No Products in the Cart
Short answer: A nit comb works best when you slow down, divide the hair into four quadrants, work in small subsections, and wipe the comb on a damp white paper towel every 3–5 passes so you can see exactly what you are removing.
After helping families with head lice since 2012, I can tell you that the comb matters just as much as the product. A good comb, used correctly, can save a lot of frustration.
I prefer a damp white paper towel because lice and eggs are much easier to see against a light background.
Start by dividing the hair into four sections. Clip three out of the way and work on one quadrant at a time.
If the hair is very thick, curly, or long, keep the same four quadrants but make your working subsections smaller. You do not need to create six or eight big sections. Smaller subsections within the four quadrants give you better control.
You can use Coco Loco as your leave-in treatment spray, or use conditioner or detangler if you need extra slip. The goal is to make the comb move smoothly through the hair without pulling.
Coco Loco is designed to stay in the hair, so there is no rinse step after application.
Take a small subsection of hair and place the comb as close to the scalp as comfortably possible. Pull the comb all the way through to the ends of the hair strand.
Do not skim only the top layer. The comb needs to travel through the full subsection from scalp to ends.
After approximately 3–5 passes, wipe both sides of the comb on your damp white paper towel and look at what came out.
You do not need to rinse the comb between sections. Wiping it regularly keeps the teeth clear and also gives you a much better look at what you are removing.
Finish one quadrant before moving to the next. The biggest mistake I see is jumping around the head and losing track of where you have already combed.
Slow and organized beats fast every time.
If you would rather see the technique in action, watch my complete comb-out demonstration below.
Live lice move. Eggs, often called nits, are attached firmly to the hair strand and do not simply brush or flick away like dandruff.
If you are unsure whether something is an egg, put the hair strand against a contrasting background and look closely. Dandruff and lint usually move easily. A nit is attached to the strand.
Do not panic if you find one. The point of combing is to find and remove what is there.
For a full comb-out, I prefer hair that is damp and has enough product, conditioner, or detangler to let the comb glide. Dry hair can create more pulling and makes the process harder, especially on long or textured hair.
For a quick check, slightly damp hair is usually easier to control than completely dry hair.
A flimsy plastic comb with wide teeth can miss tiny eggs. A professional metal comb with very closely spaced teeth gives you a much better chance of catching both lice and eggs.
The NitNabber® uses closely spaced, micro-grooved metal teeth designed to grip what is attached to the hair strand instead of sliding past it.
That is why I am picky about the comb. A good treatment paired with a weak comb makes the whole process harder than it needs to be.
The basic method stays the same: four quadrants, small subsections, scalp to ends.
Thick hair: Make each subsection smaller so the comb can reach all the way through.
Curly hair: Use extra detangler or conditioner if needed. Never force the comb through a knot.
Fine hair: Keep the hair damp and use gentle passes to avoid tangling.
Long hair: Detangle the ends first if necessary, then do your actual nit-combing passes from the scalp through the full hair strand.
I do not like giving families a generic day-by-day schedule because the right follow-up depends on what you are finding and the treatment you are using.
Do a careful first comb-out, then re-check the head according to the directions for the product you are using and based on what you continue to find. If you are still finding live lice or eggs, keep working the head rather than assuming the job is finished. If people are using the Coco Loco Nit Kit, we suggest at least one follow up check or comb-out in about 4 days. If you are still finding bugs or eggs, repeat every 4 days, until nothing is found.
No. This is one of the biggest ways families lose time.
Focus on the head — not the house. Head lice are adapted to live on a person, and your energy is much better spent doing a careful treatment and comb-out than bagging every stuffed animal or deep-cleaning the entire home.
If you want to do a little basic cleanup, focus only on items that have had recent head contact. You can run the affected person's sheets, pillowcase, and bath towel through the dryer if the fabric care instructions allow it, use a sticky lint roller on upholstered surfaces you are concerned about, and remove hair from brushes and combs before cleaning them. There is no need to throw brushes away or deep-clean the whole house.
Basic common-sense cleaning is fine. But do not turn lice into a house-cleaning emergency.
Lice can make an ordinary evening feel very stressful very quickly. Keep the process matter-of-fact. Having head lice is not a reflection of cleanliness, and there is no reason for a child to feel embarrassed.
Put on a movie, give yourself enough time, and work one section at a time. You do not have to do this perfectly in five minutes. You just need a good system.
Yes. Conditioner or detangler can make combing easier, especially on thick, curly, or long hair. If you are using Coco Loco, it is a leave-in product and does not need to be rinsed out. If you are using a OTC drug store product, follow the directions on the box or bottle.
No need to use a bowl of water. My method is to wipe both sides of the comb on a damp white paper towel every 3–5 passes. You do not need to rinse it between sections. (Note: if the white paper towel is DRY, nothing will stick from the comb, when you wipe it - the paper towel or napkin acts like "Teflon").
Keep the four main quadrants. Within each quadrant, simply make smaller working subsections, if hair is extremely thick.
Keep combing carefully and continue to re-check the head. Eggs attached to the hair strand can be easy to miss, which is why a good comb and a methodical approach matter. Note: there can be empty shells (casings) of hatched lice going down the hair, or off the scalp, especially after a moderate/severe case of lice. These are normal, and will eventually wash out. Don't assume you still have an active lice infestation if you see "eggs going down a strand of hair".
No. Put your time into the head. Normal cleaning is fine, but lice do not require turning your house upside down.
Key takeaway: The best nit-combing method is simple: four quadrants, small subsections, scalp to ends, and wipe the comb every 3–5 passes on a damp white paper towel. Stay organized and focus on the head.
I developed the NitNabber® after years of working hands-on with families because I wanted a comb that could do the job more efficiently. If you need both a leave-in treatment and a professional comb, the Coco Loco Basic Nit Kit pairs them together.
