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Most families going through a lice case spend a lot of time thinking about which treatment product to use and almost no time thinking about the comb. That's backwards. The comb is what actually closes the case.
Lice shampoos and oil treatments do the heavy lifting on live bugs. But nits — the eggs glued to the hair shaft — don't get removed by product alone. They have to be combed out, one section at a time. And if the comb's tines are too wide apart, most of them slip right through.
What's Wrong with Most Drugstore Combs
The combs included in OTC lice treatment kits are almost universally plastic, with tines spaced wide enough that small nits pass through without catching. If you've ever done a "thorough" comb-through with a kit comb and still found nits the next day, that's why.
The tine spacing matters more than almost anything else about a lice comb. Nits are small — roughly the size of a knot in a thread. A comb with metal tines spaced closely enough to actually catch them is a fundamentally different tool than the plastic combs in most kits.
The LiceDoctors Terminator Comb
The LiceDoctors Lice Comb is the professional-grade metal comb LiceDoctors technicians use in every in-home treatment. It's $20 and available in the LiceDoctors shop.
The Terminator Comb has micro-grooved metal tines with micro-spiral technology that grips lice and nits as the comb passes through the hair, rather than letting them slide off the way smooth metal or plastic combs do. The tines are close enough to catch nits that a standard comb would miss.
This is the same comb technicians use during the strand-by-strand nit check at the end of every LiceDoctors visit. If the aftercare plan calls for follow-up comb-throughs at home — which it does — this is the right tool for the job.
How to Use It Properly
Work on damp, conditioned hair. Conditioner gives the comb more slip through the hair, which means less tugging and more consistent contact with the hair shaft. The LiceDoctors Sulfate-Free Conditioner works well for this.
Section the hair and go through each section twice. Start at the scalp and pull the comb through to the ends. After each pass, wipe the comb on a white paper towel and check what came out. Nits and lice show up clearly against white.
Focus on the hot spots first. The nape of the neck and behind the ears are where lice lay eggs first. These sections deserve the most attention and the most passes.
Good lighting makes a measurable difference. A bright lamp aimed directly at the section you're working through helps you see nits that would otherwise blend into the hair color.
Getting the Whole Kit
If you want everything in one order, the 4-Piece LiceDoctors Treatment Kit ($70) includes the Terminator Comb, the Sulfate-Free Shampoo, the Sulfate-Free Conditioner, and the Lice Repellent Spray. Everything you need for the follow-up care phase after a professional treatment.
The 3-piece kit ($54) includes the shampoo, conditioner, and repellent spray without the comb if you're adding it separately.
