Is an electric lice comb an effective treatment?
An electric lice comb is a viable option to consider when looking to eradicate lice so they stop spreading through your family member’s hair and scalp. It’s certainly no secret that an infestation of lice can make life difficult for everyone in the household, but thanks to modern technology – an electric lice comb – the process of getting rid of these pests can be a little easier.
These special combs are made mostly of metal and will require a battery, usually a single “triple A” size battery. Head lice combs were first commercialized in 1991 after being first invented in the country of Israel. During the 1990s, that first electric lice comb, the Robi Comb, was widely sold throughout Europe before making its way to the US near the end of the decade.
How does an electric lice comb work?
Eliminating lice with the help of an electric comb literally consists of electrocuting the lice with a small electric current. The teeth of electric lice combs are made of metal and the electric current helps to pull the lice towards the teeth where they will be instantly electrocuted.
Perhaps one of the biggest benefits of using one of these electric combs, which is used in the same way as a regular lice comb, is the high-pitched sounds the comb makes when it encounters a lice. Once the comb “finds” the louse, the small current draws the insect into the comb where it will quickly meet its demise. The noise is also intended to prompt the user to remove dead lice from the teeth of the comb.
Unlike regular plastic or metal combs, an electric lice comb must be used on dry hair to work as intended. If the hair is wet, the comb will not be able to run.
Like any other type made for the same purpose, hair can easily become tangled when using an electric lice comb, so it’s important to use smallish sections of hair and comb through slowly and gently, especially if it’s longer, thicker. or curly. hate.
While an electric lice comb is certainly useful for killing every live lice, combs are not the perfect solution as they do not kill the eggs or nits that lice deposit on the hair shaft near the scalp. Extremely small nits will need to be removed by some other means before they hatch or mature, which is usually within a week or so.
These combs can definitely be an effective means of destroying an infestation safely and completely, provided they are used long enough to destroy any eggs that have since hatched. Alternatively, some type of nit removing product is also recommended to kill any remaining eggs after killing live lice with the electric comb.