Do you or someone in your household have head lice? Don't panic! 

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Here's our guide on what you can do immediately to stop it from spreading to other household members and get treatment started ASAP.

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Not sure if you have head lice? See our How To Check for Head Lice resource!

(c) 2025 Expert RN www.thelicenurse.ca 

Head lice pro tips:

• Don't panic! No one wants head lice, be kind and compassionate. It can happen to anyone 

• Have supplies on hand -- don't be caught off guard!

• Start wet combing treatment as soon as possible

• Don't fall for gimmick products! There are NO products that can kill or remove nits (c) 2025 Expert RN www.thelicenurse.ca 

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We have created head lice check kits (long and short hair) especially for care providers and parents. Available for Prime Delivery in most areas.

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What to do when you find head lice in your home:

(c) 2025 Expert RN www.thelicenurse.ca ​

• No need for a cleaning frenzy; head lice can't live off of the scalp for more than 48 hours. Lice do not fly or jump. Make sure to teach household members not to touch heads to prevent future spread of head lice

• Keep things clean and make sure that household members are not sharing anything that touches their heads such as:

  • hats​ (c) 2025 Expert RN www.thelicenurse.ca 

  • hair brushes and accessories

  • scarves

  • bandanas

• Isolate the individual's hair accessories and place them in a plastic bag. You can kill lice by: (c) 2025 Expert RN www.thelicenurse.ca 

  • leaving them in the bag for 48 hours 

  • place the bag in the freezer and keep below freezing for 12-14 hours

• Change pillowcases and bed linens on first day of treatment and then weekly or as needed. Reinfestation from bed linnens is very uncommon

• Check everyone in the household for head lice today, and then again in 5-7 days. Start wet combing treatment right away if an individual has head lice

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What NOT to do when you find head lice in your home:

(c) 2025 Expert RN www.thelicenurse.ca ​

• Do not use any products with essential oils

  • They do not have any therapeutic effect and can cause burns, skin damage, and hair loss if not used or mixed correctly

  • Yes, this includes tea tree oil (c) 2025 Expert RN www.thelicenurse.ca 

• Don’t use gimmick products- they prey on your fear and DO NOT WORK!!

  • “Lice vacuums”... need I say more?

  • Heat treatments applied to the hair/scalp

  • Anything that says it can remove nits is a scam product. Nits can't be killed or removed

  • Save your money! (c) 2025 Expert RN www.thelicenurse.ca 

• Don’t listen to old wives tales, listen to the Experts!

  • Only use conditioner or head lice products designed for the scalp

  • Shaving the head does NOT get rid of head lice and can leave permanent emotional scars

(c) 2025 Expert RN. Do not copy or reproduce without permission.

The only methods that work to get rid of head lice are wet combing (very effective) and medicated lice shampoos (much less effective). All head lice treatments require multiple applications and at least 2 weeks to fully get rid of head lice.

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More head lice resources HERE

 

To bulk order head lice check kits or customized resources (like these instructions) email info@thelicenurse.ca ​​

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(c) 2025 Expert RN. Do not copy or reproduce without permission.

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