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Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have any other questions about® or head lice?
Our Frequently Asked Questions may have the answer.

See all our frequently asked questions

Elimax® has a physical mode of action and does not contain pesticides, which means that head lice cannot develop resistance to its ingredients. Reasons for unsuccessful treatment can be: the wrong diagnosis, not following the instructions (not using enough product, stopping treatment too soon, not removing enough lice or nits with the comb, etc.), (re-)infestation by untreated classmates or family members, not checking and repeating the treatment if necessary 7 days after initial treatment.

Are you worried that your child may have head lice? Don’t despair. It can happen to anyone, and these little creatures are easy to deal with. But first of all you will need to be certain that head lice are actually the problem. Itchiness is certainly the first sign. Is your child scratching its head a lot? Run a detection comb over the scalp and through the hair when dry.

Step 1: the detection comb.

It is important to use a fine-toothed detection comb. Search for lice one lock at a time, paying particular attention behind the ears and around the nape of the neck. This is where head lice tend to lay their eggs.

Step 2: prevent infestation.

Have you searched your child’s hair with the detection comb? Don’t forget to clean the comb afterwards. Use tepid soapy water to prevent  further infestation.

Step 3: does your child have lice in their hair? Let’s get rid!

Found lice with the detection comb? Time for swift and efficient action. Elimax® is extremely effective on nits and live lice. Don’t waste time in starting the treatment. Head lice reproduce at an alarming rate. And don’t forget to tell the school about the infestation.

Elimax kills nits and head lice and keeps new infestations at bay. Available from your pharmacist.

Elimax® is safe for children of 12 months and over. We recommend wrapping a towel around the shoulders prior to treatment to collect product drips. Rinse off all traces afterwards and avoid contact with eyes.

You won’t want to find newly hatched lice or more nits after treatment with Elimax®. But if you do, don’t panic. These little creatures are just as easy to get rid of.

Why am I still finding lice?

Elimax® normally eliminates every nit and louse from your hair. If the infestation was severe, eggs may have hatched after the initial treatment. It will take another 10 days for the hatched lice to mature. But in the meantime, at least, they won’t be able to reproduce.

Repeat the treatment.

If you find more nits or lice in your hair simply repeat the treatment until they are eliminated.

Elimax® kills nits and head lice and keeps new infestations at bay. Available from your pharmacist.

Head lice are not just extremely irritating. They can also be stigmatising. And anybody can get them. You just have to touch heads with someone who has them. Luckily, there is a lot you can do to keep them away.

Hats and scarves.

Hats and scarves are apt to change owners, especially among families. But this is best avoided. Often it’s our  items of clothing that accelerate a breakout of head lice. Tip: don’t hang coats and scarves too closely together. You don’t want to make it easy for the louse.

Loose hair.

Long, loose hair gives lice a better chance. Do you have a child with long hair and has the school announced an outbreak of head lice? Best to put the hair in a ponytail every morning. That will lower the lice’s chances considerably.

What about the comb in the bathroom?

Infestation through items other than clothing, such as combs, hairbrushes or bedding is rare, but nonetheless possible.

Tip: Elimax kills nits and head lice and keeps new infestations at bay. Available from your pharmacist.

Lice begin their lives as eggs, which are also known as nits. Nits look like little grey-white dots and stick to individual hairs. They are laid close to the scalp. Any nits you find a few centimetres from the scalp will be harmless. Nits are only ever laid in the hair. You won’t find them anywhere else on the body.

Away with nits.

Remove the nits from your (children’s) hair as soon as possible. It’s also a good idea to take a preventive approach.

Elimax kills nits and head lice and keeps new infestations at bay. Available from your pharmacist.

This depends on whether you use Elimax® Lotion or Elimax® Shampoo. When using Elimax® Lotion you will need to wash your hair with an ordinary shampoo after the treatment. Elimax® Lotion kills lice and nits and keeps infestations at bay, but it doesn’t wash your hair. With Elimax® Shampoo your hair is treated and washed in a single step.

Lice are annoying enough. So you wouldn’t want the treatment to cause any further harm. Fortunately, Elimax® has no side effects to speak of.

Minor side effects.

Most people experience no side effects with Elimax®. When side effects do occur they are mostly minor. Possible effects are:

  • irritation of the scalp
  • itchiness and irritation around the eyes
  • reddening of the scalp, neck or ears.

Rinse off the shampoo or lotion afterwards and avoid contact with eyes.

Are you pregnant? Consult your GP.

As a general precaution we ask women who are pregnant or breastfeeding to seek the advice of their GP or pharmacist before using Elimax.

Elimax® kills nits and head lice and keeps new infestations at bay. Available from your pharmacist.

The Elimax® range is available from your local pharmacy.

From an online pharmacy:

  • Farmaline
  • Newpharma
  • Viata
  • Optiphar
  • Pharmamarket
  • Onlinepharmabox
  • Or from a parapharmacy:
  • Servais
  • Ransart
  • Multipharma
  • Lloyds
  • IU
  • Medimarket
  • Pharmacies des gares

It’s never a nice thing to discover head lice on one of your children. The first course of action will always be to remove the lice from the child’s hair. But can head lice survive off the body? On bedding, on the sofa, in clothing: they could be anywhere! Luckily, this is not something you need to worry about.

Short life.

Head lice survive for only a short while when they fall from the head: about 24 hours on average. To survive for that length of time they need moist conditions. Lice don’t have the ability to jump or fly, so they won’t reach you quickly through clothes or other items.

Beat the lice.

In other words, once you have eliminated the lice from your hair they soon disappear from the rest of your environment. Of course, it’s always best to keep the annoying little creatures at bay.  Elimax® kills nits and lice easily and protects against reinfestation. Available from your pharmacist.

When lice lay their eggs they stick them to the hair with a sort of glue. This glue is so strong that the empty and dead nits remain permanently attached to the hair. With the naked eye there is no way of telling whether the nit is dead or alive. There is no need to remove empty nits or to cut the hair off when treating for head lice. Elimax® Post-treatment Shampoo is specially developed to make those stubborn nits easier to comb out. For best results it should be used after every head lice treatment. Check the hair again 7 days after treatment. Any nits you may have missed will have become juveniles, and by that point it will be easier to spot them.
You can use Elimax® as often as you like. Elimax® Shampoo is particularly suitable for frequent hair washing. One or two treatments will usually be enough to get rid of the tiny creatures. But there is always a chance of catching them again from people who haven’t been treated. Elimax® can always be used again, at no risk. And it will be just as effective. Elimax® has a physical mode of action and does not contain pesticides, so the head lice cannot develop resistance. Washing your hair with Elimax® Shampoo is as effective as washing with an ordinary 2-in-1 type shampoo.

There’s nothing funny about having head lice. Children are the most frequently affected. But adults can get them too. Nobody is immune. Fortunately, you can keep the risks to a minimum.

Avoid contact.

Does your child have head lice? It happens. But it would be a shame to let everyone in the family become infested with these little creatures. We recommend that you avoid any form of hair-to-hair contact with your child.

Go for prevention.

Avoiding hair-to-hair contact is easier said than done. After all, you live under the same roof. So what’s the alternative? Treat your hair with Elimax® Shampoo.

Elimax kills nits and head lice and keeps new infestations at bay. Available from your pharmacist.

Lice are annoying little creatures. Not only do they make you itchy, but they spread rapidly to other people. Come what may, you don’t want them nesting in your (children’s) hair. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to prevent infestation.

1. Regular checks.

Check the whole family for lice on a regular basis. Run through every lock of hair with a fine detection comb, especially behind the ears and around the neck. Wash the comb in tepid soapy water afterwards.

2. Wear long hair in a ponytail.

Do you have a daughter with long hair? It’s a good idea to put the hair in a ponytail. It won’t eliminate the chances of infestation, but it will greatly reduce them.

3. Use a method of lice prevention.

Elimax® kills lice and nits and prevents infestation by keeping lice at bay.

Eliminating lice from your hair with Elimax® is one thing, but can they crawl into your clothing and bedding? And should it all be washed?

Head lice only survive on your scalp.

Head lice are found only in human hair. They feed on blood every 3 to 4 hours and need to be in a moist environment at a temperature of about 30°C. Anywhere else and they survive for no more than 24 hours, or 48 at most.

What should I clean?

Lice and nits are incapable of jumping: they can only crawl from hair to hair. So are there any particular items that should be cleaned?

It is best to clean the combs, hairbrushes and towels that were used in the course of the treatment. There is no real need to clean anything else. Then again, would you rather be safe than sorry? Check that stray hairs have been removed from hats, caps, hair elastics, pillows and cuddly toys. Anything you can’t wash can be placed in a sealed plastic bag and kept in a cold environment for 48 hours.

Elimax® kills nits and head lice and keeps new infestations at bay. Available from your pharmacist.