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WARNING: This home remedies site is intended to be archival in nature. The natural remedies here are submitted by numerous people from around the world, and we have no way to test or verify every remedy. As such these home remedies should be used for academic purposes only. Never use any home remedy or other self treatment without being advised to do so by a physician.
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Home Remedy Topic: Head Lice117 home remedy submissions for Head Lice
| Submitted by Chelsey at 2007-04-12 13:21:12 from 63.98.171.189 |
Do not wet hair!! Leave it dry then use 100% rubbing alcohol!! Immidately put hair in a shower cap (or my family used wal-mart sacks tied in the back)Then let it sit for 20minutes to an hour depending on the thickness of hair Then rinse out hair throughly and use conditioner as usual to make an easy comb through!!! Do this about once or twice a week and they'll be gone for good!!!!!!!
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| Submitted by S. at 2007-11-05 16:37:45 from 99.236.61.67 |
I've been using a home-made shampoo to kill all live lice which is completely natural, and safe. All of the ingridients are effective at repelling or killing live lice, but in combination they work wonders.
Salt - salt is a natural antiseptic and will help to kill the live ones.
Vinegar - vinegar loosens the glue that holds the nits onto the hair, making them easier to comb out.
Tea tree oil - The wonder from down under, tea tree oil is an antiseptic and insecticide.
Peppermint oil - This stuff is potent and kills the live bugs. It also works to repel them when used in your regular shampoo after the infestation has been removed. An added bonus, it has a wonderful cooling and soothing effect on the scalp when applied.
Dish soap - The grease-fighting action of a good-quality dish soap will help make it more difficult for the little critters to hang on, and make it easier for you to comb them out.
You can make your own shampoo out of these safe, relatively inexpensive ingriedients that effectively kill the live lice. The nits, however, will probably survive. This is where the full treatment course comes in.
The life cycle of a louse is about 30 days. The nymphs (technical term for baby lice) do not reach sexual maturity for approximately 5-10 days after hatching.
Step 1. Make a shampoo using some or all of the ingriedients above. Be careful not to exceed 5-10 drops of essential oil when preparing the mixture. Essential oils are absorbed very quickly and efficiently into the skin. Using too much may cause adverse complications. Use the dish soap as a base, making sure not to dilute it excessively, as this will make it difficult to apply and lather. DO NOT ALLOW YOURSELF OR YOUR CHILDREN TO INGEST ANY OF THIS MIXTURE. DO NOT ALLOW IT TO COME INTO CONTACT WITH YOUR EYES. It really burns; trust me, I know. :)
Step 2. Comb out your hair using a specialized nit comb. I recommend using one of the high-quality 'microgrooved' combs available for this purpose. These combs are so effective that they can be used entirely on their own to remove head lice infestations, without resorting to any kind of preparation to kill the lice. Check out www.nittygritty.co.uk for more information. If you can't get one of these special combs, a normal lice comb will suffice, but you must be very diligent and pay close attention to detail. You must comb your hair at least once a day (2-3 times a day if possible would be ideal) for a period of 7-10 days. Every inch of the scalp must be carefully combed, working with small sections of hair. Be sure to work the comb through at different angles (upward, downward, left and right) to dislodge the nits. Rinse out the comb between swipes through the hair, and sterilize thoroughly before using on another person. For the remaining 7 days, continue to comb your hair, though at this point you will be looking for any evidence that the infestation remains rather than actively removing the insects, so you don't have to go all out. If you are still finding bugs after 7 - 10 days, continue the treatment for another week.
Step 3. Clean your environment. Although new research is showing that we do not need to go as 'hog wild' cleaning our homes as previously thought, a good clean will definitely help prevent re-infestation. Studies have shown that spraying pesticides all over our furniture is largely ineffective at controlling infestation, but if you still want to do it, use Lysol rather than the more expensive 'special' lice sprays. For the most part, a thorough vacuuming of the carpets, beds, couches, chairs (don't forget the car!) should be sufficient. Adult lice do not survive for much than 24 hours off the host body. Nits require warm temperatures to hatch, so it is unlikely that any nymphs will hatch from eggs that have fallen from your head, but even if they do, they will die within a few short hours unless they are able to get an immediate meal of blood.
Wash all of your laundry in hot water and dry on high heat for at least 30 minutes - this is sufficient to kill them. Adding additional chemicals is not necessary, and may even be harmful. Anything that may be contaminated by contact with an infested person (or their personal effects) and cannot be washed should be sealed up in plastic bags for at least two weeks. This does not suffocate them as is popularly thought, but rather starves them by preventing them from finding their way back to your head.
Don't go crazy - save your time and energy for removing them from your head. If you're scrubbing every nook and cranny, you're just wasting your time, given the creatures' extremely short lifespan when not in contact with the host.
Step 4. Repeat the shampoo recipe as above for 2 weeks, applying it every 2 days. Use as a normal shampoo, and leave on for at least 5 minutes in the shower. As the mixture only kills the live lice, the strategy here is to kill off each new crop of lice before they reach maturity and have time to lay their eggs. Again, diligence is the key. Wash thoroughly. Massage the mixture deeply into your scalp. Comb your hair! Manual removal is the key component of any lice removal program. IF YOU DO NOT COMB YOUR HAIR CAREFULLY AND OFTEN, NOTHING ELSE YOU DO TO GET RID OF THEM WILL WORK.
Step 5. After each treatment, change bedding and re-vacuum all surfaces that might have been in contact with the infested person. The course of this treatment should last no longer than 2 weeks. In many cases, infestations can be removed succesfully in as little as 3 days to a week, depending on the commitment and diligence of the individuals involved.
One of the most important things to remember is this: your house doesn't have lice, -you- do. Your head is this creatures' complete biome, and it cannot exist for very long anywhere else without you. Head lice are very specific to the scalp and do not live anywhere else on the body, nor can they be carried by animals. Reinfestations commonly occur because of re-exposure to another infested indivdual, or incomplete removal of the bugs in the first place. Although the environment can cause reinfestation, with proper cleaning, it is rare. Concentrate on your head because that is where they live and breed.
Step 6. Since lice are a social disease, it is usually impossible to keep everyone affected isolated. Eventually your kids will have to go back to school and all it takes is that one missed nit on someone's head to start things all over again. When an outbreak of lice occurs and many people around you have been infested, it's a good idea to continue to use small amounts of the essential oils in your regular shampoo for about a month following the outbreak. Dandruff shampoos with zinc as their active ingredient have been reported effective at repelling lice, as well as taking zinc vitamin supplements. Follow package directions carefully when taking nutritional supplements.
The great thing about these lice un-friendly ingredients is that they are safe and non-toxic when used topically. Concentrated essential oils are powerful chemicals, albeit natural ones, and should be treated with respect and care. Used in moderation, they will do their job effectively.
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| Submitted by angi at 2008-01-28 12:13:30 from 75.166.16.16 |
I read all of the advice ffrom this site to get rid of my head lice that my daughter brought home. I decided to try the listerine and I must say, try nothing else, ever. The listerine worked in less than 2 hours, I rinsed it out then I combed out my hair with a metal nit comb in the shower with tons of conditioner on my hair. I washed all clothes and bedding in hot bleach water, even colors, just use a little bleach. I did replace my bed, but I was going to do that anyway, but I sprayed other mattresses in my home with alcohol and vinegar. I have a 2 year old son who did het the lice, so for him I just spent about an hour picking the lice and nits out of his hair by hand. I did not find any eggs. It has been over a month and we have not had ANY signs of an outbreak. I have just been very persistent with cleaning bedding and bedrooms on a regular basis. I also use Denorex Shampoo as a preventative for future outbreaks. LISTERINE WORKS!!! And I should also mention that it actually soothes the head after scratching it so bad, just make sure to keep it out of the eyes. I hope this can help someone easily remove lice from their lives. It worked for me.
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| Submitted by There's always a silver lining at 2008-07-04 09:40:38 from 65.6.115.151 |
I've had long hair down to my waist for 10 years now. Not to be conceited, but I HAD gorgeous, thick hair. My boyfriend's niece's daughter had lice, no one told us, and a week and a half later, I was itching. He checked my hair and lo and behold, I had the little buggers. I went straight to the store and bought RID. Didn't work. I went back and bought NIX. Nope. I did the hardest thing I ever had to do-cut my hair. Not just a trim- I had to cut it to my shoulders. I'm still crying as I type this. I guess I needed a change.. everyone does. But my hair... My long long hair is now gone thanks to an irresponsible mother who won't rid her kids of these homewrecking bugs. So, I came online and this was the first site that came up. I have to say THANK YOU to whoever thought of using Listerine & vinegar. My hair is gone, but so are the bugs and nits. My boyfriend just checked my hair and voila! They're gone! I'm just really upset about my hair. Sorry to vent lol. It's hard!!!
So,if you want to be rid of these things:
Douse hair with Listerine, (I used the off brand)
Wrap hair with a plastic bag(airtight) for 2 hours, then rinse.
Rinse hair thouroghly with vinegar, wrap airtight with a different grocery bag, or garbage bag, saran wrap-whatever.
Leave on for an hour.
Rinse hair, put alot of coconut conditioner (lice hate the smell apparently)
And the MAIN THING people need to be aware of is:
BUY THE METAL NIT COMB!!!
It only cost $6.99 at Walgreens, it's by the shampoo.
I ain't from France but excuse my French.. Those little nix and rid combs aren't worth shet.
Comb & comb & comb in the shower with mucho conditioner and bam - they're gone.
The moral of the story is:
It is not a shame to get lice, it is a shame to keep them & do nothing to get rid of them.
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| Submitted by Was infested now I am free at 2006-07-26 11:42:30 from 65.32.72.100 |
When I was growing up my mother was never willing or able to rid our home of lice, so my sisters and I was tortured for years by these bugs. Now I am a mother of three and guess what, nothing could get rid of these pests, until now. I came up with a recipe that will 100% kill lice and condition hair. You will be amazed at the results. You need
* a jar of real mayonaise(store brand is best and cheap)
* white vinegar
* 100% tea tree oil
* a spray bottle.
Mix some mayo and vinegar in a bowl, until it looks like cake batter, kind of thick but still a little runny. Then drop about 8 drops of tea tree oil in the mix, stir. The smell will be strong but don't worry it all comes out when shampooed. Now you put the mix in the hair by seperating the hair into about one inch sections as you go, make sure you put it all over the scalp area of the seperated hair and then spread it all down the lock of hair. It is easiest to start at the back of the head and work your way up. Once you have done the whole head, wrap the hair up with a clip on the top (if the hair is long) and put a shower cap or grocery bag over the hair, press the bag down to remove the air. Leave on for atleast 2 hours. Meanwhile, fill your spray bottle 3/4 with water and drop about 20 drops of tea tree oil in, and shake well. Now as you wait for the hair to be done, take your spray bottle and spray down your carpeting, couches, chairs, beds, pillows, blankets, anything that lice could be living in. Don't soak your carpeting or furniture, just mist it all over. The tea tree oil works as a repellent, because lice, ticks, fleas, misquitos, and horseflies hate the smell, so you could also use the spray on your pets. Also you want to add about 5-10 drops of tea tree oil into your shampoo, so then when your child is around other children that may have lice, the lice won't make your childs head thier new home because they hate the scent. After the two hours rinse the hair in a sink with water until the water runs clear. At this point you will see dead lice laying on top of the hair as you rinse. It will amaze you. Now you need to comb threw the hair with a lice comb to remove the dead bugs as well as the eggs. The eggs will come out so easy because the vinegar eats away the glue that holds the eggs onto the hair. If you need to, you can rinse with conditioner before combing. After these very simple steps you and your home will remain lice free. As with any lice treatment you will want to repeat these steps 7-10 days after the first treatment, to make certain that no lice eggs have survived. You will want to keep spraying the oil and water mix around your house just incase someone comes to your home with lice, atleast you will know the bugs are not being dropped off into your carpets or furniture. This treatment is the fastest, cheapest, easiest, and unlike the others it is 100%. I promise ,just try it. My family has been infested with lice for around 15 years, and finally we are lice free.
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| Submitted by Momof4 at 2005-01-31 15:30:10 from 152.163.100.8 |
Best remedy for Lice is simple: apply a thick coating of mayonnaisse to your child's hair. Be sure to massage it down to the roots and the scalp, paying particular attention to the nape of the neck and the areas just above the ears. Carefully wrap a plastic grocery bag or plastic wrap around the hair (DO NOT LEAVE CHILD UNATTENDED, PLASTIC BAGS CAN CAUSE SUFFOCATION) and wait one hour. **Rinse hair in very warm/hot water, using a comb to help slide mayo off of hair. The lice will have risen to the surface of the hair and will be easy to remove, and the nits will slide right out. Wash hair with DAWN Dishwashing liquid to get residual oils out. Then follow with shampoo and conditioner, preferably a Coconut-scented brand and/or one that contains Tea Tree Oil (lice HATE both of these). Repeat again in 10 days. Great alternative to harsh chemical shampoos, and EFFECTIVE!
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| Submitted by Blane at 2006-02-11 13:33:26 from 70.109.5.95 |
For head lice use Listerine (original flavor). We had lice in our home and used everything over-the-counter we could find. Someone told me about Listerine and it worked. I just put it in a spray bottle full strength. When I bathed the children, I would wash their hair with shampoo, I skipped the conditioner, then I sprayed the Listerine on their scalp and tried to leave it there for at least 10 minutes then rinse and don't shampoo again. The kids did complain that it stung so I would just get a cool cloth and lay it on their head, during the 10 minutes, changing periodically. It also helped to distract them by playing in the tub with some toys. I used it on myself too. It really worked. I did a treatment on them at every bath for a week, then once a week for a month, combing with a nit comb after I got them out of the tub. After the first application though, I did not see another louse or nit. Now whenever I hear of lice going around at school, I Listerine their head. As far as the bedding, furniture and carpet, I just used the over-the-counter products and vacuumed everything a lot, several times in one week. We've been lice free ever since.
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| Submitted by Cheryce at 2007-01-16 04:01:02 from 70.58.67.33 |
I have read all the suggestions on here, as of today. While there are some ideas on here that would be worth a shot, some of them are absolutly INSANE! Like Kerosene. Or rubbing alcohol. Some of them are just flat out not going to work. As in, hairspray, or regular shampoo.
I know how much lice infestations suck. My three daughters have been fighting it off and on for 8 months now. They picked it up from daycare, and we cant get rid of it for more than a month at a time. When we do squash it, they end up having an outbreak in school/daycare.
The only thing that worked to get rid of them is getting rid of the nits. Not the lice. Lice are fairly easy to kill. It's the eggs that will do you in.
While you can bomb & spray, vaccuming is just as effective, as long as you are dilligent about it. Make sure the bag/canister gets emptied after you vaccum. Lice can only survive a day or so with out a human head. And nits will die with out heat, and a snack when they hatch. ALL bedding, toys, rugs, etc MUST be washed. We actually got new pillows for everyone just in case.
Now, here comes the 'fun' part. It takes forever each morning. But it will work if you are dilligent about it. First off, I would reccomend buying a very well made METAL nit comb. Not the cheap plastic lice combs that come with the shampoos. Wash with dandruff shampoo. Comb the hair out EVERYDAY! To make it easier to get the nits out, rub in some type of oil or hair gel. After you comb, wash it all out! Thats very important, to make sure all loose nits are out. Blow dry it EVERY DAY. Lice cant live under the heat, and the nits seem to dry out also. Use some sort of gel/hairspray/product in your hair EVERYDAY.
I realize how long this takes to do each morning, but the pesticidal shampoos dont work, and they are dangerous. The only way to get rid of lice is to break the cycle of louse/egg/louse/egg. Period.
(PS. Our pediatrician told us that the tea tree oils can be just as dangerous as a pesticide if misused. As for leaving stuff in the hair overnight, it can cause problems, too. Rancid mayo is a terrible thing for a child to have to sleep in, especially when their head is on fire due to the plastic. And they can't sweat to let the heat out!)
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| Submitted at 2005-06-22 16:57:42 from 24.10.188.165 |
Mayo and Denorex DOES work. The trick is to do repeat treatments. Coat the entire head with a thick layer of mayo, making sure that every hair and the entire scalp are coated. Section hair and work from scalp to ends to ensure complete coverage. wrap 2-3 layers of plastic (I've done showercaps, plastic grocery bags, and saran wrap. All three work- the idea is to prevent mayo from leaking and provide an airtight cover.) Using 3' thick heavy masking tape helps keep the plastic in place. Leave mayo wrap on overnight, or at least 8 hours. Rinse mayo (dishsoap helps take the greasy residue from the mayo out,) then wash hair with a thick helping of Extra Strength Denorex shampoo. Leave shampoo on for 3 minutes, then rinse. Any conditioner with coconut works- I bought a 24 oz bottle of Suave with coconut for $2.00 and it worked fine. Rinse, dry, then section hair and work out any nits left in. The older nits will have been killed due to lack of oxygen, however new nits can survive the treatment because they do not need oxygen the first few days to survive. I've read that vinegar helps loosen the nit glue, helping them slide out with ease, however I found the vinegar to be completely useless, other than making the hair smell even worse. Again, THE KEY TO SUCCESS IS REPEAT TREATMENTS!! I did 3 treatments, each 3 days apart and my daughter is now lice free. I spent under $20 for everything- an 80 oz bottle of mayo (real mayo-not light, or Miracle Whip) a 12 oz bottle of Extra Strength Denorex, and a bottle of Suave with Coconut. The most expensive item was the Denorex. Don't forget to wash sheets, blankets, towels, clothing, etc. as doing this treatment will not repel lice from returning, as the medications do. If your child comes back into contact with an infested child/object the lice will return. By washing all washable items or putting away in plastic bags for 2 weeks, and restricting interaction with any possible contaminated person you will have a much better chance of staying free of these annoying bugs!
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| Submitted by Tammy in Indiana at 2008-03-17 22:06:04 from 64.12.117.208 |
My grandaughter came for the weekend and I noticed her itching her head. Called mom. She checked all the family and no one had it. So I checked the little one I had. We did not think she had them. But I was going to treat anyway and looked on line to see about home remedies. I tryed one and wow. It immedately proved she had 3 adult ones. It immediatly killed them. then looking through her hair when wet I say the eggs. There were not many so we had found it right away. We got all the eggs out and she is free from them with one treatment and they did not return. Thanks so much for sharing. We put Listerine on her dry hair and put a cap over her hair for 2 hours, then rinsed and put white vinigar on for 1 hour using a different cap. then we rinsed and washed her hair with Dawn dish soap. the combo of the 3 did the trick. Hope this helps someone else like it did us.
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