These special combs we use today are an adaptation of a more traditional method of extraction
. In the past, parents would attempt to manually pick out the insects and nits using a pair of tweezers (with the help of alternative treatments as well as other home remedies). Given the maneuverability of the common head louse, this was no easy feat. This tweezers-based method is far more time consuming and less effective than the comb-based method.