Head Lice Treatment Products

Lice aren't a sign of poor hygiene. Clean hair is easier to grip than dirty hair, and lice spread through head-to-head contact, which is common among school-aged kids but possible for anyone. The products here won't keep lice away for good, but they give you a clear way to deal with an infestation, with treatment shampoos, fine-tooth combs, and repellent sprays each doing their part.

For Salons and Stylists

Head lice can be an awkward subject, so a calm, confident, and good-humoured approach makes the discussion easier. The salon is often where someone first realises they have a problem, since most people don't keep this kind of kit at home. A supportive, matter-of-fact attitude helps in what's usually a sensitive moment. Assure your clients you have the tools to solve it quickly, and let them know it's nothing to fret about. Keeping the range on hand means you're ready whenever it comes up.

What You Need to Treat Head Lice

Anti-lice products are made to tackle the problem head-on, with ingredients that lift the parasite and its eggs out of the hair as fast as possible. In the salon or at home, using a few products together gives the most thorough result.

• Head lice shampoo, a pyrethrum-based wash that clears live lice on contact.

• Disinfectable head lice comb with fine metal teeth that lift out lice and eggs.

• Head lice oil, a smothering treatment, works through dry hair before combing.

• Anti Lice Leave-In Conditioner, slip for combing, plus a light daily repellent.

• Head lice Spray, a repellent for dry hair that makes heads less appealing to lice

Or get the shampoo, conditioner, and spray together in the Anti-Lice Care Regimen Pack.

AMR stocks the Natural Look Anti-Lice range in one place. This pyrethrum-based, plant-derived line is easy for families, salons, schools, and childcare centres to keep on hand.

How to Use Them Together in 5 Steps

Here is how to use the products together to clear an infestation. The repeat round matters most, since the first treatment clears live lice but can miss the eggs.

1. Loosen and smother. Work the oil through dry hair and leave it on for at least 30 minutes.

2. Clear the live lice. Wash with the pyrethrum shampoo, following the label, and leave it on for the full time. Don't rinse early.

3. Comb out the eggs. Apply an anti-lice conditioner to damp hair, then comb each section with a fine-tooth comb, wiping the comb on a white tissue after each pass. Use the spray to help with extra-thick hair.

4. Repeat in 7 to 10 days. The second round clears any lice that have hatched since the first. Shampoo, condition, and comb again.

5. Prevent reinfestation. Use the spray on dry hair before school or social activities, and the leave-in after every wash, for as long as lice are going around.

Treating the Household

If one person has lice, treat everyone with hair at the same time, each with their own comb. Wash bedding, towels, and hats on high heat and vacuum upholstery, since lice don't survive long off a human head. Save the shampoo for active cases rather than prevention, and don't treat pets, since lice are human-specific.