These babies, called nits, are white, football-shaped critters that look like dandruff but hang on to hair strands with the same intensity as a pit bull on a mail carrier's leg. Left untreated, head lice can lead to local scalp infection. Here's how to send them packing. Wash them away. These shampoos can be dangerous to children under five and shouldn't be used by pregnant or nursing women or anyone with cuts on his hands or arms.
Safer options are available.
Take your time shampooing. That gives enough time for the active ingredient to penetrate through the eggshells of the nits, so they can be killed before they hatch in your scalp. When Head Lice Head South You need to use your head when head lice invade hair on other parts of your body. This smothers the nits, so you can easily remove them. After shampooing, you can remove stubborn hangers-on with a rinse made of equal parts white kitchen vinegar and water, suggests Karen E. Burke, M.D., Ph.D., a dermatologist and dermatologic surgeon in New York City.