Do Electric Lice Combs Really Work?

Electric lice combs are the latest weapon in the never-ending battle against bugs in the hair. The Robi Comb is probably the best-known of these products. If you're faced with getting rid of head lice, you may be want to try this product. How Does An Electric Lice Comb Work? The comb has metal teeth, and is powered by one AA battery. It's used by combing it through dry hair. When the teeth encounter a louse, it kills it by zapping it with an electrical current. Rubber tips on the ends of the teeth protect the user from getting a slight shock that feels like static electricity. One thing to keep in mind is that it doesn't kill the nits, or eggs. Nit removal is essential, or you'll be right back where you started from once they hatch out. The Robi Comb company gets around this by recommending that you use it every day for ten days, to kill the nymphs (or baby lice) as they hatch. Nymphs don't mature and start laying eggs until they're ten days old. So theoretically, if you kill all the nymphs, after ten days all the nits present will have hatched, and there will be no adults left to lay eggs. Does It Really Get Rid Of Lice? This little gadget sounds like the best thing since sliced bread, but does it really work? A quick trip to the Amazon review section reveals some interesting statistics. Out of 76 reviews, 36 people, over half, gave it five stars, the highest rating. 13 gave it only one star, while 27 gave it either two, three, or four stars. The average customer review was three-and-a-half stars. The biggest complaint is that it doesn't seem to work real well on thick or curly hair. Some people found the high-pitched tone it makes to be loud and annoying. Others said that it gave false results, missing bugs that were present, or indicating that a louse was there when it wasn't. Several people mentioned that it stopped working after a few uses. Several commenters said that while the nit comb did seem to work, it was best to use it in combination with other treatments, especially since it doesn't kill or remove nits. A lot of people did seem to like the fact that you use this comb on dry hair. The 36 people who rated it highly are very satisfied with it. One happy customer said the poor reviews were from people who either didn't read the directions, or didn't understand the difference between nits, nymphs, and adults. Will the Robi Comb work for you? It certainly wouldn't hurt to try it and find out.