits when combing out can trigger a reinfestation.

Lice lay nits (eggs) close to the scalp and they will hatch within 7-10 days. If you see nits several inches down the hair strand they have most likely already hatched. If you see nits but no lice crawling in your hair, then the nits may be dead and you may not need to treat again for head lice. These leftover nits can be removed with a nit comb to be safe.

It is not uncommon to still find nits but no lice in the hair after treatment. Nits are easy to miss.

The nits (eggs) are attached to the hair shaft by a thick secretion the louse uses, almost like a super glue.  If her hair is fine and the comb is not doing the trick, you can also use your fingernails to pull them out. 

However, if your daughter’s school does NOT have a “no nit policy” you don’t necessarily have to remove all the nits.  If you used the Licefreee! treatment according to the directions, and the head and scalp was fully saturated in the product, any lice or nits in her hair should be dead. 

It is not necessary to treat the hair just because you were exposed to lice unless you see live lice or nits. If you are spending time around someone who has a head lice infestation (friend, family member, co-worker), you may consider using Licefreee Everyday! Shampoo. Licefreee Everyday! is a homeopathic head lice shampoo containing naturally occurring ingredients that create an environment where head lice do not like to live.

Pull hair back tightly into a braid, ponytail, or bun and be sure to wipe the comb with each pass through the hair to remove dead lice or nits that have been swept up by the comb.

It is unlikely; head lice need hair to grip on to and to attach their eggs to. However, head lice have been known to infest facial hair such as: eyebrows, beards, even eyelashes.

Yes, head lice only lay eggs on the human scalp, they do not lay eggs on surfaces such as furniture or bedding.

There is no way to look at a nit with the naked eye and determine if it is dead or alive. And although some people claim it does, popping them does not prove that one way or the other either. They are just too small. The only proof is when they don’t hatch 7-10 days later.  Therefore, the best practice is to remove them from the hair.

After an infested family member has been treated, check them daily for eggs for the next 10 days. If there is evidence of new eggs or newly hatched lice, repeat the treatment. Head checking should then become part of routine hygiene. A family head lice check once a week is a great idea. You will need a nit (lice egg) removal comb, a magnifying glass and lots of light. Working through a small section at a time, comb through each person’s hair from the root down. If any live lice or eggs are found, begin treatment immediately. You may also want to try using Licefreee Everyday Shampoo (included in the Licefreee Kit). It is formulated as an everyday shampoo to help prevent head lice infestation.

Treatments that are pyrethrum or permethrin-based may trigger reactions in those who are allergic to ragweed. Be sure to check the ingredients or talk to a doctor or pharmacist before choosing a treatment.

Use a product designed to treat lice on furniture and mattresses such as Licefreee Home. You can also thoroughly vacuum these items to pick up anything that has fallen off of the head.

If you do not comb out the nits, they will stay attached to the hair shaft. Eventually they will grow out with the hair, but they will not detach on their own.

A no-nit policy in schools helps control an infestation and keeps children at home until all nits are removed. This policy is just to make sure that a child has been treated, all lice have been killed, all of their eggs or nits have been removed, and there is no sign of a reinfestation.

If your family becomes infested, choose a safe and proven head lice treatment. Follow all the directions carefully. A good comb-out conditioner is also a great way to help ease egg removal. Thoroughly combing out the hair until all lice and eggs are gone will help prevent reinfestation.

Thorough treatment and teaching your family not to share personal items will help prevent head lice infestation again.

Sources of possible infestation (bedding, furniture, hats, clothing, combs and brushes) must be disinfected by laundering/dry cleaning, or sometimes discarding entirely. Items that cannot be run through the dryer (i.e stuffed animals and toys) can be placed in a sealed plastic bag for 10-14 days, and hair care items should be soaked in hot water for 15 minutes. A thorough vacuuming will get rid of lice or eggshells that are left behind.

Teach your child to avoid sharing combs, hair accessories and hats. If your child has been infested with head lice, report it to their school immediately so other children attending will be less likely to have an infestation themselves.

It is not necessary to retreat lice unless 1.) you find live lice, or 2.) you are following up with a second treatment as recommended 7-10 days after the first treatment. Some head lice treatments may dry the scalp and cause some itching and irritation.  Further, irritation may also be the result of using many different treatments. A deep conditioner may help restore moisture to your scalp post head lice treatment(s) to alleviate itching and dryness.

Although it is likely that closing up the trailer for that amount of time in extreme heat would probably kill anything inside, we cannot be sure. Therefore, we’d recommend waiting the suggested 14 days a nit can survive off of the human head.

Not necessarily. If members of your family don’t share personal items, and if proper cleanup measures are taken, the infestation shouldn’t spread. But, it has been known to happen.