Home Remedies for Head Lice

When a child is diagnosed with head lice, most parents head to their local pharmacy, buy an over the counter medicated shampoo, wash the child’s hair, comb it out with a fine tooth comb and assume the problem is eradicated.  What parents don’t realize is the fact that they are dosing their child’s head with an insecticide, and the shampoo isn’t necessarily killing all of the insects or their eggs (nits).  Medicated shampoos should never be used on children younger than two years old.  Treating head lice is typically a two week process, and does not require an insecticide.  Home remedies work just as well.

Head lice are parasites that live on the human scalp, feed off of blood and can’t survive for more than 24 hours without a food source.  They are highly contagious and are spread mainly through head-to-head contact.  Lice do not jump or fly.  School age children are most susceptible to infestation because they typically have close physical contact with each other and tend to share personal items such as hats, scarves and combs.

The first step to treating head lice is washing the hair and then applying conditioner to facilitate combing out the live lice.  Using a fine tooth comb, start at the scalp and comb through half inch sections, rinsing out the comb each time.  At bedtime, coat the hair with olive oil, vegetable oil or mayonnaise (not salad dressing).  The oil immobilizes and suffocates the lice.  Cover the hair with a shower cap to avoid soiling bedding and leave on overnight.  In the morning, repeat the combing process again.  Continue daily.  The most effective part of treatment is combing out all of the lice and nits until they are completely gone.

Soak hair-care items in rubbing alcohol for at least one hour or just throw them away.  Wash all bed linens in hot water.  Vacuum mattresses, rugs and furniture the child has come in contact with, immediately empty the bag or canister into the trash can and take the bag outside.  Stuffed animals can be put in a hot dryer for at least 15 minutes, or put in a sealed plastic bag for two weeks.  Check all family members’ heads for lice and nits and treat accordingly.

Having head lice can be embarrassing, but it should not be considered something only “dirty people” experience.  Head lice have specially adapted feet to allow them to hold onto human hair.  Clean hair seems to be preferred, as dirty hair is more slippery and the lice can’t get a firm grip.  If a child’s school is experiencing a bout of head lice, applying a leave-in conditioner to the child’s hair can deter lice from attaching.

There are ways to prevent lice infestations.

        • Encourage children to avoid sharing hats, scarves, clothing, combs and brushes 

        • Make “head checks” a weekly event, especially during the school year

        • Use leave-in hair conditioners

        • Wash bedding on a weekly basis

        • Pay attention to any notices coming home from the child’s school

More information can be found at http://www.epa.gov/opp00001/ipm/schoolipm/chap-11.pdf

Mary Evelyn Lewis,

mom of four, ages 19, 18, 12 and 7. 

You can learn more about her at http://www.maryevelynlewis.com