Treatment options
Head lice treatments should only be used when an infestation has been confirmed by the presence of a live moving louse. As it's very difficult to kill or remove unhatched eggs, some proprietary treatments must be used twice, seven days apart even if you think the lice have gone after the first treatment.
The three main options for treatments are explained here; however your pharmacist can advise you on the most suitable treatment for your circumstances.
Insecticide treatments
These contain an active ingredient, an insecticide, also described as a pesticide. Insecticide treatments can kill head lice and are available only from pharmacies or on prescription. Insecticides available in the UK and Republic of Ireland are permethrin, malathion, phenothrin and carbaryl (only available on prescription in the UK). Some insecticides, such as permethrin, can kill the eggs too. Treatment times vary greatly from 10 minutes up to 12 hours. Some treatments, such as Lyclear Creme Rinse (contains permethrin 1%; always read the label) are suitable for asthmatics - ask your pharmacist for advice. There are also pockets of resistance to insecticides, which can reduce the effectiveness of the product, but this varies from region to region.
Apply treatments to clean hair without conditioner or styling products. Some insecticides remain in the hair to a degree after being rinsed off, and can continue to act on hatching lice, so avoid washing the hair between the first and second applications, and for several days after the second application.
All insecticide treatments are licensed by the medical authorities and are known to have good safety profiles. All are clinically proven to work. Always read the instructions carefully before use and keep them for future reference. Lyclear Creme Rinse
Non-insecticide treatments
You may prefer to use a treatment that does not contain an insecticide. Some of these contain essential oils although there is no strong evidence that these are effective in clearing head lice infestations. Since these treatments include combing as part of the treatment, it is more likely to be the combing that removes the lice. It should not be assumed that treatments containing essential oils are safer than chemical insecticides.
Non-insecticide treatments do not have any effect on the eggs, so a second application after seven days is essential.
There are now some non-insecticide treatments, such as Lyclear SprayAway, which are capable of killing lice by suffocating them. Non-insecticide treatments are available from pharmacies and supermarkets. Always look for one that has been clinically proven to work. Lyclear SprayAway
Wet-combing (also known as bug busting)
This method physically removes the lice from the hair by intensive and methodical combing with a fine-toothed comb such as the type found in the Lyclear Detector Kit. To do this successfully you must comb the hair in sections as described in Detection combing. This must be done every 4 days until all the eggs have hatched and all the lice have been removed. This method is only suitable for those who have the time and determination to carry it out properly, and is not really suitable for very young children.