Does Lice Shampoo Kill Nits? What You Need to Know

When a child gets head lice, one of the first things parents do is reach for lice shampoo. These products are made to kill lice, but many people wonder if they also work on nits. Nits are the tiny eggs that lice lay close to the scalp. They are often white or yellow and stick to the hair strands. Knowing how hair lice shampoo works and what it can and can’t do can help you treat the problem more carefully.

What Are Nits?

Nits are the eggs laid by adult lice. They are very small and can be hard to spot, especially in light-colored hair. Nits are glued to the hair near the scalp and don’t fall off easily. It usually takes about a week for them to hatch. Once they hatch, the baby lice (called nymphs) begin to grow and can soon lay more eggs.

Does Lice Shampoo Kill Nits?

Most lice shampoos are designed to kill live lice, but not all of them kill nits. Some shampoos may stop a few nits from hatching, but many nits survive the first wash. This is why most treatment plans include a second round of shampoo about 7 to 10 days later. By that time, any remaining nits will have hatched into lice, and the second wash helps get rid of them.

Why You Still Need to Comb:

Even if the shampoo works well on lice, using a fine-tooth lice comb is still very important. Combing helps remove both dead lice and leftover nits. Doing this every day for a week or two helps stop the lice from coming back. It also gives you a chance to check the hair closely for any new signs of lice.

How to Improve Results:

For better results, follow each step in the treatment guide that comes with the shampoo. Some people also use natural oils or conditioners to help loosen the nits, making them easier to comb out. Drying the hair with heat, like from a blow dryer, may also help dry out the nits, but this should be done with care.

Lice shampoo is a good tool for treating lice, but it doesn’t always kill every nit. This is why follow-up steps like combing and repeating the treatment are so important. With patience and care, you can clear both lice and nits and keep them from coming back.