The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Listerine
Posted by Bugs Be Gone Soon Pleaes (Pittsburgh, Pa) on 08/11/2011
★★★★★
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.
Listerine
Posted by Cristina (La Coruna, Spain) on 04/21/2011
★★★★★
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.
Mineral Oil and Vinegar
Posted by Charlotte (Federal Way, WA) on 11/16/2007
★★★★★
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!
Mouthwash
Posted by Notyouneek (Tacoma, Wa) on 12/22/2018
★★★★★
I'm a grandma of 3 and have dealt with the lice plague numerous times. I've spent thousands of dollars over the decades on lice treatments. Then I discovered the mouthwash cure. Generic is fine. It works like a charm. I make sure that the eyes are covered, spray full strength amber mouthwash to soak the hair and cover the head with a plastic bag (using a hair tie to secure in the back). After two hours I rinse the hair and hten go through with a high quality metal nitcomb. Bugs are dead and nits are easier to remove. Best most effective treatment I've found!! I've done tons of research on the cons of this treatment and the best they can come up with is that its flammable, the kids might suffocate on the bag, and that the alchol may absorb into the scalp. Some of the perscriptions shampoos can cause brain damage if used too often. No open flames or smoking while treatment is in progress and watch them so they don't try to eat the bag. BE SURE not to let it get into the eyes.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Nante (Germany) on 09/27/2014
★★★★★
Want to get rid of lice in once? It requires a lot of work but pays off.
1. Wash your hair with tea tree shampoo or if you have none add tea tree oil to shampoo
2. Put as much coconut oil in your hair as you can fathom. wait 2 hours
3. Comb, comb, comb with a fine lice/flea comb (i used my pets flea comb after disinfecting). This is really important. divide your hair up in partitions to make sure you have had each section. After each stroke dip the comb in hot water with vinegar and brush with an old toothbrush. Keep combing until the comb is clean.
4. Wash again with tea tree. use also vinegar with your wash to kill eggs.
5. Apply new coconut oil and leave it in for two days. keep combing every day.
6. Sleep with a shower cap. put a towel on your pillow that your replace every day.
7. Meanwhile: take out all of your bedlinnens, all coats, scarfs and clothes you have been wearing. Put them in separate closed bags. Spray vinegar in the bags. Wash them as soon as you can. keep them closed and in quarantaine until you are ready to wash.
8. Add baking soda and/or vinegar to your laundry to kill lice & eggs.
9. Wear clean clothes every day for 3-5 days depending on the severity of your infestation. add the dirty clothes to the separate, closed bags. keep the laundry separate for a week.
10. Steam clean your home, mattrasses, pillows, blankets, laundry basket and clean your whole house thoroughly. don't forget the wardrobe, cloth hangers! Replace the vacuum bag. if you don't have a steam cleaner use vinegar everywhere and let it soak for a while.
I know this is a lot but it will get you rid of the lice in ONCE!
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Kate (Nebraska, US) on 07/14/2014
★★★★★
I discovered a horrid infestation on my son yesterday. The thousands of nits were too difficult to remove and he requested his head shaved. I had already treated and we washed everything in hot water, etc...once it was all over I got to thinking...with an infestation that large (and it was awful)...why did I not have one nit or bug? In the last several months I have taken to not shampooing (maybe once every week or two, as I am preparing my scalp for dread locks) so I should have been infested too. Then I remembered. I was worried about getting a fungus from not shampooing so I have been spraying a home made solution in my hair every day. Distilled water, Aloe Vera Gel, Sea Salt, Fractured Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Tea Tree Oil, Lavender Essential Oil and Lemongrass Essential oil. Now that I've been reading this forum, I understand exactly why my head is so clean. My son has now taken to spraying the solution on his bald head ;) Good Luck all!
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Punky Ramone (Quezon City, Philippines) on 09/20/2012
★★★★★
Im 42 years old american been living all over the pacific and asia including philippines from 2004-2005. Since my wife is filipina. Left went to saipan then to u.s. 2008 back and forth between u.s and philippines til 2011 where we started business until july 2012 we never had problem with head lice. We still dont know where we got it but being a devoloping country could have been anywhere. This I do know 1st and formost get out all the bugs and nits u see using a very fine comb and a white tshirt on the floor. The ones that come out that are moving give them a good squezze u will here them pop. Then burn the tshirt. Second use tea trea oil mixed with shampoo. Comb again next day take a day off. Then use eucalyptus oil. Dont dilute at least the eucalyptus oil we have in philippines leave on 30 minutes wash out with shampoo. Repeat 3-4 times and get used to the smell of eucalyptus coz u can wash the oil out ur hairs not oily but the smell stays nothing u can do deal with it. Besides its not a bad smell alternate tea tree and eucalyptus every other day for 2 weeks. Lice gone but if you dont remove all the bedsheets and pilow cases all this treatment is pointless. Best to get your bedsheets to a commercial dryer and set it as high as possible after washing in clorox if they are not colored if colored wash in borax then dry on highest setting and vacuum everything hope this help
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Seahorse (Arlington, Va) on 07/06/2012
★★★★★
My daughter who is 6 had lice my son then got them and my husband the only reason I think I did not is because I dye my hair. I used mayonaise with olive oil in it you can buy it that way, left it on their heads for the day, and washed the hair a couple of times used a conditioner that I mixed with tea tree oil, lavender oil, peppermint, rosmary and eucalyptus oil. I also made a misture that I spray and leave in the hair too with those oils and either argan oil or olive oil just a cap full in one of those bottles of detangler spray. Then, I make sure to put gel in and no more lice! This killed them and prevents them!
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Kathy (Lv, Nv) on 06/21/2012
★★★★★
When my niece bought home lice I was crazy!!! After trying so many things I finally went to walgreens and bought an electric zapper type headlice killer. I don't remember the name but you just comb it through dry hair and when the teeth come in contact with the lice they get electrocuted and die. Very easy... I combed her hair twice a day and mine as well.... Took off all of her bed linen but left one pillow with case and 1 blanket and I put them in the dryer on high every day for 30 minutes for two weeks straight. I also vaccumed her bed every morning when she got up. And she could only sit on a kitchen chair not the couch... I didn't want them crawling around the whole house. It takes alot of time... and I vaccumed my car often too...
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Angie (Los Angeles, CA) on 05/29/2009
★★★★★
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.
Neem Oil
Posted by Stuman (Oceanside, Ca) on 12/30/2016
★★★★★
About 15 years ago my daughter had lice. We first tried combing my daughter's hair for days - it worked but the lice and nits were still popping up. We didn't want to use Rid with Piperonyl butoxide (4%) and Pyrethrum extract.
We read about undiluted Neem oil and it worked great with one application. Cover the entire affected area with the undiluted neem and leave it in the hair for 15 minutes or longer. Shampoo the oil out of the hair. The undiluted oil smells nutty, my daughter found it offensive. It will take time and several washes to remove the odor.
15 years ago there weren't many vendors selling neem oil. Now there are many health products with neem. Some say neem shampoo will prevent re-infestation after the undiluted treatment.
Neem Oil
Posted by Cameron (Brisbane, Australia) on 04/05/2010
★★★★★
Like so many others I've had such success with remedies from this site I thought it was time to provide some feedback and maybe help others.
My little girls had not gone to school yet but now had their second case of headlice, I watched my sister in law go through hell with these creatures with 5 kids and now it was our turn. I tried the horrible Mayo and plastic bag idea but it was revolting firstly and secondly ineffective, that time I enede up using an OTC product from the pharmacy.
The second time I came straight here again and decided Neem was the go, I mixed 1 part Neem Oil to 2 parts Olive Oil and left the mixture in the girls hair for an hour. We combed all the dead lice out and the eggs, we never retreated them it was a once only treatment that was 100% successful, we now use a Neem Shampoo that has allowed my little school girl to survive 2 school headlice outbreaks nit free even though her best friend got them both times.
As others have said you could simply mix some neem oil into your usual shampoo, it will however leave a nasty ring around your bath but its a small price to pay for nit free kids.
Thanks to all who take the time to post here it makes others lives that much easier.
Replied by John
(Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia)
02/11/2012
★★★★★
Neem Oil
Posted by Diane (San Francisco, CA) on 10/06/2007
★★★★★
I have used neem oil very successfully to prevent head lice. My daughter caught them at school. I used an over-the-counter insecticide to kill the lice that were on her head. Then I used the special comb included with the insecticide to remove as many of the eggs as possible. Then I applied neem oil (heated until it was liquid) to her scalp, generously, then massaged her scalp to make sure the oil covered her scalp completely. After this treatment, she had no more lice. The other kids in her class continued to get lice, but she never got lice again. I understand that neem oil kills the eggs and also makes it difficult or impossible for the living lice to drink blood from the veins in the scalp, so they die without laying more eggs.
Replied by Cindy
(Pflugerville, Tx)
05/21/2009
Replied by Stuman
(Oceanside, Ca)
12/30/2016
Nit Remedies
Posted by Alison (Uk) on 04/13/2015
My child has a huge problem with nits! I have no problem getting rid of the mites themselves but can't seem to get rid of the eggs. My child has lots of very fine hair and nit combs dont seem lift them off the hair. Tried all the obvious remedies but no joy. Any ideas anyone?
Replied by Mmsg
(Somewhere, Europe)
04/13/2015
Replied by Mgh
(Uk)
04/13/2015
Olive Leaf
Posted by Diane (Uniontown, Pa) on 03/27/2014
★★★★★
My grands were INFESTED a few years back with head lice. Both my husband and I were taking olive leaf extract at the time and we never got them. Olive leaf extract taken internally kills them. They got them again. So we took the olive leaf extract and I also used Denorex Therapeutic proactively. They got it again, my head started itching, and I found a bug. So I took ole, did the Denorex Therapeutic again, got rid of them easily. I never even nitpicked. I never vacuumed, washed bedding or any of that. I just changed my pillow cases. My grands have head lice yet again. Their mother has finally agreed to at least make a tea from the ole capsules and pour it on their heads to see what this will do. Just wondering if anyone from here has tried an ole tea yet for head lice?
On another note, for those of you that are wondering why you keep getting them, I heard an interesting story a while back. A coworker said her family had a problem with head lice the whole time she was growing up. Her mother would wash all the beddings, put things in garbage bags and contact all the other parents every time they got them. Her dad was so desperate he poured kerosene on their heads, and they still kept getting them. Years later, they found out that their aunt had them and never told anyone because she was too "embarrassed". So if you're struggling with head lice, it's probably someone in your close circle not letting you know.
