How Much Does Head Lice Treatment Cost?
Key takeaways:
Safe and effective lice treatment options are available for budgets large and small — from less than $20 to more than $200 — and range from home remedies to prescription medications and professional lice removal.
Over-the-counter options often involve additional treatment. Some professional services offer no-cost retreatment within a certain time period, and they may be covered by insurance.
You may require different treatments to solve your lice situation or multiple rounds of the same treatment. In addition to the cost of delousing a household, lice treatment could cost from hundreds of dollars to more than $1,000 for a solution that brings relief to multiple family members.
Your head lice treatment may be considered a qualified medical expense by your health savings account (HSA) or flexible spending account (FSA).
Access savings on related medications
Table of contents
If you’re reading this, it’s probably too late. And urgent. You or someone in your care has head lice. Head lice may have attached to the hair and scalps of everyone in your household.
First, it’s important to understand that getting lice isn’t a reflection of poor hygiene or neglect. But on the other hand, lice also don’t prefer clean hair. Lice can affect anyone, so don’t add shame or stigma to this stressful situation. Instead, take comfort in the knowledge that lice are so common that every pharmacy has a shelf dedicated to treating these parasites.
Increasingly, lice treatment salons — some of them growing chain businesses — are popping up across the country.
What is head lice?
Head lice, also known as head louse, are tiny insects that feed on human blood. They are particularly common among preschoolers and younger school children. Lice live in head hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes. Their bites cause itching and red bumps.
Head lice don’t jump, hop, or fly. They only crawl. Typically, they are transmitted through head-to-head contact or proximity to the personal belongings of someone with head lice.
According to the CDC, about 6 million to 12 million infestations happen in the U.S. annually among children ages 3 to 11. Safe and effective treatments are available with or without a prescription or professional intervention. It’s important to note that lice are specific to humans and not transmitted to or from pets.
What are super lice?
Some lice, known as super lice, have genetic mutations that make them more resistant to certain over-the-counter (OTC) treatments. Super lice can be defeated by other medications and wet combing.
How much does lice treatment cost?
Your lice treatment can cost from less than $20 to more than $200 depending on the solution you choose and what works. Options range from do-it-yourself (DIY) home remedies and OTC products to professional services. All of these have different price points, and many are effective.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, it’s a mistake to assume that home remedies will always be effective or that prescriptions should only be used as a last resort. You may need to try multiple treatments before your lice situation is resolved. Here are lice treatments, ranked by affordability:
DIY home remedies
For as long as there have been head lice, there have been DIY methods to remove them. One method purports to suffocate lice using mayonnaise, olive oil, or butter. However, the CDC reports that there is no scientific evidence to prove that these substances are effective at getting rid of lice or nits.
Treatment | Effectiveness | Cost |
|---|---|---|
Wet combing with a nit or flea comb using water, conditioner, or other lubricant such as olive oil | Though time-consuming and typically required for several weeks, there are no pesticides or costly products involved. It’s important to mention that combing can be destructive to the curly and/or textured hair of people with African ancestry. | Your cost is the value of your time and the price of the hair products or household lubricants you use. |
OTC treatments
There are several options available in pharmacies, grocery stories, online, and in other retail settings:
Treatment | Effectiveness | Cost |
|---|---|---|
Permethrin 1% (Nix) | Nix has a variety of products, including shampoo, conditioning cream, and spray. The products will kill lice but do not kill their eggs, known as nits. You will probably require at least one more treatment. | It costs $35 or more for treatment products and less than $20 for products touted for maintenance or prevention. |
The shampoo and suffocating solution will kill lice but do not kill nits. You will need more than one treatment for newly hatched lice. | Cost ranges from about $20 to more than $35. | |
Ivermectin 0.5% (Sklice) | This lotion kills lice and their eggs; retreatment is typically not needed. | It costs about $35 or less for a generic store brand. |
Prescription medications
It’s important to remember that getting a prescription may require a telehealth or in-person appointment. Whether it’s self-pay or covered by insurance, which may require meeting a deductible or paying a copay, getting a prescription can be more costly than just the price of the medication.
Treatment | Effectiveness | Cost |
|---|---|---|
This prescription lotion for people ages 6 and older may work with one treatment. | The GoodRx low price for one 59 mL bottle of the generic version may cost you as little as $76.35. | |
Spinosad 0.9% (Natroba) | This prescription lotion for people ages 6 months and older may work with one treatment. | The average cash price for one 120 mL bottle of brand-name Spinosad is $346.29. But with GoodRx, one 120 mL bottle of the generic version may cost you as little as $102.60. |
Professional services
Sometimes, you need professional help. Bundled services for multiple household members or treatment for one will likely cost at least $100 and may be $200 or more. In addition to lice treatment salons — some of which are chains with multiple locations in an area, a region, or nationwide — there are also mobile lice clinics where professionals provide services in your home. It’s also important to note that “guarantee” claims or offers are typically limited to re-treatment within a certain time period after your initial treatment.
Treatment | Effectiveness | Cost |
|---|---|---|
An advertised comb-out treatment purports to kill lice and nits. The service includes take-home lice prevention gel and includes guaranteed re-treatment in 45 days for unresolved cases. | This service is a $165 per-person treatment and includes complimentary re-treatment for 45 days. The guarantee is void if all household members aren’t checked and treated, if needed. You may be charged an additional $75 for “super thick” or “super long” hair. | |
Lice Clinics of America (200-plus clinics nationwide) | These clinics provide treatment options including the AirAllé device that uses heated air to kill lice and nits through dehydration. This method is popular because it’s painless and avoids harsh chemicals. | The average AirAllé treatment costs $175. The clinic advertises this as a one-and-done solution. |
Lice Care Solutions (Service areas in California, Florida, and Texas) | This mobile lice clinic claims a 99.8% success rate and a 40-day guarantee. | This treatment costs $145 per hour with a 1-hour minimum, plus a $65 flat fee for travel. You may be charged extra for travel outside of service areas. |
Lice Doctors (Service areas in most states) | This mobile lice clinic claims a 99.6% success rate and a 30-day guarantee. | The average cost for the treatment of four people is $450. You may be charged per person or by the hour, with additional charges for travel of 30 miles or more and services on Sundays. |
Additional expenses to consider
Lice treatment can have direct and indirect costs that increase expenses, such as:
Multiple-treatments cost (starting with an ineffective solution and paying more for other options until a treatment works)
Time spent battling the lice
Time lost from work and/or school
Time and costs associated with delousing the household
Cost of doctor visit to get a prescription
Are any lice treatments covered by insurance, HSA, or FSA?
Depending on your health insurance plan’s benefits, all or part of your lice treatment may be covered. The cost of OTC products or professional treatments may be qualified medical expenses that can be covered or reimbursed by your flexible spending account (FSA) or health savings account (HSA). Check the guidelines of your FSA or HSA, or call your administrator.
The bottom line
Depending on the type of lice removal treatment you choose, you may spend anywhere from less than $20 to more than $200. Often, people try multiple treatments or several rounds of the same treatment before finding relief. That means your cost for one bout of lice treatment could cost hundreds of dollars — or exceed $1,000 to resolve lice for all household members and delouse belongings. Treatment options include DIY and OTC solutions, prescription medications, and professional services. It’s important to note that you may have additional costs for a doctor’s visit if you need a prescription. Your treatment may be covered or reimbursed by your health insurance plan, flexible spending account, or health savings account.
Why trust our experts?
References
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Healthychildren.org. (2022). Head lice treatment myths and realities. American Academy of Pediatrics.
Hero Lice Clinics. (2020). True cost of a lice infestation.
Hero Lice Clinics. (2020). We guarantee our Hero treatment for a full 45 days.
Hero Lice Clinics. (2023). Lice treatment options.
Lice Clinics of America. (n.d.). Get the facts: Chart on some top treatment options.
Lice Clinics of America. (n.d.). History of the AirAllé device.
Lice Clinics of America. (n.d.). We now offer insurance reimbursement!
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Oystershell Consumer Health Inc. (2021). RID lice killing shampoo [package insert].
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U.S. Food & Drug Administration. (2022). Treating and preventing head lice.
Walgreens. (n.d.). Ivermectin lotion 0.5%: 4.0 oz.
Walgreens. (n.d.). Nix - lice treatments.
