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What causes lice in the head of my 9-year-old baby girl?

This Premium Q&A, reviewed and published, features a real conversation between an iCliniq user and a physician.

Patient's Query

Hi doctor,

Please suggest appropriate measures to treat head lice and eggs for a nine-year-old girl.

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

You can use Permethrin 1% lotion or liquid on washed hair and leave it on for ten minutes. You can then rinse and comb out the eggs. You can also repeat this process in seven days if lice are still present. The single application is usually curative.

Patient's Query

Hi,

Thank you for the reply.

Is Permethrin 1% lotion safe for a nine-year-old child? Are alternatives like Medicare anti-lice treatment shampoo effective?

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

Yes, it can be used in children older than two months. Sorry, Medicare is a herbal shampoo. I do not have knowledge about it. Head lice have been found on hats, scarves, brushes, combs, hair accessories, linens, towels, and stuffed animals. Since exposure to these fomites could result in infestation, it is recommended that such items used by the infested person within two days prior to treatment should be machine washed with hot water and dried with hot air cycles, since the lice and eggs are killed after five minutes of exposure to temperatures greater than 130°F. Items that cannot be laundered can be dry-cleaned or sealed in a plastic bag for two weeks. The floors and furniture should be vacuumed in order to remove hairs from an infested individual, which might have been shed with viable nits attached. It should also be educated not to share combs, brushes, hair accessories, and pillows.

Please feel free to ask any other queries.

Thank you.

Medically reviewed byiCliniq medical review team

Published At April 3, 2023
Reviewed AtApril 3, 2023

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