Frequently Asked Questions About Lice & Treatment
Still have questions? If you’re feeling ready, go ahead and give us a call 310-896-8065 or schedule an appointment below.
Treatment & Appointments
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Our professional in-home lice treatment starts with a thorough head check to look for live lice and nits (lice eggs). If treatment is needed, we apply our non-toxic lice treatment and carefully comb through the hair with a professional lice comb to remove lice and nits before we “nit pick” strand by strand.
Before we finish, we recheck the hair and provide clear instructions for follow-up care at home. Nit Happens provides private, mobile lice removal throughout the South Bay, so your family can be treated comfortably in your own home.
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Yes. We use an enzyme-based lice treatment without harsh pesticides or messy, hard-to-remove oils. It’s designed to help eliminate live lice and loosen nits so they can be thoroughly removed during professional combing.
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Treatment starts at $135 per person for mild infestations and $175 per person for moderate to severe infestations. Head checks are $25 per person, and an in-home service minimum may apply if no treatment is needed. Visit our Pricing page for full details.
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Yes, and we strongly recommend checking household members and other close contacts when someone has confirmed head lice. Lice spread primarily through direct head-to-head contact, so identifying another infestation early can help prevent lice from continuing to circulate through the family.
We offer professional lice head checks and only recommend treatment for individuals who show signs of an active infestation.
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Treatment time depends on the length and thickness of the hair and how advanced the lice infestation is.
A mild to moderate case generally takes about 60–75 minutes per person. A moderate to severe infestation may take approximately 75–150 minutes or longer, especially when there are significant numbers of lice and nits to remove.
We will evaluate the hair before treatment and give you a better idea of what to expect.
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Yes. At the end of treatment, we perform a final inspection and guarantee that the person treated is clear of lice and nits at that time. Because lice can be picked up again after treatment, we also provide simple at-home follow-up instructions to help reduce the risk of reinfestation. School clearance can be provided when needed.
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Yes. A back-to-school lice clearance form can be provided after treatment when needed.
We know lice can be stressful for both parents and children, so our goal is to help your child receive appropriate treatment and return to their normal routine as quickly as possible. Because individual school policies may vary, parents should also follow any specific instructions provided by their child's school or school nurse.
After Treatment
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Follow-up care is an important part of successfully managing head lice. Even after professional treatment and nit removal, the hair should continue to be monitored for signs of lice.
After your appointment, Nit Happens provides a personalized follow-up schedule and instructions for using your take-home non-toxic treatment product. Following the recommended schedule gives you a clear plan instead of wondering whether you need to treat, comb, or check the hair again.
It is also important to remember that someone can be successfully treated and later be exposed to lice again through close contact with another person.
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No. We do the detailed combing and nit removal during your professional treatment. At home, you’ll follow a simple treatment-spray schedule for just 5 minutes, twice over the next 1–2 weeks. No additional combing or rinsing is required.
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Itching does not necessarily mean your child still has lice. The itching associated with head lice is caused by a reaction to lice bites, and scalp irritation can sometimes continue even after the lice have been removed.
Some people with head lice also experience very little itching—or no noticeable itching at all—so itchiness by itself is not a reliable way to determine whether lice are present.
If you are concerned after treatment, look for live crawling lice rather than relying on itching alone, or contact Nit Happens for guidance or a professional lice recheck.
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No. You do not need to deep-clean or disinfect your entire home because of head lice. Head lice survive by feeding from the human scalp and do not live for long once they are separated from a person.
Focus on items that had recent direct contact with the affected person's head, such as:
Pillowcases and bedding
Towels
Recently worn hats or clothing
Hairbrushes, combs and hair accessories
Dry for 30 minutes items using hot settings when appropriate (no need to wash first). Combs and brushes can be put in the dishwasher or in a bag in the freezer. Using a link roller on stuffies or areas where the person frequently sat or rested is sufficient; extensive cleaning of carpets, couches and the entire home is generally unnecessary.
Most importantly, focus your energy on properly checking and treating people's hair—not treating the house.
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Let people know who have had recent close or head-to-head contact with the person who has lice. This may include:
Household members
Close friends or relatives
Sleepover friends
Babysitters or caregivers
Parents of children with frequent close contact
Your child's teacher or school nurse, when appropriate
Sharing the information allows other families to check for lice early and can help prevent the infestation from circulating back through a friend group, classroom or household.
Having head lice is not a sign of poor hygiene or a dirty home. Lice are common among school-age children and spread mainly through close head-to-head contact.
Understanding Lice
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Head lice spread primarily through direct head-to-head or hair-to-hair contact with someone who already has lice. They crawl from one person's hair to another—they do not jump or fly.
Children commonly have close head contact while playing, hugging, taking selfies, participating in sports, attending sleepovers or spending time together at school and camp.
Less commonly, lice may spread through recently shared items such as brushes, hats, hair accessories or pillows.
Getting lice has nothing to do with how clean your child, hair or home is.
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No. Human head lice live on humans. Dogs, cats and other household pets do not get or spread human head lice.
There is no reason to treat your pets or their bedding because someone in your family has head lice. Focus on checking and treating the people who have had close contact with the affected person.
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They can look similar at first, but there are some important differences.
Dandruff:
Usually white or yellowish flakes that move or brush away easily from the hair or scalp.Nits (lice eggs):
Very small, oval or teardrop-shaped eggs that are firmly attached to one side of the hair shaft. Unlike dandruff, nits generally do not flick or brush off easily. Nits close to the scalp are more likely to be associated with an active infestation, while eggs farther down the hair shaft may already be hatched or no longer viable.Live lice:
Small, wingless insects about the size of a sesame seed when fully grown. They may appear tan, gray or brown and can move quickly through the hair.If you're unsure whether you're seeing dandruff, lice eggs or head lice, a professional lice head check can provide confirmation before you begin treatment.
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Not necessarily. You can have head lice without feeling itchy.
Itching is caused by the body's reaction to lice bites. For someone experiencing head lice for the first time, itching may not develop for several weeks. Some people have few noticeable symptoms at all.
That means you should not rely on itching alone to determine whether someone has lice.
If one family member has confirmed head lice, the safest approach is to check everyone in the household, even if no one else is itching. Finding a live crawling louse is the clearest sign of an active infestation.