Post in collaboration with Licetec & Kids Business
Head lice really is my mortal enemy. And that is NO exaggeration.
Ever since I first detected those little critters in Matilda’s hair at the tender age of 3, I’ve been determined to see them off for good.
I’ve been fighting the good fight for nearly 8 years now and I’m totally over it.
I’ve tried chemicals. I’ve tried sprays. I’ve even spent hundreds of dollars at a dedicated head lice salon which worked a treat for a few months. Until Matilda came into contact with someone else with head lice at school.
Yep, thanks for that. That’s money I’ll never see again…
It’s seems to be a never-ending fight, a fight I’m destined never to win.
Until now.
I was desperate for a new way to deal with head lice so I jumped at the chance to try the Licetec V-Comb, a patented revolutionary device that incorporates both a combing and vacuum function to effectively eliminate traces of head lice and eggs.
Yes, it has a mini-vacuum inside the unit – what an ingenious way to deal with the hassle of head lice!
In addition to being both 100% chemical and allergen free, the Licetec V-Comb is also guaranteed to operate seamlessly on all hair types without creating a mess. It uses a unique capture filter to catch lice and live eggs, reducing the chance of lice being transferred into your own hair during treatment (which has happened to me before).
The device does not kill the head lice or the eggs – instead it hygienically removes live head lice and eggs from the hair into the capture filter which can then be disposed of safely and securely. So don’t be freaked out if you see movement in the filter after treatment, especially if you do find live lice in your child’s hair.
When dealing with an outbreak of lice (as we did), it’s recommended to undertake a full treatment with the Licetec V-Comb each day for 14 days. This will ensure that the initial infestation is removed as well as any residual lice and eggs that may remain.
I trialled the Licetec V-Comb on Matilda, Delilah and myself. We were all very interested in the novelty of using a virtual vacuum on our hair and keen to see whether this innovative way of treating lice would actually work.
Now there are a lot of positives with this device:
- There are no chemicals or allergy causing agents making this ideal for kids with sensitivities
- There is no need to use shampoo or conditioners as the device is directly applied to dry hair
- There is no requirement to use smelly or irritating solutions
- It is THE most effective way of removing lice that I have ever seen – and with my history with battling lice, that is definitely saying something!
- It is easy to use and operate
- I loved the built in LED light that made it easy to check the girls’ hair throughout the treatment
But there are a few negatives I need to share:
- It is reasonably noisy when in operation and has the potential to irritate children sensitive to sound
- If you don’t thinly section and pre-brush the hair, the metal comb can get caught in the hair, making it a potentially painful process
- In my opinion this device is not suited to kids who already dread intensive combing or who have sensory sensitivities relating to their head or hair
To see the Licetec V-Comb in action, check out my quick video review below:
Unfortunately, Matilda, with all her sensory sensitivities, did not enjoy using the device. She has really thick hair and it took a long time to section and go through each part of her hair each night. She has always detested the process of brushing and the metal comb did tend to pull and catch her hair, as much as I tried to be careful.
However, the comb was able to get to areas of her hair that I have never been able to reach properly before with conventional home treatments and for the first time in a long time, she is lice free! Check out the amount of lice that the Licetec V-Comb was able to free from her hair during the first treatment (yes, I’m as appalled as you are!)
Delilah, on the other hand, complained a lot less throughout her treatment. Her hair is finer and easier to brush and section so it was so much easier to treat her. Plus, she had less lice to remove so overall it was a much more positive and pleasant process. This is the result of her first treatment (much better!)
For my part, I found the Licetec V-Comb easy to use on my own hair too. It did hurt if it unexpectedly caught my hair but I didn’t find it overly painful and I loved the fact that it can be re-used again and again (provided you follow the cleaning instructions in between treatments).
Additional capture filters can be purchased for $11.49 (8 pack) which makes this a very affordable and effective way to treat and prevent head lice. The unit itself retails for $64.99 which I think provides great lifetime value for the whole family.
Since I have NO idea how much I have spent over my lifetime on lice treatments I can only guess that I’ve spent way more than that…
The Licetec V-Comb is definitely an effective way to deal with head lice and if your child is not overly upset by using a metal comb in their hair, this is a great investment, in terms of both treatment and prevention.
For kids like my sensitive Matilda however, this may not be the head lice solution for you. But I would definitely recommend giving it a try, if only to have the chance to eradicate the little critters for good.
The Licetec V-Comb is available at Priceline, Amcal and your local pharmacy. It can also be purchased online, together with an extensive range of head lice fighting accessories, to ensure you too can finally win the war!
Disclaimer: I did not receive monetary compensation for this post, however I did receive a complimentary Licetec V-Comb unit (rrp. $64.99) for the purposes of this review. All my views and opinions, as always, are honest and 100% my own.
I had heard that applying conditioner thickly to the hair actually smothers the lice. Comb through with a fine tooth comb to remove lice & eggs. This worked a treat for us. The conditioner also made the combing so much easier & my daughter’s hair was lovely and soft afterwards. We only needed to do this the one time.
Thankfully we’ve never had to deal with head lice here yet, touch wood. Is it wrong I’m thinking this would be awesome for removing fleas from cats {which I’m currently doing to our new kitten with a comb and its a slow process}. #teamIBOT
I swear by using the solution then smothering the kids hair in conditioner and with a metal comb I can slowly remove them it’s so far been the best way for my kids but i dread nites it’s always painful in my house but this little vacuum looks like it could make life that bit easier… Would love too try it
I can’t use the solutions on my youngest daughter as it stings/burns her head. I find covering her hair with conditioner and using the metal nit comb works wonders. No more tears, no more nits……until next time
Try make it as enjoyable as possible. Have a bowl of your kids favourite treats (M&M’s work well) and you both get to eat one each time you find a lice or nit.
Tea tree oil around the hair line and ears is always my number one tip at keeping those lil bugs out of my girls hair, regular checks is important also. I’m yet to discover one “knocks on wood” but the past month there has been a few letters sent home so it’s just a matter of time I guess 🙁 this would make life so much easier since we are a chemical free home x
Having three kids and girls with long thick hair i hear your pain as it can take hours at a time to comb hair.
We spray tea tree oil in there school hats and hair and plait hair everyday for school to try and avoid the pests!
I’m actually like you have not found the best solution as when they arrive they are so hard to get rid of! Those photos are amazing and this product looks fabulous. No more smelly chemicals sound great.
Hairspray. Mum used to spray our ponytails with hairspray before we left the house of a morning. It worked. Tea tree oil is fantastic too, for getting rid of nits, if you can stand the smell.
I use tea tree oil in a spray bottle mixed with water and use it to style their hair each morning, followed by a spray of hair spray…. The only way I know this works is because when I ran out of tea tree oil and my 10 year old daughter started doing her own hair… The dreaded critters returned
After the comb through, heat from a hairdryer and then using a hair straightener if you have one will assist to kill any left over lice
Hi tried the comb and found it didn’t remove any eggs from my daughter’s hair. I had treated my daughter a week earlier with a hair treatment and their were eggs still stuck in her hair near the scalp. Bought this comb and it did not move any eggs. The eggs were stuck hard and I went through a number of times with the comb with a fine amount of hair and still did not remove.
I was told by reps from Licetec that the comb would only remove live eggs from the hair so if it wasn’t picking up the eggs from your daughter’s hair I would think they were not live and therefore would not be a problem. But you can always contact Licetec directly to find out more as they have always been very friendly and helpful for me.
Hi, so I just want to say that I’m kinda happy I’m. It the only one dealing with this problem sadly I been having this issue for 7years I’m a mother of 2 girls who have long beautiful hair and I refuse to chop it off. I have tried everything the best thing that works for a time been is the tea tree oil treatment. I plan on giving this comb a try I just hope it works and not a waste of my money but hey I would rather try something then pass an opportunity of peace
i plugged mine in and it worked . Then i took top off and put on the filter container and put it back together and now it don’t work . I can’t get it to turn on. What do I do? Please help
Hi Jamey, I haven’t experienced this issue myself as my unit has always turned on after cleaning or replacing the filter container. I can only suggest you contact Licetec as they would be better placed to help you. Good luck with it.
Load of rubbish
Little teeth fell out and the plastic encasing on either side of the teeth cracked after third use
This does not work at all. I didn’t catch anything with this even though I combed using a cheap plastic comb that was able to catch lice and eggs. The vacuum is very poor, the only thing it catches is the fine fluff and because of that the filter gets clogged. The instructions say not to touch the filter otherwise the device is useless. The fluff does not get cleaned by just dipping in the water.
It was in warranty and I complained to the company and all they could say was that I need to send them the device at my own expense and then they would see what else had to be done. Such a waste of money. USELESS PRODUCT. I have had this device for a year now and never caught anything. The customer service is also pathetic. They do not honor their warranties.