You find a note in your child’s backpack, or you spot the telltale scratching at bedtime. Your stomach drops. Head lice. Before you start tearing apart every pillow in the house, take a breath. Head lice treatment is very manageable when you know what you’re doing — and the providers at Memorial Family Practice in Artesia, NM see this situation every school year.
Head lice are not a sign that your home is dirty or that your child did something wrong. They spread through direct head-to-head contact, and they don’t discriminate. Clean hair, messy hair, short hair, long hair — lice don’t care. What matters is acting quickly, following a clear plan, and knowing when you need a little extra help from your healthcare provider.
This guide walks you through everything: how to confirm a lice diagnosis, your treatment options, how to clean your home, and how to keep lice from coming back. Families across Artesia, Carlsbad, and the Pecos Valley have questions — here are the answers.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Peter Jewell — Family Practice Physician, Artesia General Hospital. March 2026.
What Exactly Are Head Lice?
Head lice are tiny parasitic insects, about the size of a sesame seed, that live on the human scalp and feed on small amounts of blood. There are three forms you might encounter: nits (eggs), nymphs (young lice), and adult lice.
Nits are the eggs. They’re oval-shaped, yellowish-white to brown, and firmly attached to the hair shaft close to the scalp. People often mistake them for dandruff, but there’s an easy difference: dandruff flakes off with a finger. Nits don’t. If you’re looking with a fine-tooth comb and the specks stay put, that’s a nit.
Adult lice are tan or grayish-white and move fast. They’re harder to spot because they avoid light. Nymphs look like smaller adults and become egg-laying adults within about nine to 12 days. To fully clear an infestation, you need to address all three stages.
How Do Head Lice Spread?
The most common way lice spread is head-to-head contact — kids leaning together during sports, slumber parties, group photos, or just playing closely with one another. Less commonly, lice transfer through shared personal items like hats, hairbrushes, hair ties, or helmets.
Here’s what lice cannot do: they can’t jump, they can’t fly, and they don’t live on pets. A louse away from a human head will die within one to two days because it can’t feed. That’s important information when you’re deciding how aggressively to tackle your home.
Lice are most common in children ages 3 to 11, and they’re especially prevalent during the school year when large groups of kids are in close quarters. Eddy County schools, like schools everywhere, occasionally see outbreaks — but a confirmed case doesn’t have to derail your household.
How to Check Your Child for Head Lice
Get a good light source and a fine-tooth comb or dedicated nit comb (these are available at most pharmacies). Wet your child’s hair — wetting it temporarily slows lice down and makes them easier to see. Then comb through in small, thorough sections.
Pay close attention to the areas where lice prefer to hide: the nape of the neck, behind the ears, and along the hairline. These are the warmest spots on the scalp, and lice gravitate toward them.
After each pass of the comb, wipe it on a damp white paper towel. If you see tiny moving specks or oval-shaped eggs attached to individual hairs, you’ve confirmed an infestation. No lice or nits visible after a thorough check? Your child may just have an itchy scalp from another cause — dry skin, eczema, or dandruff are common culprits.
Head Lice Treatment Options: What Works
Once you’ve confirmed head lice, you have a few routes forward. Most families start with over-the-counter options. If those don’t do the job, a prescription treatment from your provider is the next step.
Over-the-Counter Treatments
The most widely available lice treatments contain either permethrin (1%) or pyrethrins as the active ingredient. These are pediculicides — they kill live lice. The important caveat is that most over-the-counter products do not kill unhatched nits, which is why a second treatment is usually needed 7–9 days after the first.
Follow the product directions precisely. That means applying to dry or towel-dried hair (not wet), leaving it on for the full recommended time, and not using a conditioner beforehand — conditioner coats the hair shaft and can reduce the medication’s effectiveness. After rinsing, use a fine-tooth comb to remove dead lice and eggs section by section.
Don’t apply more than instructed, and don’t use two products simultaneously. More is not better with medicated treatments.
Prescription Treatments
If OTC treatments haven’t worked after two applications, or if live lice are still present, it’s time to call your healthcare provider. Prescription-strength options include ivermectin lotion, benzyl alcohol lotion, spinosad topical suspension, and malathion. Each has different age requirements and application instructions.
Spinosad, for example, kills both live lice and unhatched eggs — which means retreatment often isn’t necessary. Ivermectin lotion works similarly, preventing newly hatched nymphs from surviving after a single application. Your provider at Memorial Family Practice can help you determine which prescription makes sense for your child’s age and situation.
The CDC’s clinical care guidance on head lice is a useful reference if you want to understand how these medications work before your appointment.
The Comb-Out Method
Regardless of which product you use, manual nit removal with a fine-tooth comb is a critical part of head lice treatment. No medication is 100% effective at killing every egg, so following up with daily combing for 2–3 weeks after treatment removes what the medicine misses.
Comb through wet hair in small sections. After each pass, wipe the comb on a damp paper towel. Repeat until you’ve covered every section of the scalp. This process takes time — especially with longer hair — but it’s the most reliable way to confirm the infestation is fully cleared.
For children under two months old, the comb-out method alone is recommended because medicated lice treatments are not approved for very young infants. Always consult your provider before treating any child in this age range.
| OTC treatments not cutting it? The providers at Memorial Family Practice in Artesia, NM can evaluate your child and prescribe the right treatment — including same-day sick visits for active infestations. Call 575-746-3119 | Walk-ins welcome Mon–Fri, 7 AM–5 PM |
How to Clean Your Home After a Head Lice Diagnosis
A word of reassurance first: you don’t need to bomb your house. Because lice die within one to two days without a human host, the environmental cleanup is more targeted than most parents expect.
Focus on items the infested person has used in the two days before treatment. Machine-wash clothing, bedding, towels, and cloth hair accessories in hot water (at least 130°F) and dry on the high-heat setting for a minimum of 20 minutes. For items you can’t wash — stuffed animals, throw pillows, certain hats — seal them in an airtight bag for two weeks, or run them through the dryer on high heat for 30 minutes.
Soak combs, brushes, hair ties, and barrettes in hot water (130°F) for five to ten minutes, or simply throw them away and replace them. Vacuum carpets, upholstered furniture, and car seats. There’s no need for environmental pesticide sprays — the CDC does not recommend them and they pose unnecessary chemical exposure risk to your family.
One step that’s easy to overlook: check every person in your household, not just the child who was identified at school. Treat anyone who has live lice to prevent the family from passing it back and forth.
Things You Should NOT Do When Treating Head Lice
A few common home remedies circulate on social media every year. Most are ineffective, and some are dangerous. Here’s what to skip:
Mayonnaise, olive oil, butter, and petroleum jelly are sometimes used with the idea of suffocating lice. The CDC notes there is no scientific evidence supporting this approach, and these substances can be very difficult to wash out of hair thoroughly.
Do not use a hairdryer after applying a pediculicide treatment. Many of these products contain flammable ingredients — this is a genuine fire hazard, not a minor inconvenience.
Avoid tea tree oil or other essential oils on the scalp as a lice treatment. They haven’t been approved by the FDA for this use and can trigger allergic skin reactions in children.
Never use pesticide sprays or hire a pest control company for a head lice infestation. These products expose your family to unnecessary chemicals and aren’t effective against an infestation that lives on a person, not in a home.
And shaving your child’s head is not a medically recommended treatment. While it would technically eliminate the habitat, it isn’t necessary and can be traumatic for a child who is already feeling embarrassed.
When to See a Provider for Head Lice Treatment
Most head lice cases resolve with over-the-counter treatment and consistent combing. But there are situations where you should reach out to a healthcare provider rather than continuing to troubleshoot at home.
Call or come in if: OTC treatments haven’t worked after two full rounds with the proper wait time in between. Your child is scratching so intensely that the scalp has open sores or crusting. You notice swollen lymph nodes in the neck, which can indicate a secondary skin infection from scratching. Your child is under two months old. Or you’re simply not sure what you’re looking at and want a professional set of eyes.
At Memorial Family Practice, our providers offer same-day sick visits and walk-in appointments Monday through Friday, 7 AM to 5 PM. You don’t need to figure this out alone. A quick appointment can confirm the diagnosis, rule out a secondary infection, and get your child on the right prescription treatment if needed.
Families from Artesia, Roswell, and the Carlsbad area all access care here. If you’re driving in from across the Pecos Valley, it’s worth the trip to get it handled correctly the first time.
How to Prevent Head Lice From Coming Back
Prevention is mostly about habits, not products. Teach your child to avoid head-to-head contact during activities where it’s easy to forget — team huddles, gym class, sleepovers, taking group selfies. Remind them not to share hats, helmets, hair accessories, combs, or brushes with friends.
Check your child’s hair regularly during the school year, especially if there’s a known outbreak in their classroom or school. Catching a case early, before it has time to spread to other household members, makes treatment much simpler.
There are preventive lice sprays and shampoos on the market, some containing rosemary or other botanical ingredients. While the evidence on these is mixed, they’re generally safe for regular use. If your child tends to be re-exposed repeatedly — perhaps in a classroom setting with a recurring outbreak — it may be worth discussing preventive options with your provider.
Keep the school nurse informed. If your child’s school has a policy requiring notification when a student is treated, following it protects other families. Most Eddy County schools and schools throughout southeastern New Mexico have protocols for handling lice outbreaks, and cooperation makes containment easier for everyone.
Spanish-Speaking Patients / Pacientes de habla hispana
Si su hijo o hija tiene piojos y necesita ayuda, el equipo de Memorial Family Practice habla español y está listo para atenderles. Llame al 575-746-3119 o visítenos de lunes a viernes de 7 AM a 5 PM en Artesia, NM.
Frequently Asked Questions About Head Lice Treatment
Can head lice jump from person to person?
No. Head lice cannot jump or fly. They spread only through direct head-to-head contact or, less commonly, by sharing personal items that touch the head, like hats, hair accessories, or brushes.
How long does head lice treatment take to work?
Most over-the-counter treatments kill live lice within hours of application. However, since they don’t kill nits, a second treatment is usually required 7–9 days after the first. Daily combing for 2–3 weeks after treatment removes remaining eggs and confirms the infestation is cleared.
Can adults get head lice?
Yes. Anyone with hair can get head lice, regardless of age. While children ages 3 to 11 are most commonly affected, parents and caregivers who have close contact with an infested child are also at risk. Check every household member when a case is confirmed.
Is it safe to use lice shampoo on a toddler?
It depends on the product and your child’s age. Permethrin is approved for children two months and older. Some prescription treatments have different age minimums. For children under two months, the comb-out method is the only recommended option. Always check with your healthcare provider before treating a very young child.
When can my child go back to school after a lice treatment?
Most pediatric and school health guidelines allow children to return to school the day after the first lice treatment is applied. Schools typically do not require children to be completely nit-free before returning. Confirm the specific policy with your child’s school, as Eddy County schools may have their own guidelines.
What if the lice come back after treatment?
If lice return, it’s usually because of re-exposure from another household member or classmate who wasn’t treated, not because the treatment failed. Check all household members and treat anyone with live lice simultaneously. If you’ve treated correctly and lice are still present, the strain may be resistant to OTC products — see your provider for a prescription-strength option.
Does my child need to stay home from school for head lice?
Major medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, advise against requiring a child to miss school because of head lice. The priority is treating the child promptly, not keeping them out of the classroom. Check with the school nurse about notification requirements and any school-specific policies.
Can I treat head lice naturally?
While some parents try olive oil, mayonnaise, or tea tree oil as home remedies, none of these have been proven effective by clinical research. The CDC does not recommend them. Clinically proven over-the-counter products containing permethrin or pyrethrins, combined with thorough nit combing, remain the most reliable approach. If those don’t work, a prescription medication from your provider is the next step.
What should I do with stuffed animals and pillows?
Seal them in an airtight plastic bag for two weeks, or run them through the dryer on high heat for at least 30 minutes. You do not need to throw them away. Since lice cannot survive more than one to two days without a human host, keeping items out of reach for two weeks is sufficient.
Can head lice spread serious disease?
Head lice are not known to spread infectious diseases. Unlike body lice, head lice have not been linked to disease transmission. The main medical concern with head lice is a secondary skin infection from excessive scratching. If you notice open sores, crusting, or swollen lymph nodes in the neck, contact your provider.
| Need Help With Head Lice Treatment in Artesia, NM? The team at Memorial Family Practice has you covered. Same-day sick visits and walk-in care available Monday–Friday, 7 AM–5 PM. Walk in or call 575-746-3119 to schedule. Memorial Family Practice • Part of Artesia General Hospital • Artesia, NM |