We just got our first notice home about lice from the school. Our kids had a horrid time getting rid of them last year. We felt like we should have had a BIOHAZARD sign on the door. But we did get rid of them. I managed by reading about various tips and ideas on the internet. Dawn Mucci, was kind enough to share this post to help us in our search for truth when it comes to preventing and ridding our kids of these pests. Lets pray we don’t get them this year.
With the explosion of head lice blogs and web sites dedicated to head lice, I felt it necessary to write another helpful resource for my clients. You can’t always trust what you read on web sites and just because professor Google says it’s true, doesn’t necessarily mean that it is.
And when lice are discovered, people can quickly become panicked, frustrated and even desperate. With so much conflicting and different information out there, it’s easy to get to the point where you will try just about anything.
This article contains many remedies found on-line. Some have been reported to me by my clients or by other people when I speak to groups and individuals about head lice.
Homemade Remedies
For generations, all kinds of remedies have been shared including vodka, kerosene, blow dryers, hair crimper/straighteners, hair dye, turpentine, face wash, tooth paste, mouth wash, Vaseline, peanut butter, and mayonnaise.
Fact: None of these have been proven effective. Many are messy and the substances themselves nearly impossible to remove from hair. Personal appliances like flat irons and hair dryers have the potential to cause serious burn. Use all products only as directed and remember that it’s generally advisable to use a treatment specially designed for head lice.
Of Special Concern
One web site recommended saturating the child’s hair in mayonnaise, wrapping the hair in a plastic bag and leaving it overnight followed by a vinegar rinse in the morning. Some herbalists and natural healers continue to recommend similar substances like baby oil or petroleum jelly used in a similar way.
I have several concerns with this method. First, there is a potential choking and suffocation risk with leaving a plastic bag on a child’s hair overnight. Second, mayonnaise is perishable and salmonella poisoning may result if mayo is left on the hair for a long period of time; plus, the mayonnaise can get into the eyes and mucus membranes. Finally, vinegar will sting open sores.
Tobacco?
A popular folk remedy for getting rid of head lice is the use of tobacco to repel the parasites and prevent them from returning. In a book by a popular Herbalist, the suggestion is made to do the following: “Pour 4 cups of boiling water over 1 cup of tobacco leaves. You may use the tobacco from a pack of cigarettes, though fresh tobacco leaves appear to work best. Allow the mixture to steep for several hours, then strain. To use, hold your head over a large basin to catch the tobacco water. Pour the liquid through the hair at least 15 times, then comb thoroughly. Allow the mixture to remain for up to three hours before rinsing with cool water. Do not use this remedy on children.” Thankfully, this wasn’t recommended for children.
Herbal or Essential Oils
A popular Herbalist recommends an almond oil essential rub to rid hair of lice. The recipe calls for lavender, rosemary, geranium and eucalyptus oils along with the almond oil.
Essential oils are wonderful and many of them do help to repel lice. But a word of caution: all essential oils must be used with great respect. If you or the person you are treating is pregnant, nursing, under the age of two, or has epilepsy, asthma or other conditions, you may not be able to use this kind of remedy.
Listerine® Spray
Powerful essential oils also play a part in the mouthwash Listerine’s® chemical makeup, according to a pharmacy website The brand is composed only of alcohol and essential oils, both of which may contribute to its popularity as a lice home remedy for both scalp treatment and to treat infected sheets and clothing. For personal treatment, the website instructs the user to add Listerine® to a spray bottle and apply to all parts of the scalp and hair. The liquid supposedly does not smell when it dries and the formula can be used as a leave-in treatment. For bedding and clothes, add a cup of Listerine® to the final rinse cycle in your washing machine.
Take caution again with a product not formulated to treat head lice.
The Better Way
Combing Method: My favourite combs on the market today are Lice Squad’s Louse Trap, The Nit Free Terminator and The Lice Meister. Combining regular combing with a routine of natural topical methods to interrupt the life cycle of the head louse will gradually reduce the lice and lice eggs in the hair. Head lice eradication is a process of reduction and a good quality comb can make this process fast and easy.
Smothering Method: Oil soaks with olive or coconut oil may help smother bugs by clogging the spiracles they use to breathe. They are also a wonderful hair treatment. Saturate scalp for a minimum of four hours and use a shower cap or towel to create heat. But do not leave a shower cap on a child’s head overnight or when not attended. Rinse, shampoo and condition and then comb through with a good quality nit comb to remove and reduce lice and their eggs.
Enzyme Method: Enzymes are proteins that cause other proteins to break down. This makes them a safe and natural option. Use enzymes in a base of hair conditioner to help smother the bugs and loosen the lice eggs. Use as directed by the particular manufacturer and as always, comb afterwards to remove and reduce lice and their eggs.
LouseBuster Device Method. The LouseBuster is a new medical device that uses carefully controlled, heated air at a temperature much cooler than a hair dryer and at a much higher flow rate. Since lice and their eggs have high water content, the heated air simply dries out lice and their eggs.
Again all of these methods need follow up with a good quality nit comb and a systematic approach to interrupting the life cycle of the head louse.
Wishing you and your family a lice free day.
Dawn Mucci, Founder, Lice Squad Canada Inc.
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