What are head lice? 

Head lice, otherwise known as nits, are small insects that situate in the hair. These insects commonly affect young children and can be spread to family members. Unfortunately, head lice can be tricky to find (due to them being up to 3mm in length) however, there are symptoms that help to detect them. These symptoms can include: 

• An itchy sensation 
• A feeling of movement in the hair  
• Brown and white shells attached to the hair (this is planted by lice/nits in the hair) 

How can you remove head lice? 

When detected, it is advised that you swiftly begin to treat the hair. There are various methods recommended to remove head lice/nits however, the most common remedy is wet combing. Below are the steps on how to do this: 

• Buy a special fine-toothed comb at your nearest Allied Pharmacy or online  
• Wash the affected hair with regular shampoo  
• Apply a generous amount of conditioner to the hair (any conditioner is okay) 
• Do not wash the conditioner off yet!  
• Comb the whole head of hair from the roots to the ends  
• Repeat this process every four days until the hair is lice-free by day 17 

What are the best medical treatments? 

If wet combing does not work or is not the most effective, there are stronger forms of treatments available via our pharmacy. To access this, simply head on down to your nearest Allied Pharmacy, and one of our pharmacists will be able to recommend the best medical option for you. These include:  

• A medicated lotion  
• A medicated spray  

When will head lice go away with treatment? 

It should take up to 24 hours for head lice to die, once treating the hair with medicated lotions and sprays. However, it is recommended that some treatments are repeated after a week of use - just in case any eggs have since hatched. 

In addition to this, it is strongly encouraged that those who are affected by head lice also avoid any head-to-head contact with others in order to prevent the spread of nits attacking others.  

How can a pharmacist help? 

At Allied Pharmacies, our pharmacists can help in many ways, including: 

• Advising and recommending the best, effective and appropriate treatments 
• Prescribing medications needed to treat head lice (for those who do not pay for prescriptions, this may be free of charge) 

Furthermore, obtaining help from Allied Pharmacies is a suitable point of call, for you to purchase appropriate at-home or medical treatment.