Lice season is ramping up again — a few free tips from a local lice-removal business
Hi r/BellevueWA — full disclosure up front, we run a lice treatment business (Lice Charmers), so take this as coming from someone with a commercial interest. Mods, if this isn't allowed, no worries — please remove.
Posting because we're heading into the part of the year when calls pick up (summer camps, then back-to-school in the fall), and every year we talk to parents who spent weeks and a lot of money on stuff that didn't work. So, some genuinely free advice, no strings:
- Nits ≠active lice. Finding eggs (nits) alone doesn't always mean an active infestation. Live, moving lice are the sign to treat. A lot of panic (and unnecessary re-treatment) comes from misreading old nits.
- Most drugstore products don't kill eggs. They target live lice, not all nits — which is why timing and thorough combing matter, and why people often think a treatment "failed" when they just missed the egg stage. If you use one, plan a second pass around day 9–10.
- Combing with oil is the unglamorous part that actually works. A good metal nit comb on wet, conditioned hair, small sections, every few days for a couple weeks. Tedious but effective.
- Check the whole household the same day. It spreads fast; treating one kid while missing a sibling restarts the cycle.
- You usually don't need to fumigate your house. Lice die within a day or two off a human head. Wash recently-used bedding/hats in hot water; skip the chemical bombing of every soft surface.
Happy to answer general lice questions in the comments for free — no pitch. If anyone wants professional help there are several options in the area including us, but honestly a patient parent with a good comb can often handle a mild case at home.
Hope this saves someone a stressful week.