Tackling head lice Woman searching for head lice. Summer means it's time for kids to head off to camp. But if your child's head returns home with lice, what should you do to win the battle? If you are like most parents, you'll head out to the pharmacy for one of numerous over-the-counter lice medications. Many doctors recommend removing nits in a more natural way. Wet Comb Method: Wash hair in normal way with an ordinary shampoo. Apply conditioner to hair aiming to cover each hair from root to tip with a layer of conditioner. Detangle the hair using an ordinary comb. Immediately comb the hair with a fine tooth comb. Choose one of the many nit remover combs on the market. Wipe the conditioner off the fine tooth comb between strokes onto a paper tissue and look for lice and eggs. Repeat the combing for every part of the head at least 5 times. Continue this process for up to 2 weeks or until no more nits are found. If you need additional help in your battle against head lice, the following organizations should be able to help. The National Pediculosis Association offer a free brochure called "Keep Your Wits and Not Your Nits." To order go to www.headlice.org or send a stamp addresses envelope to P.O. Box 610189, Newton, MA 02461. The Harvard School of Public Health offers information about lice treatment and they'll also provide a free lab analysis of hair specimens. For more information on this program, write to the Department of Immunology, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston MA 02115. Harvard School of Public Health also provides an extensive FAQ on their Web site.