All Head Lice Combs are not Created Equal!

As you will discover, there are different kinds of head lice combs (nit combs) available, both online and off.

The one you choose will make a big difference in how successful your use of it will be.

Of course, you want the best on the market to relieve your suffering child as soon as possible, with the least pain and inconvenience involved for both of you.

You will want to apply whatever substance to the hair you choose before embarking on the nit-combing adventure, because unless you're using an effective product, your nit-combing will go on and on, and your child will still have the problem.

Some OTC (over-the-counter) products for treating lice come with a comb already, but it's probably going to turn out to be made of plastic. There is a reason they're so cheap ... they break easily, especially if the hair in question is long and/or thick and/or curly. And when the individual little prongs or teeth break off, they end up virtually worthless to nit pick ... the very purpose for which they are designed.

As you might have guessed, the metal lice combs are the best, being stronger. And they tend to pick up most of the nits, whereas the plastic kind will miss the eggs, which are glued to the hair shaft by the females when they lay their nits. On the other hand, a more substantial plastic version may work well to comb out tangles before you change over to a metal one.

While choosing a comb, keep in mind that there also are short- and long-tined nit combs, and as you can guess, the longer the prongs, the easier they work on long hair. So, as the shorter pronged types work efficiently only on short hair, it is best to just get a long-tined one.

Another thing you might not think about is the comb's handle. You are going to be using the comb a lot, so you want to be sure that there is a tight seal between the actual tines and where they connect to the handle. Otherwise, with lice and nits being as minute as they are, some could get into a crevice and hatch later, leaving open the very real possibility of reinfestation.

Yet another advantage of metal nit combs over the plastic kind is that you can boil them for efficient sterilization. A plastic comb would melt with the heat.

No matter which kind you get, get into the habit of rinsing the comb in either vinegar or very hot water. Otherwise, you might be combing the critters right back into your child's hair!

To use a nit comb properly, you have to divide the hair (wet hair, please), especially if it is long, into small sections and clip the rest to the side. Then you just comb through one section at a time, keeping the already-combed sections to one side. This is a time-consuming job, so be sure you have plenty of light and time when you go at it. The bad news is that you'll have to do it all again in about another ten days, since the nits you may have missed will be hatching.

Also, as you section off the hair, comb not only from the front to the back, but up from the neck and in all directions. And don't forget to rinse the comb after each stroke through! (I said this was time consuming!)

It is important that you keep your child's hair wet during this ordeal, although there is now a comb out there that is electronic that must be used only on dry hair. The beauty in that, as I understand it, is that, even though you have to use it daily for about two weeks, it takes only about five minutes a session.

Sterilize, or at least wash in very hot water, all brushes and combs and hair barrettes and the like, along with laundering any clothing or hats, etc., or even where the affected head might have been against, including all of her bedding.

Resource box: Diana Lodge has become an unofficial expert in the subject of head lice ... how to identify them, how to treat them, and most importantly, how to get rid of them for good, both from your head and your home! Although Diana has crafted a free mini-course for you, which you can get at http://wipeoutheadlice.com/head-lice-combs/. Diana also has written a comprehensive e-book covering just about anything and everything you ever wanted to know about head lice, including the what's and how-to's using home remedies that work ... and that won't cost you big bucks. See http://wipeoutheadlice.com/lsl.html