Get head lice treatment online

Question 1

How can I get online or in-person head lice treatment from Amazon One Medical?

Answer

If you're an Amazon One Medical member, 24/7 On-Demand Care is included in your membership. On-Demand Care has two telehealth pathways: Direct Message Care connects you to a provider through async messaging, and Video Care connects you to a provider in real time.

If you're an Amazon One Medical member and you live in a state where One Medical has offices, you can also get medical treatment through In-Person Visits or Scheduled Video Visits, both billable to you or your health insurance.

If you're not an Amazon One Medical member, you can still get 24/7 On-Demand Care for 30+ common health conditions by paying as you go for online treatment. To see the Direct Message Care and Video Care options where you live, get started from a condition detail page and choose your state.

*Direct Message Care availability varies by state. Prices subject to change.

Question 2

Can I use my health insurance to pay for Amazon One Medical On-Demand Care (formerly Pay-per-visit)?

Answer

Amazon One Medical doesn't accept health insurance for On-Demand Care, its 24/7 telehealth service. If you were charged for treatment as a non-member, you can submit a claim to your insurance provider for reimbursement, but we can’t guarantee they’ll reimburse you for treatment.

If you use insurance to pay for your medications, you can do that with medications prescribed through all Amazon One Medical services. Amazon Pharmacy accepts most insurance plans. For other pharmacies, please talk with your pharmacy directly about insurance coverage. The cost of medication isn’t included in the cost of your medical care.

Question 3

What happens if my provider can't diagnose or treat my health issue through On-Demand Care?

Answer

We do our best to make sure you’re eligible for online treatment before you connect with a provider. When you request On-Demand Care, your health intake helps us understand whether you can be treated virtually, or if you'll need to be seen in person for more closely managed care. If your answers indicate that we can't treat you through our service, we'll let you know why, then recommend next steps so you can find the care you need.

Additionally, your provider may determine that you cannot be treated through our service after reviewing your health intake. If this happens, your treatment will be canceled and you won't be charged.

Question 4

Can I still connect with a provider after I'm treated through On-Demand Care?

Answer

Yes. When you receive treatment through On-Demand Care, you can message with your One Medical care team for an additional 2 weeks (14 days) regarding your care summary. This communication window allows you time to:

• Ask follow-up questions about any prescriptions or over-the-counter medications in your care summary

• Connect with a provider if you think your treatment needs to be adjusted

• Tell a provider if you're experiencing side effects from your medication

• Tell a provider if there's an issue getting your prescription from the pharmacy

• Let the One Medical care team know that you're feeling better

Your secure, HIPAA-compliant message will be received by the first available provider, who will be able to review your care summary and any follow-up correspondence. If you still need treatment adjustments or have questions after the 14-day communication window, you'll need to request a new treatment.

Question 5

How does Amazon One Medical protect my health information?

Answer

Amazon One Medical protects customers’ protected health information (PHI) with stringent, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-compliant privacy and security practices to keep information safe and secure.

We’re committed to building an infrastructure that fosters and promotes a culture of customer privacy and a strong commitment to safeguarding health information. We maintain administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect customer information. This includes conducting rigorous security reviews and testing during product development, using encryption to protect data, and providing features like two-step verification to help customers protect their accounts.

Amazon does not sell customers’ personal information, including PHI.

Question 6

What kind of online treatments can I request for my child?

Answer

At this time, parents and legal guardians can request treatments for their children aged 2 through 11 years old for the following health conditions through Amazon One Medical On-Demand Care (formerly Pay-per-visit):

• Head lice

• Pink eye

• Skin issue

• Eczema

• EpiPen prescription renewals

• Asthma prescription renewals

Question 7

Do I have to be the parent or guardian of the child seeking care?

Answer

Yes. A parent or legal guardian must initiate the child's care and be present during their treatment.

Question 8

What type of healthcare provider will treat my child through On-Demand Care?

Answer

Children are treated by family practice physicians or licensed family nurse practitioners (FNPs). You'll be able to see the credentials of your child's provider after they're assigned to your child's treatment.

Question 9

Can I get a doctor's note for my child?

Answer

Yes. After your child completes their treatment, their One Medical provider can write excused absence notes, back-to-school notes, and no-play notes for sports or other activities if medically appropriate.

Question 10

How can I tell if my child has head lice?

Answer

Head lice commonly make the head itch. (This is caused by the skin reacting to insect saliva.) But lice may be present for 4 to 6 weeks before the skin starts reacting, so you may not notice symptoms of lice. The best way to determine if your child has head lice is to give them a thorough check.

Sit them down in a well-lit spot and examine their hair, section by section, paying close attention to the hair roots.

You're looking for the following:

Live adult louse or lice

Adult lice are visible to the naked eye. They're about the size of a sesame seed, have 6 legs, and are tan to grayish-white in color. You can often spot them crawling near the base of the hair shaft. When exposed to light, they can move fast. An infected scalp may only have about 10 live lice on it, so it's important to check thoroughly.

Nits (lice eggs)

About the size of a pinhead, nits are firmly attached to base of hair shaft (within about a centimeter of the scalp), and often the same color as your child's hair. They may be easiest to spot at the nape of the neck or behind the ears.

Empty nits

When nits hatch, they leave white, sticky egg casings that can resemble dandruff.

Nymph(s)

Young lice that are smaller than adult lice.

Question 11

What do I do if I find lice in my child's hair?

Answer

First, don't panic. Head lice infestations are extremely common and they don't have anything to do with personal hygiene or socioeconomic status. They're just a fact of life these days, especially when you have school-age children.

Treating lice successfully requires a few steps:

• Stopping the spread

• Killing the lice and eggs through medication and/or manual removal

• Preventing reinfection

Question 12

How do I manually remove lice from my child's hair?

Answer

To remove lice and nits from your child's hair, many healthcare providers recommend the "wet comb method." This method requires hair conditioner, a roll of paper towels, a fine-toothed lice comb (available at most pharmacies), and a trash bag. Here are the steps:

1. Seat your child in a well-lit place and get mentally prepared to stay for a while. You can treat this as parent-child bonding time, or give the child something to look at (like a book or a tablet) while you work.

2. Generously apply conditioner to your child's scalp and to the full length of their dry hair.

3. After their hair is thoroughly coated in conditioner, detangle with a brush or wide-toothed comb as necessary.

4. Divide your child's hair into sections so you can keep track of your progress. Hair clips may be helpful to divide longer hair.

5. Use your fine-toothed lice comb to carefully comb from your child's scalp to the ends of their hair, section by section.

6. After each stroke, wipe the comb on a white paper towel and check it carefully for nits or lice. You'll be able to see live lice (if any) wiggling on the paper towel. Put used paper towels into the trash bag as you go.

7. Comb each section of hair at least 5 times.

8. Wash the hair normally when finished.

You'll need to repeat this method every 2 to 3 days until you don't see any lice or nits in your child's hair for at least 10 days. This is because nits can take that long to hatch.

Question 13

My child’s lice head lice has not gone away. What do I do?

Answer

It’s important to know that even after the lice are gone, itching can last for a few weeks. You may also continue to see nits (lice eggs) during this time. Using a nit comb every 2–3 days for up to 3 weeks after treatment can help reduce the chance of getting lice again. You do not need to remove every single nit. Nit combs are sold at most pharmacies and are often included with lice treatment products.

You should seek help from a healthcare provider if any of the following occur:

• You can’t find any dead lice 8-12 hours after treatment

• You still see live (crawling) lice on the scalp a few days after completing treatment

• You notice new signs of lice within a month after treatment

Question 14

When can my child return to school or daycare after getting treated for head lice?

Answer

It’s important to notify your child's school or daycare and follow any school policies about returning after lice treatment. Your child can usually return to school after the first treatment—they don't need to be lice-free to go back.

Question 15

How do lice spread?

Answer

Head lice usually spread by prolonged head to head contact, like when people sleep next to each other. Lice can't jump from person to person - they can only crawl.

Less commonly, head lice may spread in indirect ways, like by sharing hats or hairbrushes.

A louse cannot survive off the scalp for more than 48 hours, and nits can't hatch at a temperature lower than they find on the scalp.

Question 16

How do I stop lice from spreading?

Answer

If you find lice on someone in your household, experts recommend that everyone in the household should be checked thoroughly for lice. In addition, anyone who shares a bed with someone with lice can be treated, even if lice aren't found on their head.

You should wash and dry any linens or other items (like stuffed animals and blankets) that have come into contact with the person's head within 2 days before lice treatment. Drying is the critical part: lice and nits die after 5 minutes in a hot (130°F+) dryer. Anything that can't be washed or dried can be sealed in plastic bags for 2 weeks.

Hairbrushes should be soaked in hot water for 10 minutes.

If applicable, you can vacuum your furniture, rugs, and car, but you don't need to treat household surfaces with any special disinfectant sprays.

Question 17

Can I get rid of lice naturally?

Answer

If you don't want to use a pediculicide treatment like Nix to kill lice, there are alternative treatments and lice removal methods you can try:

• Manually combing out lice and nits using the "wet comb method" (see FAQ)

• Paying a professional lice remover to treat lice with a heated-air device (AirAllé)

• Treating hair with dessicants like Vamousse; occlusive agents like mayonnaise, dimethicone lotion, or Cetaphil cleanser; or essential oils*

*These products aren't FDA-approved or recommended and their efficacy can't be guaranteed.

Question 18

What's the life cycle of lice?

Answer

The full life cycle of a head louse is about 28 days:

• Louse lays an egg on the hair shaft

• Egg hatches in 6-9 days

• Hatchling (nymph) becomes adult within 7 days

• Adult lays eggs, and the cycle starts over

Question 19

Can my pets get lice?

Answer

No. Head lice only spreads from human to human.

Question 20

Can I get treated for pubic lice?

Answer

No. If you have pubic lice, you'll need to see a primary care provider for an in-person evaluation and additional STI screening if necessary.

Question 21

Clinical sources

Answer

1. Nolt, D., Moore, S., Yan, A. C., Melnick, L., & COMMITTEE ON INFECTIOUS DISEASES, COMMITTEE ON PRACTICE AND AMBULATORY MEDICINE, SECTION ON DERMATOLOGY (2022). Head Lice. Pediatrics, 150(4), e2022059282.

Your account has an Amazon One Medical Membership

With your membership you can:

Get head lice treatment online

How it works

What are head lice?

How do you get rid of hair lice?

Can I get head lice treatment for a child through On-Demand Care?

Is online lice treatment right for me?

Common head lice treatments

More care for kids and adults

Pink eye (conjunctivitis)

Skin issue

Eczema (atopic dermatitis)

Frequently asked questions

About Amazon One Medical

About care for children

About head lice & lice treatment