Blog: Kid has lice? How NYDA Head Lice Treatment can help

It’s the letter that no parent wants to see come home from school with their kid. You know the one I'm talking about—the Lice Letter. It starts out with "An individual in your child's class has been identified to have lice" and immediately spirals into feeling itchy and checking everyone in your house for lice and nits on an hourly basis. My oldest had not even been at school a month when he brought home his first letter. My first thought was, No big deal, he has short hair and won't get lice. I. Was. Wrong.

I spent the following week combing hair and washing everything in sight. Anything that could not be washed was quarantined in bags for several days. The number one goal was to get rid of the lice from my son's hair and make sure they did not spread to other members of our family.

I wish I'd known about NYDA Head Lice Treatment back then. NYDA eradicates lice and nits (the eggs) by blocking the breathing pores, effectively smothering the lice, larvae and eggs. It is non-toxic and does not contain any insecticides or pesticides. There are four steps in the treatment:

1. Spray all over hair, making sure you spray the roots too (that is where the nits are).
2. Massage the spray into the hair until it is completely wet and then wait at least 30 minutes.
3. Comb out the lice and nits using a lice comb. (A regular hair comb is not going to cut it here, as the teeth are too widely spaced.) Divide hair up into small sections and start combing from the roots to the end of the hair. Wipe off the comb on a paper towel between each pass.
4. After waiting eight hours, wash with regular shampoo.

You should check for nits periodically and repeat this process eight to 10 days after the initial application to ensure full eradication of head lice. Meanwhile, make sure you wash hats, coats, bedding and anything that may have come into contact with your child's hair to prevent re-infestation and spreading lice to others at home or school.

While the plastic NYDA Lice Comb that comes will the kit will get the job done, I would recommend picking up the metal NYDAComb, especially if you are dealing with long hair or combing out hair for multiple people. The teeth are longer on the NYDAComb, which makes using it on longer hair easier. And you will appreciate the ergonomic design after combing for just a few minutes. Plus, once you have a good nit comb, it will last you for years—and you’ll need it, because there’s bound to be another lice notice coming home from the school in the future.

Little Miss Kate & Company works to embrace the chaos of motherhood one day at a time and loves sharing easy recipes and family travel adventures. Follow them on twitter @LilMissKateco, Instagram @LilMissKateCo and check out their YouTube channel for helpful reviews.

NYDA Head Lice Treatment is a Today’s Parent Approved 2016 winner. Your kid’s hair has been infiltrated by those most dreaded of creepy-crawlies. Your weapon of choice in this battle is NYDA’s neurotoxic-chemical-free lice treatment. Its formula penetrates lice, larvae and even eggs’ breathing systems, smothering the bugs and eggs in less than a minute. It comes in a handy, easy-to-apply pump spray—so you can blast those bugs goodbye! $34, shoppersdrugmart.ca

See all of the 2016 Today’s Parent Approved winning products