Table of Contents
Cure Head Lice
Natural Remedies to Treat Head Lice
"Lice (singular: louse), (order Phthiraptera), also known as fly babies, are an order of over 3,000 species of wingless insects; three of which are classified as human disease agents. They are obligate ectoparasites of every avian and most mammalian orders. They are not found on Monotremes (the platypus and the echidnas or spiny anteaters) and a few eutherian orders, namely the bats (Chiroptera), whales, dolphins and porpoises (Cetacea) and pangolins (Pholidota).
As lice spend their whole life on the host they have developed adaptations which enable them to maintain close contact with the host. These adaptations are reflected in their size (0.5-8 mm), stout legs, and claws which are adapted to cling tightly to hair, fur and feathers, and that they are wingless and dorsoventrally flattened.
Lice feed on skin (epidermal) debris, feather parts, sebaceous secretions and blood. A louse's color varies from pale beige to dark grey; however, if feeding on blood, it may become considerably darker. A louse egg is commonly called a nit. Lice attach their eggs to their host's hair with specialized saliva which results in a bond that is very difficult to separate without specialized products. Living lice eggs tend to be pale white. Dead lice eggs are orangeish." (Wikipedia)
DISCLAIMER
Our readers offer information and opinions on Earth Clinic, not as a substitute for professional medical prevention, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult with your physician, pharmacist, or health care provider before taking any home remedies or supplements or following any treatment suggested by anyone on this site. Only your health care provider, personal physician, or pharmacist can provide you with advice on what is safe and effective for your unique needs or diagnose your particular medical history.
POPULAR REMEDIES:
| MAYONNAISE | 5 YEAS |
APPLE CIDER VINEGAR AND MAYONNAISE
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[YEA] 03/24/2008: Madison from Independence, Kansas: "MAYO and APPLE VINEGAR: all you have to do is smoother mayo in you're hair then let it set for 2 hours wash with no conditioner or shampoo the put apple viniger in it and set for 30 minutes rince and it cures"
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CAT FLEA SHAMPOO
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[YEA] 12/06/2009: Ivory Coast from Loco, Ca: "For the head lice go to your pet store and get flea shampoo for cats. it should contain:
piperonyl butoxide technical 0.50%
pyrethrins 0.50%
other ingredients: 99.45%
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total 100.00%
wash yourself first with soap and wash your hair with plain shampoo.
then while you are still wet apply the flea shampoo to your head and cover your whole body with it including your external genitailia, your feet hands and face. don't get it in your eyes though.
now, that you are covered all over set the egg timer for 12 minutes. in 3 days repeat. besure you wash your beding and pets bedding in hot water. i would also spray my bedding and the pets beding with flea spray. do the mattress too. wash your pets the same way too."
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CETAPHIL AND ROBI COMB
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11/15/2010: Racer from Hampton, Tn: "Cetaphil rubbed into hair and blow dried until hair is dry, kills lice. Put it on hair, then a shower cap and leave on all night. Wash out and comb through. 15 drops tea tree oil in any bottle of shampoo or conditioner used twice a week should keep the lice away as long as the lice comb is used all the time to get bugs out of the hair."
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[YEA] 11/30/2007: Rebecca from Gilbert, MN: "When I called my pediatrician to get a prescription because RID was not killing the lice he told me that instead of using harsh chemicals to use Cetaphil. It is a face wash, there is also a lotion by the same company, but you have to use the face wash. You saturate the hair and scalp with the wash, comb out the excess and blow dry until hard. Then leave on overnight and wash in the morning. I would not say it has 100% taken care of the problem but we are so far improved in one application that we decided to continue to use this for a few more nights instead of using the prescription. I also bought a Robi Comb. The combs that I bought the first time and that came with the lice shampoo were junk and went right over the eggs, even the metal combs which are supposed to be made for egg removal. The Robi Comb was $30, but it is like a bug zapper, when it detects a louse it omits an electric charge killing the nervous system of the bug. After one use I could not find a live bug on my kids. Between the two methods I think we have this thing licked. Of course we are also doing massive amounts of laundry and we all sleep with plastic mattress and pillow covers now just to ensure we don't reinfest ourselves."
Replies[BETTER BUT NOT CURED] 05/21/2008: Margarett from Tulsa, Oklahoma replies: "Lice Remedies:I just found out about the cetaphil procedure. I am doing that now. I really hope it works. I normally use Quill shampoo for whenever i get head lice. Where i work I can get them anytime. Drives me nuts. So far the cetaphil is slowing them down. I have had them for two weeks."
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COCONUT OIL
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[YEA] 01/01/2011: Maskeen from Dubai, Uae: "When I was young and had immigrated to the US, I had lice in my hair. My mom put virgin coconut oil in my hair and made me go play out in the yard. Coconut oil hardens below 76 degrees F. The oil hardened in my hair and the lice died. She did this for two weeks to make certain the the newly hatched nits also died. Within two weeks I was lice free."
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[YEA] 09/14/2007: Angela from Kingsland, GA: "My son came home from school the other day, and I was told he had lice. We went out and bought those chemicals, but decided to read about them before using them, and I am so glad we didn't use them. That's when I was told about using Coconut Oil by my mother in law. We bought a jar of the oil, it comes in a solid format, and turns liquid as applying it. We treated my son, my husband and myself just to be safe. We put the oil in his hair, then covered his head with a plastic shower cap and had him sit and watch TV for about an hour. Then we took the cap off and combed his hair out. Getting all the nits was painful to him, but it was VERY SUCCESSFUL. I would definitly recommend this method to anyone. Of coourse there is the little matter of getting the oil out of his hair, it took a couple of washings, but his hair is very soft now!"
Replies[YEA] 12/28/2010: Angel from Peoria, Il replies: "Hi, when my daughter was one year old she applied about a whole bottle of Vaseline in her hair. I did many, many shampooing to get it out and nothing would touch it , so I searched here on internet, and found vinegar. Rinse with vinegar it will cut the grease right out instantly.. Hope this helps.."
06/24/2011: Heavensent from Regina, Sask replies: "I used dish soap to get the oil out, it worked great!!"
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[YEA] Dianna from Sapulpa, OK: "My daughter came home with lice, and a friend told me to use some coconut oil overnight to suffocate the lice and the nits. I had no trouble getting the nits out, and there didn't seem to be any bugs when I combed through her hair. The only problem I had was getting the coconut oil out of her hair. I used the coconut oil conditioner, which I think is different than liquid coconut oil, but it worked so well I had to share the tip."
Replies09/06/2010: Elaine from Edmond, Oklahoma, Usa replies: "When my daughter was little she got hold of the Vaseline and smeared it in her hair. Like coconut oil it is very hard to wash out. Impossible in fact. Then I remembered when she was a baby I would put both Vaseline and baby powder on her tush. I thought, what's the point? The powder soaks up the Vaseline. Bingo! I sprinkled baby powder in her hair, let it set for a few minutes to soak up the Vaseline and washed out the powder. Talc works better than corn starch, but both work within one to two shampoos."
09/07/2010: Lon from Stanhope, Nj replies: "I add vinegar to shampoo to remove oils from my hair."
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COCONUT OIL, TEA TREE OIL
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[YEA] 01/09/2009: Cyndy from Fayetteville, Arkansas: "After staying at a friend's home, while I was out of town, my daughter was infested with head lice. By the time I got home, the infestation was huge. She had scratched/clawed her head until it was bleeding and there was blood and skin matted into her hair. I got home at night and the only products I had on hand to treat were coconut and tea tree oil. I poured the entire contents of the tea tree oil onto her head and worked it through her hair until saturated. Then I got my coconut oil and did the same with it. I wrapped her head in a towel and put her to bed. She slept for several hours. When she awoke I went through her hair with a comb and my fingers pulling out bugs. I pulled out more than 60 head lice before I gave up. Most of them were completely dead and the rest were almost dead. We washed her hair with a strong dish soap and applied a good conditioner. After only that one treatment she was completely bug free. I went through her hair with a comb to remove any nits and they combed out very easily. next time your child is infested, try this first, before the harmful chemicals sold on store shelves."
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DENOREX SHAMPOO
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[YEA] 11/01/2008: Kristy from Lansing, Michigan: "My daughter and I both wound up with a 'rash' on our necks, upper backs and shoulders. Our doctor prescribed some cream that didn't work. Other people suggested heat rash, since it was summer and we both had really long hair. And still others thought it might be a shampoo allergy.
During the two months this lasted, I had gotten a lice comb and checked her hair, just as she checked mine, but we didn't see any bugs or eggs. (I think they just didn't show up in her hair and she wasn't sure what she was looking for in mine!)
Anyway, I read something online that lice move very quickly but that hair conditioner will paralyze them temporarily so I finally got some and tried it and, sure enough, my daughters hair was chock full of bugs! So was mine!!!
We tried lice shampoo, we tried oil and I don't even remember everything else, to no avail.
Finally I found something about Denerox and thought, why not.
We scrubbed it in, left the shampoo in our hair and wrapped our heads with towels for 30 minutes, per the instructions. And the lice was gone, never to return.
I believe that it worked because Denorex on your towel wrapped head gets REALLY warm. Almost uncomfortably warm. And my theory is it not only 'cooks' the bugs, it 'cooks' the eggs, too! Kind of a disgusting thought, but whatever!
So I wouldn't mess with anything else, should this ever become a problem for my family again."
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[YEA] 03/31/2007: Kimberly from Fairmont, West Virginia: "Denorex shampoo it must be the Denorex that has coal tar. The salicylic acid one does not work. This kills live lice on the first time you are lice free. I wash my hair in it and let it set a few minutes maybe 5 then rinse and wash once again. I then use it once a day for 14 days just to make sure I did not miss any or eggs that may have hatched."
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EUCALYPTUS OIL
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[YEA] 03/05/2011: Cathrine from Perth, Western Australia, Australia: "I have been reading the posts here and I have noticed eucalyptus oil has not been mentioned. In the past I have used the oil successfully for head lice and fleas.
I have on occasion sat down with my cats and searched through their fur for fleas and when I spotted one I would just touch it with a oil soaked cotton bud. The flea died instantly. So I am thinking the oil is highly toxic to small insects such as lice and fleas.
I would imagine scabies would be in the same family as these insects. If you do try eucalyptus oil please research the correct dilution with a carrier oil. For head lice I didnt dilute it but I have read warnings that one should always dilute the oil. I also read the oil fries the fleas exoskeleton.
Good luck!"
[YEA] 11/22/2011: Samantha from Adelaide, Sa, Australia replies: "Whenver we have lice, my daughter and I treat ourelves with 2tbsp of olive oil, 1 tsp of eucalytpus, 1/4 tsp of tea tree oil and a squirt of shampoo. Mix all together and slather on hair. Wait 30 mins. (We put a disposable shower cap over our heads). The oil suffocates the lice and the eucalyptus and tea tree oil damage their exoskelelons.Our hair ends up soft and shiny. You need to repeat 1 week and 2 weeks later to completely break the reproductive cycle because it doesn't kill all the eggs.
Now if someone could come up with an oil that washes out more easily the formula would be perfect!"
02/08/2012: Irene from Los Angeles, California Usa replies: "eucalyptis oil, tea tree oil, extra virgin olive oil, dawn dish soapFinally cured after trying EVERYTHING!!! Just when I thought they were gone... The nits that I had missed started hatching. I immediately bought a bottle of tea tree oil for $11.00, eucalyptis oil for $4.00 at a store having to do with a red arrow aiming at something ha ha! (don't know if I can say on here... And they were not next to eachother I had to do some shelf hunting), also some extra virgin olive oil from a dollar store (warning: I heard if your child or yourself has had a history of epilepsy/seizures it is not good to use eucalyptus oil as it can bring out the seizures) for my 3 year old I used 3/4 tsp tea tree oil, 3/4 tsp eucalyptus oil, 2 tablespoons olive oil, then I mixed it with squirts of shampoo and mixed until syrup like. For my 5 year old and myself I used 1 tsp tree oil, 1 tsp eucalyptus, and 2 tablespoons olive oil and extra squirts of shampoo... I have long hair!!! I used a spray bottle to barely dampen their hair enough just so that it would create suds when I put the mixture on. I didn't want to get in their eyes so I "spooned" it into their hair in sections making sure I rubbed it very close to the roots/scalp (I didn't have any shower caps so I just rubber banded their hair up) let sit for 1 hour no less!! I draped towels on my couches so they wouldn't stain them and let them watch a movie for 1 hour and rinsed with water, after that I put dawn dishsoap in their hair and rinsed I immediately started seeing dead lice fall out... Combed out hair and removed all the bug bodies I could see more bodies as I was blow drying/combing out their hair.. I did see nits but they were all dead so keep pulling out nits just in case!! Been lice free for a whole week!!! When you rinse this stuff out make sure you put a washcloth over their eyes so it won't go in... Also keep eucalyptus oil out of reach of children it is extremely poisonus!! Good luck!!! :) you can even repeat just in case after 7 days."
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GARLIC OIL
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[YEA] 01/10/2012: London3 from Sacramento, Ca: "My daughter and I have been fighting to get rid of her head lice for 2 months. I tried rid, nix, 2 different prescriptions, tea tree oil, and mayonaise. None of it worked. Those buggers were resistant to everything! I then remembered how well the garlic oil cleared up my bunnies mites, so I tried it in her hair for almost 15 hours and the next day was her first day nit free in 2 months!! She and I both agree that it was the easiest and only treatment that worked!"
Replies01/11/2012: Francisca from Zug, Switzerland replies: "Do you mean essential oil? Did you apply it pure, I suppose not, did you dilute it in another oil?"
01/21/2012: Chargir from Cleveland, Ohio replies: "I'm glad that worked. I used cedarwood oil which is a essential oil that can be bought from most soap making supply companies, I got mine from a local soap and candle supply company. Keep in mind. It must be The real essential oil to work well. The cedarwood oil kills the lice, and dissolves the nit glue easily and also kills the eggs. It is totally non-toxic. I coated my granddaughter's head, left it on for 30 min. (Test a nit egg to make sure it releases easily) Worked like a charm, after fighting for a month with over the counter treatments. This put an end to the cycle."
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GENERAL FEEDBACK
04/01/2012: Maria from Iligan, Phillipines: "Hello, can head lice survive, if you're suffering from dandruff?"
Replies04/01/2012: Iowama from Pella, Ia/USA replies: "Hi Maria, Yes, to answer your question, I am afraid that lice feed on dandruff. On two occasions, I've had to treat my Granddaughter from severe infestations, but the remedies I used were very successful and came from Earth Clinic posts. Best wishes, Iowama"
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01/20/2012: Jennifer from Ny: "OMG I have been struggling to get rid of head lice for months. Went to the doctors twice I figured by going to see a Dr. They would give me a subscription. Took my subscription to pharmacy only for the pharmisist to walk out from behind the counter to get me an otc remedy oh yeah I needed to spend money to see a Dr. So he can tell me to go to drug store. Otc products do not have any effect whatsoever!!! I read that over a period of time these little bastards have built a resistence to the pesticide used for lice treatment. If we can put a man on the moon, sattelites on mars, why can't we cure head lice?"
Replies02/04/2012: Susan from Grand Rapids, Mi replies: "My daughter got head lice from the kids she was babysitting. I went to my local health food store to get a treatment that did not have the pesticide Pyrethrin in it. They had a shampoo that got rid of the lice and the nits in ten minutes. It was called ______ and was all natural. It did not stink like tea tree oil. It had peppermint oil in the ingredients. Now my pharmacy carries it too."
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HAIR DYE
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[YEA] 05/29/2009: Stardrum from Maple Falls, WA: "Lice cures: I am a foster parent, and as yet have never had a new child placed with me that didn't have lice. I have tried many remedies, including the tea tree, and the chemical, but the thing that has consistently worked for me the FIRST time is dyeing the child's hair. I use a commercial dye, and dye it the same color as the hair so it's not a dramatic change. Then, after the dyeing, we comb out the dead bugs and all nits. In two days after coming and combing, I use a salt water gel. This gel is applied, use a shower cap to cover for an hour or so, and then rinse. I then use tea tree oil in their shampoo forever, and we don't ever get them back. It leaves their hair soft and shiny too."
Replies[YEA] 05/29/2009: Angie from Los Angeles, CA replies: "Mayonaise, acv and tea tree oil got rid of headlice
My daughter when she started kindergarten she came home with lice one day. I bought the lice shampoos and did every possible thing I could do to get rid of them. I was so devastated I did't know what else to do for her. I would get rid of them only to find out she got them again within less than a month. This was my struggle for a whole year. Then one day my sister came accross a site, not sure which one but she told me to mix some Mayonaise in a bowl and to mix it with ACV to a consistency of pancake batter. Then to add some drops of tea tree oil and to put it on her hair. I put it for 1/2 an hour and then while she still had it on I combed her hair out with one of those nit removal combs and washed her hair. I kid you not but the day after when I checked her hair she did not have one single nit or headlice on her hair. It's been three years and she has not had a single headlice in her hair. After spending so much money on all the stuff I bought for her hair, I was so relieved to have found something so simple and so inexpensive that actually works and it is safe for her. Anyway, just thought this might help."
[YEA] 11/23/2009: Carolize from Gauteng, South Africa replies: "Hair dye deffinately works!!! it's the only thing that ever worked for me! I constantly struggled with head lice when i was in primary school (i'm 16 now). tried everything from vinegar to horse shampoo to lice shampoo to mayonaise, you name it, i tried it! nothing ever worked. one day I decided to color my hair and BAM! no more head lice! you'll see that the nits are much harder to get off the hair when they're still alive. when the nits are dead they basicaly slide off the hair! Don't wait too long before you treat your hair though. One of my friends still have lice because it's everywhere in their house. they're couches, beds, everything. Once you realise you have it, take care of it immediatly and wash all your pillow covers, etc. also, clean your hair brushes with boiling water. that really helps! :)"
[NAY] 05/01/2011: Momof3 from Katy, Tx replies: "The hair dye did not work for me! Neither did Rid or Licefree. Licefree was the best though. Using coconut shampoo & conditioner and combing twice a day. Going to try Dennorex next."
01/23/2012: Andrea0816 from Hazlehurst, Ga Usa replies: "Hair dye didn't work for me either. Been battling this crap for little over a month now & it's literally driven me to tears! I've done my hair with Rid the first time & cheapo the 2nd time. Both worked about the same. Been washing with Denorex for 2wks now everyday, but seen in other post to leave it on for 30 mins. I sooo pray this works. Got my head saturated in olive oil & skin so soft at the moment...."
[NAY] 01/25/2012: Mireille from Libourne, France replies: "The hair dye does not work for everyone. I had my hair colored by the hair dresser today. She did it carefully as she knew what the problem was. It is the evening now and I already feel the buggers moving."
02/18/2012: Andrea0816 from Hazlehurst, Ga Usa replies: "I felt like I had to update on how things are now. After being OCD for a month about getting the bugs out of my families & my hair, I am happy to tell you THEY ARE GONE!! I'm not crazy about the whole chemical treatments, but had to give em one more try. Did the treatments then combed nits & bugs out. The box says not to shampoo hair afterwards, but my daughter has very curly hair so I had to. I mixed in tea tree oil (1/2 of a 2 fl. Oz. Bottle I got from Walmart) with her coconut conditioner. I washed bed linens, bookbags, jackets/hats, vacuumed carpets, furniture, beds, and vehicles. Instead of vacuuming & washing things everyday like I read to do, I used a lint roller everywhere. Each day I put their pillows & jackets in the dryer just to be on the safe side. I checked for nits every other day. I repeated the chemical treatment exactly 7 days later. Repeated everything once again. Now it's 3 wks later & have not seen any nits or bugs!!!! I still do head checks because I DO NOT want to go through that AGAIN!Still unsure of where they came from, but have a pretty good idea. I did my hair a little differently because I don't really have anyone to check my hair for me so I did the chemical treatment process the same way, tea tree oil in my conditioner & I use Denorex every other day. I would rub tea tree oil into my scalp & slather conditioner in my hair & wear a shower cap all day (I'm a SAHM so I'm able to, but you could do this overnight if you couldn't otherwise). I brushed my hair with a metal nit comb EVERYDAY in the shower. I know I don't have them because I had my daughters doctor check my head when I took her to an appointment. I have paid the price with all the treatments and Denorex. (I used 3 bottles in a month and dyed my hair the first time). All the combing left my head sore.
Even though I don't have them anymore, I guess my OCD won't let go so I still comb my hair nearly every other day with the nit comb & lint brush roll couches, chairs & pillows, and always checking heads for bugs or nits. Hope my horror story with a successful ending helps some of you out there suffering. To let you know, the first few things we tried were hair dye which didn't work; vinegar on hair for 30 mins killed bugs, but still have to remove all the nits; skin so soft by Avon helped to smother them after leaving on for 8 hrs under shower cap; conditioner with coconut & tea tree oil helped smother also. I think the double treatment got rid of them because the 2nd treatment stopped any re-hatching and the constant 'nit picking' helped conquer them. I think the tea tree oil is helping to keep them away. I believe a hot oil treatment would help the dryness caused by two treatments, but haven't got around to it yet. I wish you all well & if anyone needs any help or support with this let me know. I'll be glad to lend an ear :)"
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LAST RESORT REMEDY: KEROSENE
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[YEA] 04/07/2007: Carla from Las Cruces, USA: "Don't use it unless you are desperate but it definitely works in one application. I had long hair and got lice on a trip to India. There were no shampoos for it where I was, local people were just shaving their heads to deal with it. I was determined not to return home with lice (and to keep my hair), so I got talked into washing my hair in kerosene. Be Careful to keep it off your skin, it got on my sunburn --- ouch!
I said not to use it unless you have to because it's bad for your hair.. I had to have my hairdresser put on all kinds of special conditioners to get my hair back to normal."
Replies[YEA] 03/22/2010: Teegr from Pacific Nw, Wa replies: "Just thought I'd tell you that my grandmother who was born in 1916 always told me about the time they got lice right after they had got married...and bought a used mattress after sleeping on the floor for months. They lived in rural Texas..and there was no running to a market in a wagon to get treatments...even had they the money during the depression. They certainly couldn't afford to throw away an infested mattress. They treated the mattress, bedding, AND themselves with kerosene (which they used for bedbugs in bedding when she was a child) and that took care of the problem, except for their eyelashes, which they picked off for awhile. I was always shocked when she told me about it...visualizing they soaked the mattress. She finally explained to me that they dipped a rag into kerosene and scrubbed the daylights out of it. As a result of her experience she always told me to drag out our mattresses and bedding into the sun to bake each side at least every spring, which I did faithfully till I couldn't drag a mattress outside anymore."
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LEMONS
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[YEA] 12/03/2007: lacey from wilmington, nc: "lemon juice really works I poured some on my head and 5-7 lice bugs came out!! lemon juice is the key!"
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LISTERINE, VINEGAR
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04/03/2012: Heather from Leicester, England: "Here's how I always got rid of nits in my daughters hair. Go to the chemist and buy a couple of bottles of tea tree hair conditioner or failing that peppermint and a couple of White plastic nit combs. Wash your child's hair in shampoo as normal and then towel dry it. Next load the hair up with tea tree conditioner and comb through with a wide tooth comb to ensure no tangles( very important! ) next use the wider part of the nit comb from root to end and wipe on a tissue every time - you will see large adult insects, and little eggs stuck in conditioner on paper, continue right through hair, paying extra attention around ears and back of neck. Then rinse conditioner out as normal. If you found lots of nits then repeat this process next night other wise leave it a couple of days then repeat. This treatment works every time and takes around 30 min depending on thickness and length of hair. Good luck"
Replies04/05/2012: Jenny from Sydney, Australiahi replies: "Hi. I agree re the conditioner but would add another step. I put as much conditioner on as possible, covered it with a shower cap and left it for 30 minutes (I did for an hour plus), then combed through. I would also recommend doing it for several days in a row and put clean pillow cases on for sleeping each night. Good luck!"
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04/21/2011: Cristina from La Coruna, Spain: "My daughter brought home lice from school a few weeks ago and all the family got them. We tried products from drugstores and supermarkets and they were no use.
Then one day someone told me about Listerine and vinegar, great!! And it doesn´t even feel cold or itchy on your head.
What you do, is you pour Listerine (I used the blue one) over your head making sure it´s all over. Then you put a shower cap on and wait for 2 hours. After that you rinse your hair with water (you´ll find some of the lice dead). The next step is to rinse your head thoroughly with white vinegar (this helps to get rid of the nits) and massage well. Rinse again with water.
Then you just wash your hair normally with shampoo and conditioner. I always add a few drops (5 o 6) of tea tree oil to the shampoo, this helps them NOT come back at school!
Our hair is very shiny and clean, and we are at last rid of the plague."
Replies[YEA] 08/11/2011: Bugs Be Gone Soon Pleaes from Pittsburgh, Pa replies: "I had called our ped after nix and rid did not work completely (found one bug and still had occasional itching, ugghh! ). They told me to do the mayonaisse overnight, but we had plans to do a family zoo trip the next day. After internet research , thought I would try the listerine first and then do teh mayonaisse the next night when we would have more time in the morning to wash it out. I left the listerine in all night though, had the shower cap on her from 10pm -3am. Washed her hair as usual in am and cannot find anything in her hair, no itching, much easier than mayonaisse and not a scratch the entire day. So will see what tonight brings, if no itching may just repeat the listerine again to be certain.... just seems much easier to wash out and much easier for younger child to tolerate than the thick, mayo."
[YEA] 08/12/2011: Bugs Be Gone Soon Please from Pittsburgh, Pa replies: "48 hours and no itching, no bugs. Going to do it for 2 hours with shower cap tomorrow just to be ultra safe but looks like it worked for us! Finally, a solution."
04/03/2012: Connie from London, Ontario Canada replies: "I have been fighting with head lice for months now me and my 2 daughters. I am having a hard time getting rid of the nits I have tried everything- help, I am going crazy! My poor oldest daughter has sores on her head from all the treatments. Any ideas?"
04/03/2012: Jooey2 from Cedar Lake, Indiana replies: "My daughter got lice and she has long curly hair, I used baby oil. It killed them washed everything and dried on high heat. It worked! I would get a bottle of the oil and some plastic hair wraps to keep the oil off other things. Drench hair and comb out bugs and nits. Wash out then I put more on head and left it on for a day. I was crawly and did me too. LOL"
04/04/2012: Carolynn from Sydney, Nsw Australia replies: "Hi there, I was channeled when my daughter always got nits to use warm Neem Oil... Leave in hair for 2 days and wash out.... leaves hair beautifully and no more nits..Carolynn"
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MAYONNAISE
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[YEA] 12/28/2010: Sara from Rockford, Il : "Mayo instead of miracle whip for at least 4 hours (plasic on head) rinse it out then rinse with vinegar, this will loosen eggs and get rid of the grease from mayo.. Repeat in 5 to 7 days"
Replies[BETTER BUT NOT CURED] 06/29/2011: Iowama from Pella, Iowa/usa replies: "Thank you for your forum on headlice. My granddaughter's headlice have resisted both the an OTC and an RX treatment, but they succumbed to mayonaise. I applied it as per a you-tube video, using plastic wrap and having her wear it for several hours. I did as complete a wash and rinse as a 2 year old will allow, but the hair still looked a little dirty. I found the nits slid off more easily than with the 2 previous treatment tries. I repeated 2 days later and am continuing to check for nits. Great results!"
[YEA] 07/16/2011: Iowama from Pella, Ia replies: "I just wanted to follow up on my previous post. Although I do continue to check for nits from time to time, both my Granddaughter and I are now free from headlice. I alternated treatments between mayonaise, a generic OTC lice treatment containing pyrethrin, and olive oil. Assuming that her head contained lice of several hatch dates, I treated us both whenever I caught her scratching, which turned out to be 4 times a week. A friend suggested that the lice might be hatcing and alive in my carpet, surviving on skin cells they found there. I began to think of a newly hatched louse as being light as a speck of dust and easily transported and so I turned off the air and did a more thorough vacuum of every bit of the carpet and upholstry along with hot-mopping the flooring. Early on, I had ordered a good quality metal comb and I boiled it and all hair implements after every use. I hope someone finds this helpful."
09/21/2011: Rosalind from New York, Ny replies: "I've been having such a hard time with my 6yr old and this lice thing. So I'm reading all remedies an trying to find a cure. This is driving me crazy = ( the OTC has definitely not been effective for her. As I'm reading this mayo remedy I'm wondering is there any specific mayo I have to use? can I use helmanns?"
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[YEA] 12/15/2008: Haley from Ann Arbor, Michigan: "I got lice after taking care of my friends sisters children, and she failed to inform me her little girl had lice. A week later my scalp was so ITCHY! I heard from my friends mother who lives on a farm to apply MAYONNAISE to your hair! So I went to the refrigerator, grabbed the already opened jar of MAYONNAISE, dipped my hand into the pungent condiment, and applied it to my scalp. I soaked my hair and if you've ever dyed your hair you'll know how to apply it. Do the scalp first and work to the ends, make sure to saturate your hair and if you have a hair net wear that. I kept it in for about ten minutes and washed it out. The lice were dead!
A year later my little sister got lice, and we used the same remedy. Except hers came back because with the split visitation her father didn't wash the bedding at she contracted the bug again. But it works! Using it a second time for her did the trick! Best of luck!"
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[YEA] 01/25/2008: Cat from Harrisvill, WV: "Cat here! Mayonnaise for head lice: We live in rural WV. Head lice come up from time to time in these hills. Rather than use the expensive, extremely toxic poisons that are sold. We use mayonnaise (the real stuff). Slather enough to coat all your hair,wrap your head in a plastic bag and let be for about two hours. Wash out and comb with a fine tooth comb. Then shampoo, you won't need conditioner. Repeat in a few days. Wash all clothes and linen in hot, hot water. I would expect that homemade mayo would work just as well, but never tried it."
Replies[YEA] 10/10/2010: Rika from Riverside, Ca replies: "We recently had head lice and our whole family did each a mayonnaise treatment( w/ some ACV added) on our heads. We covered our hair and head w/ a plastic cap. After 30min - 1 hour we washed it out again. I washed only the pillows thinking we will do a deeper treatment w/ the "real " stuff from the health food store later. But it wasn't even necessary. I bought a metal lice comb and combed our hairs through w/ it every day or every other day until no more lice hatched. ( This was esential) This was so much easier to deal w/than flees( and I have very long hair up to my hips). I only washed the clothes we had worn the last few days( because lice can live for 2 days away from its host), but that was it."
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MEAT TENDERIZER, DOG SHAMPOO
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[YEA] 01/12/2009: Marlene from Springdale, Arkansas: "Meat Tenderizer and Dog Shampoo:
I got head lice when my daughter brought it home from a friend. After looking for a more natural cure for it, this is what I found. I used meat tenderizer and dog shampoo. I read that the head lices exoskeletal system would dissolve with the application of meat tenderizer, so I dumped two handfuls into my hair along with a leading brand of Dog Shampoo. It worked! (be sure not to use tenderizer with added spices such as garlic) I wrapped my head in a towel and let the mixture sit for about an hour, then rinsed, and used a heavy conditioner. No bugs! On top of that, my hair was shinier and bouncier than it has been in years. I know the dog shampoo has chemicals in it that cannot be good to use on a regular basis, but I'm thinking of using it as a cleanser when there is a lot of build up on my hair. "
01/12/2009: Deb from Anywhere, USA replies: "I don't have a lice remedy, but to get hairspray buildup out of your hair, just apply some baking soda to your wet hair before the final rinse. It works wonderfully."
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MINERAL OIL AND VINEGAR
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[YEA] 11/16/2007: Charlotte Easley from Federal Way, WA: "I have had long hair since I was a teenager and worked for 6 and 1/2 years as a residential counselor with young children. I would freak out every time any of the kids got lice and would immediately use that horrible shampoo from the drug store to try to keep from getting it. That stuff is totally toxic, kills my hair, gives awful dandruff, etc. One day, I was reading a parenting magazine to get ideas for arts + craft projects and noticed an article on lice treatment. Several months later my little sister (who was living with me at the time) came home with lice, and it was bad. I could see them jumping off her head and her hair was also long! I remembered the recipe, used it, and will swear by it from now on.
It consisted of first saturating the hair with mineral oil and vinegar (4-to-1 mix). Leave it in an hour, then lightly rinse it. Do not shampoo or try to remove all of the mineral oil yet. Instead, put on a shower cap overnight. Rinse out after 24 hours and utilize a vinegar rinse again while using a fine comb to remove as many nits as possible. This is a miracle cure for long-haired folks. I believe they said it works because the oil suffocates the bugs and the vinegar dissolves/loosens the glue that holds the nits on. Hope this helps somebody!"
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MULTIPLE REMEDIES TRIED
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[NAY] 07/14/2009: A Ming from Boise, USA: "I have tried TOO MANY lice "treatments" if you can call them that. I used the spray on EVERYTHING, used the 'special' shampoos, and the easy-nit-removal-gel to search every inch of her hair too many times to count. Washed ALL my blankets, clothes, pillows, checked everything and everyone everyday, all while my two year old had a stomach flu and a cold...and STILL!!! she STILLL has lice! on top of it, we both have terrible dandruff from the product. She's been at home with me since then, not at her daycare, so i know the little bugs are still not dying on her head. I check my head, but i don't see any eggs. Just dandruff, and I continue to find tiny bugs, like they were just hatched, on her head. Ive also used tea tree oil, baby oil gel, and a 400 degree curling iron and straigtener on my hair ( heat kills them, right?) damn near every day.
I just can't get rid of them... i'm breaking!!! Ive gone broke on buying products, my water bill, and laundry detergents. The sugestion on meat tenderizer and dog shampoo sounds look a good idea, but what is the mixture? ANybody else tried it?
If any other suggestions, PLEASE POST!!! My daughter, wallet, hair and time can't take these bugs anymore!!!"
Replies07/14/2009: Angie from Los Angeles, CA replies: "If you make a mixture of mayonaise, mix some ACV and tea tree oil (5 or more drops) in a bowl to the consistency of pancake batter then put it on your childs hair. Leave it on for a few hours, then you can use a special nit comb they sell at the drug stores and comb her hair throughly with it and rinse the comb to keep it clean constantly. You'll notice that a lot of lice eggs will just fall off. Then just rinse her hair. I did that to my daughter and when I checked the next day she had not one single lice, or egg on her hair. It really really works, plus it's cheap to do. My daughter had lice through all her Kinder garten and no matter what I did I could not get rid of them until I tried this. The lice and their eggs will literally fall off when you comb out the hair with the mayonaise mixtures still on it. You might want to untangle her hair first with a regular comb and then use the nit comb remover. But remember, comb it out while she has the mayonaise mixture on her hair. Very important."
08/24/2010: Piper from Toronto, On replies: "I have had numerous outbreaks with my two daughters. First tried drugstore remedy and diligently followed instructions. Washed bedding, removed nits. In a couple of weeks I had another outbreak. This time I had them, so after treating with shampoo, I combed my hair every time I had an itch. I still found bugs in my hair. The pharmacist suggested they were dying or that I had diluted formula as I had to add wet hair to get the shampoo through my hair. I found after using several pesticide treatments that lice are very difficult to kill. I found that in between treatments new bugs were hatching. The chemicals do not kill the nits as they suggest. As you eliminate nits, it gets harder to find them. You can pour over a kid's head for hours and the next day one will pop right out at you. These are my suggestions. There are two ways to kill lice with pesticides or natural treatments that affect them chemically or smother them (oil, mayonaise, conditioner). If you use pesticides I wouldn't advise using more frequently than directed. In between treatments, comb hair regularly with lice comb, before school and bed to remove dying bugs. Natural remedies I have tried, mayonaise and ACV, oil and vinegar (1 tsp of neem powder added), hair conditioner and comb, shampoo of dish soap, 1 tbsp borax and 1 tsp neem powder, rubbing alcohal, borax bath. I would suggest doing a treatment several times a week if using natural treatment and regular combing to remove bugs. To make them more palatable to the girls I call them spa treatments. Nits I boiled and put in bags in the freezer. Combs and brushes, do not boil, but put in boiling water for 10 minutes. I ruined a few this way. Laundry. I add borax to laundry. Hot water and use dryer. Borax is hard to find. After several trips to different stores, I called the company to find who sold it in Toronto. Do not confuse borax with boric acid (used to kill cockroaches and bugs). Borax is in the laundry section. I have a clothing steamer which I steam the mattress and pillows. Most natural ingredients can be bought at grocery, drug or dollar store very inexpensively vs the drug store pesticide route. Neem I found in little India in Toronto very cheaply. You can buy it in health food stores, but if you have ethnic neighbourhoods, often products are cheaper there. I believe that all remedies are effective to a degree, but as I said, after all I found survivors (dying?) with a comb. Do not expect with a single treatment that you have eliminated the problem. I would suggest several over a week several treatments, diligent combing, removal of nits and careful cleaning. Checking hair every once in a while with a lice comb is a good idea. Lice are very hard to see and it is much easier to catch the problem early rather than wait till you have nits."
08/25/2010: Kimberly from Ontario, Ca replies: "First of all let me tell you how bad I feel for anybody with head lice. They are little boogers! This is what I did. My niece got them at her friends house. So I got a popular brand of treatment used it and it seemed to work OK. But for 3 weeks I washed ALL bed linens daily, put pillow in the dryer on high for 30 minutes, vacuumed everything then vacuumed again! We only used 1 comb per person and soaked them in boiling water nightly, used a towel once then washed it. Immediately after school I looked for nits and picked them out. Then she took off her clothes got into the bath and washed her hair with coconut shampoo and conditioner. As far as bedding goes I got a plastic cover for her bed and gave her 1 pillow and blanket. Daily I lysoled her plastic mattress cover. Finally they were gone but it took a while before I was sure and could relax. Fast forward 8 months she went with us on a trip and on day 5 she told me she thinks she has lice AGAIN! OHHH I am so angry! I gave her another treatment and sent her home to her moms so she can have the privilege! However now I had lice. So it all began again. But this time the bugs aren't dying like the first time. They are very resistant. I finally got neem oil shampoo and that seems to do the trick. The first night I put it in my hair for 10 min then washed it out, next morning did it again, last night again, will do it again tonight... I am mentally exhausted as well as physically. And I don't want to tell anybody so I'm hiding it all.... Thanks for letting me vent and if you have any suggestions let me know. Thank you"
[YEA] 08/26/2010: Kelly Elmore from Kingston, Ok replies: "Cedar oil it awesome for lice, bed bugs, fleas and on and on. It's completely natural, smells good and absolutely no side effects, of course unless you're allergic to Cedar oil. It's amazing. I use on the yard, the outside of house, the inside of my house, for fire ants, flies, gnats, mosquitos, in my dogs ears, on my dogs and cats. It's GREAT!!!! No ill effects on anyone or any animal in our home."
08/26/2010: Crazydogjack from New Castle, Pa, Usa replies: "Where do you get cedar oil? My dog had fleas and the ACV and water wash did not work."
[YEA] 05/01/2011: Anonymous from Fl, Usa replies: "Try Denorex Coal Tar 2.5% shampoo. Moisten hair (but not to the point of saturation), put the shampoo first at the base of neck where the hair starts and also concentrate on the hair around the ears. Leave it on for 30 minutes with a towel on your head. It will BURN and be somewhat uncomfortable for that 30 minutes, but when you see all those dead bugs in the water, you will be glad you tried it. I think, as another poster said, the shampoo "cooks" the lice and nits. Also, before treatment I visibly had nits on my hair line and the day after treatment, they were gone. Apparently, the shampoo works well with lice. You have to repeat the treatment every day for a week to make sure you're OK and you also have to be diligent about cleaning your clothes and environment."
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