If head lice have been found on your child, these steps must be taken in order to ride your child of head lice. Proper cleaning to rid your home of live is also necessary.

1. Treat your child's head with a head lice product such as RID, NIX or other available product. Be sure to read the products' directions carefully since some are shampoos applied to dry hair and others are cream rinses used on freshly washed, towel-dried hair. Many products require another treatment in 7-10 days. Lice medications are not recommended for children under two years of age. Crawling bugs and nits should be removed by hand.
2. For proper nit removal:
   • Work under a good light, such as the natural sunlight from sitting by a window or going outdoors. A strong lamp can also be used. If eyesight is a problem, have a magnifying glass on hand. Nits (lice eggs) are always oval-shaped, usually grayish-white, although they can vary in color. Nits are generally laid close to the scalp but can be found anywhere on the hair shaft. Unlike dandruff, which can be removed easily, nits are attached firmly to the hair shaft.
   • Divide the hair in sections and fasten off the hair that is not being worked on at this time.
   • Using a nit removal comb, go through the section of hair from the scalp to the end of the hair. Use a paper towel to remove any lice, nits or debris from the comb between passings. If debris builds up, use an old toothbrush to clean the comb.
   • If the lice comb does not remove the nits, use your fingernails and pull nit down the length of the hair to remove it.
   • Go on to the next section of hair until all sections have been completed.
3. After completing the above steps, apply an olive oil treatment as follows:
   • Saturate dry hair and scalp with olive oil to smother or slow down any lice that were not killed by the lice shampoo or creme rinse.
   • Leave the olive oil on for eight hours. Cover the hair with a plastic shower cap and hold it in place with a bandana. To avoid possible choking or accidental asphyxiation, shower caps must be used with discretion only on older children and adults and should never be used on small children. As an alternative you can wrap the head with a thin towel or cover the pillow.
   • After the oil has been on the hair for eight hours, comb the oily hair with a nit comb and remove nits. Follow above procedure to remove as many remaining nits as possible.
   • After completing nit removal, wash the hair to remove the oil. You may need to use a liquid dishwashing soap or a clarifying shampoo for oily hair. You may need to repeat this to remove all of the oil.
   • Repeat the olive oil treatments every four days for the next three weeks. You will be doing a total of six olive oil treatments.

Parents are encouraged to check for head lice at least weekly as part of routine hygiene.