Head lice are repulsive. They are something that you only need to think about if you have children in elementary school… or if you teach in one of these schools… or if you hug a favorite niece, nephew, grandchild or young neighbor with any regularity. It has been a few years since my family dealt with the little suckers but I remember it all too vividly.

The thoughtful companies that sell toxic lice shampoos in plastic bottles often include a free plastic comb. Humans have been trying to get rid of lice since forever, so there is a lot of information out there about what doesn’t work. One thing that has come to light is the fact that plastic combs wear out quickly. The idea behind a lice comb is that the spaces are very small, essentially equal to the thickness of one hair. Once there is any appreciable increase in the spacing, lice can elude the combing process.

You might want to forgo buying insecticidal shampoos altogether because there are super lice that have developed resistances. A high quality comb with metal teeth is an important tool in the fight against head lice.

Eradicating lice successfully without toxic medicated shampoos isn’t particularly easy. Following a procedure that is designed to effectively interrupt their life cycle is a better plan of action than trying one product after another in the hopes that something will work. After our experience with lice, my wife wrote an eBook that provides a detailed plan of action to get rid of super lice. I hope I never have to use this plan again, but we have carried our metal lice comb through three continents.