Combing Instructions
Information
It is crucial that all household members are screened for head lice.
Just one overlooked louse can reinfestate the entire family.
Even if you searched for lice visually or by the regular combing methods, there is a big chance you missed it.
All household members need to be combed with the 'Comb Kit’ according to the instructions below.
If lice or nits are found, that person will need a full treatment with our combing method.
Combing as screening:
The Lice Clinic combing method with our 'Comb Kit' is the most reliable method to check for head lice.
When used according to the instructions, lice and even 95+% of the nits are combed out in just one treatment.
This rules out the possibility of a false negative, where nothing is found, when in reality there is an infestation.
To find out whether you have head lice according to your find, look at the information here: Diagnosis
Combing as treatment:
Our Combing Method with the ‘Comb Kit is the only guaranteed home treatment there is.
Effective, yet easy to do at home.
As the lice and nits are removed much more effectively, combing every other day for 13 days, instead of the usual daily sessions, according to the instructions, eliminates every infestation.
Combing as prevention:
Weekly, for only 10 minutes, before the regular washing of the hair, to determine if a new louse has found its way into the hair.
If a louse is found, the early finding, together with our highly effective method, makes it possible to eliminate the early-stage infestation before it even got a change to develop.
Since the Comb Cream is equally nourishing as a high-quality salon conditioner, there's no longer a need for conditioner after washing your hair, which largely offsets the time spent on inspection.
After the first combing session, you now know the degree of the infestation. Depending on the number of found lice and nits, you need to comb an additional 3 or 6 times:
Mild infestation
<3 lice, <30 nits
4 Combing sessions in total: one session after intervals of 3 days, for 13 days.
Average to heavy infestation
3>lice, 30> nits
7 Combing sessions in total: one session every other day, for 13 days.
It is crucial that you complete the 13 days, no matter how mild or intense the infestation!
With our Comb Kit, you will be able to remove around 95-99% of the nits during the first combing session.
But what about the 1%-5%?
Quite easy: we break their life cycle!
It can take up to 7-10 days before a missed egg will hatch.
What happens, when you end the combing sessions too soon, is that nits that hatch after your last combing session, will quickly spawn a whole new cycle.
So, continue combing until the last nit has become a louse so you can remove the last louse.
The 3 days extra is just to be sure, because young lice are very small and can sometimes be missed.
After 3 days they are a bit bigger and easier to comb out.
On the thirteenth day, all nits are either combed out or died or hatched.
All old and new lice were removed before they could lay new nits: the cycle is successfully broken!
On average, combing sessions take appr. 20 minutes for short hair and 30 to 40 minutes for long hair.
How long a combing session takes depends on the structure of the hair and the severity of the infestation.
Hair that gets in knots easily, very thick hair, and/or a large number of nits can make combing a challenge.
That's why the right preparation of the hair and an ample amount of Comb Cream is important.
Combing can be optimized significantly for speed and comfort when:
- the recommended amount of Comb Cream is used, approximately 1/7th of a liter of Comb Cream per combing session.
- knots are well removed from the hair, and the Comb Cream is evenly distributed. Use the Tangle Teezer or Hercules brush and white-pointed comb for this.
- the instructions are followed step by step.
There's no need to continue for a longer duration or comb more frequently than advised.
- Comb Cream
- Lice Clinic Europe nit comb
- Tangle Teezer or Hercules hairbrush
- White tail comb
- Big white bowl or white sink
Instructions
Tools:
- Brush the knots out of dry hair with the Tangle Teezer or Hercules brush.
For curly or frizzy hair it is advised to first apply the Comb Cream to the hair before brushing the knots out. - Then section the hair by making a parting in the middle of the hair (from the forehead to the neck).
With short hair, you don't have to part the hair.
Tools:
- Apply a rich layer of 'Comb Cream' to the dry hair, which is evenly distributed over the entire scalp. Use about 1/7 part of the bottle (1 “Part”).
It is important that this amount, well distributed, is used for an optimal lice-catching effect.
TIP: Start by pouring 1/7 liter into a bowl so you can take easy scoops of cream, instead of having to squeeze from the bottle every time. - Brush the hair again, so that the knots are again removed, and the Comb Cream is well distributed.
- Comb the hair with the tail comb. Once it slides through without resistance, the hair is ready to be combed with the nit comb. Put the Comb Cream that ends up in the tail comb back on the part on the top of the head, so that a white “Mohawk" of cream is formed!
Tools:
It is important to carefully study the video above, to get a visual explanation for these instructions.
- Fill a white bowl or basin with hot water to rinse out the nit comb each time; the heat dissolves the Comb Cream well, making the nits and lice that float in the water clearly visible.
- You start combing with the nit comb on the frontside (at the forehead) and comb downwards from the part, scraping along the side of the head, to the tips of the hair.
Then, with good overlapping, comb all strands untill you’ve reached the neck and do the same on the other section. - You need to rinse the comb in the bowl after each strand of hair.
If the bowl becomes saturated with Comb Cream, refill it with clean hot water so you can keep a clear view of what you find.
But first, remove all specimens you want to analyze before refreshing the water!
Lice cannot move or jump away, once they are removed from the hair.
You can safely keep them in a container without the risk of infestation. - If your combing is for the purpose of screening or prevention, then this step is sufficient. If your combing is for the purpose of treatment, you now need to continue with combing as shown in video 2.
It is important to carefully study the video above, to get a visual explanation for these instructions.
- Now, lift the strand of hair straight off the head in a 90-degree angle and slide the nit comb deeply into the hair in a horizontal angle, ensuring that the entire length of the comb teeth slides flat over the scalp.
This places the comb teeth underneath the nits and nymphs, which are always found near or on the skin, ensuring that they will get caught into the comb teeth.
Once the nit comb can no longer move further into the hair and the hair is pressed against the handle, pull the nit comb towards the hair ends.
In this manner, comb all strands from all directions (left, right, below, and above).
Repeat this process until all strands, from both sides of the head, are completely combed out. - Finally, comb all the hair towards the back so that you can comb the part itself.
Start in the neck and work step by step upwards to comb the hair towards the neck.
For those with short hair, in which a parting doesn't stay in place, it is not possible or meaningful to comb according to the combing technique shown in video 1, where you comb in sections from a center parting towards the ends of the hair.
You only need to comb using the method from video 2:
- Lift (or try to lift) each strand of hair you want to comb straight up from the scalp and slide the comb entirely flat (horizontally) on the scalp, deep into the base of the hair.
Ensure that the entire length of the comb teeth glides over the scalp and that the comb is pushed deep into the hair, with the hair pressed against the handle of the nit comb, before and while you lift the comb out of the hair.
Comb each strand multiple times from various directions. - After thoroughly combing all sections in this manner, comb all the hair from the front to the back, in heavily overlapping sections.
Coily, afro-textured, hair has a different order and method of working because you won't be able to get the nit comb through it otherwise.
Non-coily hair, regardless of how light or strong the curl, will become smooth and tamed with the Lice Cream, and can be combed following the regular instructions.
When we refer to coily hair, we mean hair types 3C to 4C, and you comb it as follows:
- Apply the ‘Comb Cream’ to dry hair, at least 1 "indication portion" on the bottle, both on the scalp and in the lengths of the hair.
- Create two sections.
One in the middle, from the forehead to the neck.
One from ear to ear. - Secure the 4 sections with hair clips.
- Start with one of the two sections in the neck.
Take a very thin strand of hair at the bottom and put the rest of the hair above back into the hair clip. - Brush and/or comb this strand completely with the 'Tangle Teezer Ultimate Brush' and/or the 'Tangle Teezer Wide Tooth comb' until you go through it without any resistence.
- Then take the white tail-comb and comb the strand until, again, you no longer feel any resistance.
Keep the strand lightly tensioned at the tips so that the hair can't bounce back into a coil.
Put the ‘Comb Cream’ that ends up in the tail-comb back on the parting/scalp.
Now move on to the next step, but continue to hold the strand of hair gently taut! - Pick up the nit comb to comb according to video 2.
The strand of hair must be kept away (pulled) from the head at a 90-degree angle from the head.
Slide the nit comb horizontally, gliding over the scalp, as deeply as possible into the base of the strand of hair until the handle presses against the hair.
Then pull the comb towards the tips of the hair.
Repeat this by combing the strand from all different directions.
Rinse the comb in the basin of hot water each time so that no cream (with potential specimens) falls on the ground.
Release the strand of hair and let it spring back into its coils, only then after you have completely combed it with the nit comb. - Now take the next thin strand of hair and put the other strands back into the hair clip.
Comb all hair strands from this section in the same way and repeat these steps for the other 3 sections.
- Ensure that the tips of the nit comb constantly glide gently over the skin. The comb should never lift off of the skin until you pass the hairline, or you will miss the lower layers.
- Keep your free hand beneath the nit comb to prevent the cream (along with potential evidence of lice) from falling.
Do not use the free hand to hold or push the hair against the head, as it can create tangles that make combing more challenging. - Place a garbage bag with a hole at the bottom over the head and body of the person you are combing to keep them dry and warm.
Do not leave young children alone with plastic bags due to suffocation risks! - Put on an entertaining movie for distraction.
- If you come across something of which you are unsure whether it's a louse/nit or something else, remove it from the water bowl, place it on a white sheet of paper, and take a sharp, zoomed-in photo.
You can make a proper identification using the information and photos on the Diagnosis page.
You can also send us the photo by email, so that we can assist with remote identification: info@licecliniceurope.com. - This treatment guarantees the elimination of any infestation.
If this is not the case for you, there are two possible reasons:- The instructions were not executed correctly.
- There has been a reinfestation.
If you come across something of which you are unsure whether it's a louse/nit or something else, remove it from the water bowl, place it on a white sheet of paper, and take a sharp, zoomed-in photo.
You can make a proper identification using the information and photos on the Diagnosis page.
You can also E-mail us your photo, so that we can assist with remote identification:
info@licecliniceurope.com.
FAQ
Everybody!
The ‘Comb Cream’ does not kill lice; it captures them.
It's a product with a mechanical action, thanks to its lice-catching structure, not due to lice-killing ingredients.
Therefore, it contains no pesticides, silicones, perfumes, dyes, or other (potentially) unsafe chemicals.
The ‘Comb Cream’ is entirely safe for babies, children, and pregnant or lactating women.
In terms of ingredients, The ‘Comb Cream’ is comparable to a high-quality salon conditioner. But it's even healthier than most! A regular conditioner is only suitable for the hair, not for the scalp!
The nit comb only needs to be free of lice to prevent (re)infestation.
Once the nits have been combed out of the hair, they can no longer hatch and, therefore, cannot cause a new infestation.
Thus, it is unnecessary to make the nit comb nit-free.
Lice and nits are not bacteria either, so it is not necessary nor advisable for the quality of the nit comb to boil it.
If you still wish to remove the nits, then this is the best method: Hold the nit comb under a strong stream of water while removing the nits with a pair of pointy tweezers.
Slide the tip of the tweezers between the comb teeth and toward the handle. This will slightly separate the comb teeth, allowing the nits to be rinsed out by the water stream.
The ‘Comb Cream’ has a mechanical effect, ensuring that lice are captured and effectively combed out with the nit comb during the combing treatment thanks to its unique structure, not because it contains active (killing) ingredients.
So, once you've finished combing, the Nit Cream doesn't have any post-treatment effects.
These are also unnecessary.
The majority of the cream is combed out during the combing treatment.
You can rinse or wash out the remaining part of the cream from the hair after the treatment.
Often, it is advised to use a lice-killing product alongside the regular combing treatment.
When applying our Comb Treatment, this is unnecessary and provides no added benefits or faster results.
Lice-killing products are effective in killing lice (unless there is resistance), but they only kill a portion of the nits.
Our combing treatment is so effective that, when performed according to our instructions, it can remove all adult lice in the initial combing session.
In our view, there is no point in killing the lice first when you subsequently remove them all with our combing treatment.
After all, it makes no difference whether the lice go down the drain alive or dead.
Additionally, using a lice-killing product in order to kill a portion of the nits is futile.
Regardless of how many viable nits remain, it takes only two nits to perpetuate the infestation.
Therefore, you must comb for a total of 13 days anyhow, to eliminate the remaining live nits by breaking the cycle.
Lice-killing products also can have an adverse effect on the scalp and hair.
The least harmful and most commonly sold lice-killing products are based on dimethicone (a chemical oil that suffocates lice).
However, dimethicone can also suffocate the scalp and hair, which can lead to a dry scalp, flakes, and itching.
These symptoms can be confused with an ongoing infestation.
Do I (still) have head lice?
It is understandable if you want to know before, during or after treatment whether you or your household members (still) have head lice.
Or wanting to identify your combing find.
How to determine what is what, or whether that means that it is an active or resolved infestation, or perhaps even a false alarm, can be found on our Diagnosis page and the video "Do I have Head Lice".