Head Lice Removal Cost & Time Required

Lice removal times and costs vary depending on the thickness of your child’s hair, the treatment option you choose, and the severity of head lice infestation. But first, you should identify which family members have it to get the most accurate estimate.

Symptoms of Head Lice

If your child has lice, in most probability she got it from a family member, friend, or a classmate. Sharing items such as combs, towels, brushes, and hats, as well as sitting close and sharing a bed, can cause lice to spread. However, head to head contact is the most common infection method. The symptoms of head lice may not show for up to five weeks from initial lice infestation.

· Itchy scalp

· A feeling of something crawling on your head

· Sores due to intense scratching. 

· Difficulty in sleeping.

· Irritability

Head lice should immediately be treated to prevent them from spreading. 

How to Kill Head Lice

1. Professional Treatment. Head lice treatment clinics, centers, or services.

2. Home Remedies. Olive oil, tea tree oil, coconut oil, thyme oil, sesame oil, garlic mayonnaise, petroleum jelly. These are applied in the dry hair and allowed to stay for a few hours before rinsing. 

3. Over-the-Counter Products. Pyrethrin combined with another chemical to make it more toxic to lice and permethrin, the synthetic version of pyrethrin. 

4. Medical Prescriptions. Ivermectin, Benzyl Alcohol, Malathion, Spinosad, and Lindane. These medications come as shampoos and are applied on dry hair and allowed to stay for a few hours before rinsing. 

5. Lice Removal Devices. These are mechanical devices that come as combs or vacuums or dryers. 

It is recommended to avoid using the same treatment more than twice. Use only one type of medication at a time, too. 

How long does it take to remove lice?

Getting rid of head lice can be a daunting task. It does not, however, need to take forever to battle head lice infestation as long as a thorough job is done the first time. How long it will take to remove lice depends on these factors:

· Type of treatment

· Hair length, thickness, and curly or kinkiness

· Number of family members with head lice

· Lice spreading in school 

· If everyone is treated at once or at different times

Treatment centers

Getting rid of head lice through a lice treatment clinic or center may take only one treatment. The length of the treatment depends on the severity of lice infestation. A second appointment may be required to check for re-infestation.

Home remedies

If you opt for home remedies, your child should be lice-and-nit-free two weeks or so after the initial treatment. A second treatment is needed one week after the first treatment. 

Lice products & prescriptions

If after two weeks and the lice and nits are not gone, try OTC products. OTC products will require two treatments. A second treatment is done 9 days after the first treatment to kill the remaining lice and nits from the first treatment.

OTC products often fail because sometimes the medication is not kept on the scalp long enough to make it effective or the OTC products are not used properly as indicated. 

Of the prescription medications, only Ivermectin kills lice with a single treatment. All the rest may need second treatments a few days or weeks after the first. 

How much does it cost to remove lice?

Most lice treatment clinics, centers, or services charge per hour or family member. It usually takes about an hour to an hour and a half and only one visit to treat head lice. Severe lice infestation would take much longer. 

OTC, prescription medications for head lice as well as treatment clinics can be costly. Most Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA) provide reimbursement for head lice treatment. You, however, need to check with your provider if head lice services and remediation products are covered expenses. 

Home remedies are the cheapest of all head lice treatments. Using a lice removal device is also cheaper than OTC products and prescription medication. A lice removal device can be cleaned and/or sanitized for re-use.

Lice Charmers has head Lice Removal options for families in need.

Lice Charmers does Lice Treatment that is fast efficient and guaranteed.

Lice Charmers is a Lice Clinic for professional treatment of lice, super lice, and nits in a single appointment.

Excellent5.0 Based on 315 reviews fromNerissa ZahoraNerissa Zahora ★★★★★ Lex was great - she made everyone comfortable, taught us a lot, and made the whole process easy and painless. We hope we never have to come back, but if we do we'll be happy to use this service again.Bernadette SandersBernadette Sanders ★★★★★ Very knowledgeable, skilled and friendly staff.Karin CunninghamKarin Cunningham ★★★★★ Getting lice was a less than ideal situation, but Lice Charmers in Beaverton really saved the day. Their quick, professional team, and in-home service are highly commendable. Thank you a million times!Cheryl M.Cheryl M. ★★★★★ Lice Charmers deserves a 5+ review. Noticing a family member had lice we ran down to Lice Charmers. Melanie, was calm, professional and very thorough....Lori EhleLori Ehle ★★★★★ I can't even begin to tell you how nice it was to find this amazing company and know they dealt with the entire issue! Not to wonder if I got it all myself and for the reassurance they did was a comfort. As much as I hope to never have this issue again, it's great to know they are there if needed!Heather FriedmanHeather Friedman ★★★★★ I highly recommend Lice Charmers in Portland for lice removal. We had a home visit and Lexi was thorough with checking and treating. I was given a lot of information and was able to purchase medical -grade lice tools should we have to deal with this in the future.Megan CrownMegan Crown ★★★★★ Amazing experience visiting Lice Charmers. I found a louse in my hair late Friday afternoon and was able to make an appointment with Lex the next morning. She was extremely patient and gracious as I asked a million questions. Thank you SO MUCH!Anne MaddenAnne Madden ★★★★★ Lex is wonderful! I don’t recommend getting lice, but if you do, I recommend getting rid of them at Lice Charmers.Lex is thorough and great with kids. She made the process easy and as pleasant as it could be.Sarah ReuberSarah Reuber ★★★★★ Lex is thorough and kind. This was the second time we had to use the Lice Charmers service and I'm so grateful there is a service like this! It may be expensive but worth every penny to be lice free!!! Highly recommend.Amy BentonAmy Benton ★★★★★ Organized, timely, informative care. She was thorough and complete. Lice free after 1 visit! Thank you.Naomi BergNaomi Berg ★★★★★ My 16-year old & I needed a check and were able to schedule the same day we called. Lex & Melanie were very thorough, compassionate, and helped put our minds at ease! I am so grateful for their service & care—especially as a single parent!Destinie LachicaDestinie Lachica ★★★★★ This place is so amazing. I was stressed when my daughter had lice and they were so calm and answered all my questions. We called on a Saturday afternoon and she squeezed us in that same day around 5. My daughter went home lice free and with oil to take home. Would defiantly recommend.Colette NevaColette Neva ★★★★★ Fast, kind and fantastic service! I wouldn’t go anywhere else.Tamara WicklundTamara Wicklund ★★★★★ Lex was great! This is the second time we have used her service and very happy! She did great with my two boys and was able to adjust when one needed a break. Highly recommend her!Noelle DiazNoelle Diaz ★★★★★ Has a great experience here! Called on a weekday about 3:30 hoping to get checks for my family of 5 (including school age and toddler children) and we were able to all be fit in that afternoon/evening. It was our first experience with lice and it was helpful and informative- I feel more confident in the future now knowing what I’m looking for! Would definitely return here for swift, informative service.js_loader

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