Head Lice
can be so stressful to a family. Most don’t know where to turn first. Their mind starts racing with all the work they believe is ahead of them. They usually start looking at home remedies for head lice removal. People go to the drug store and buy the place out with every chemical known to mankind. They get home and everyone gets stripped down and shampooing commences. Next, the marathon washing and cleaning begins (usually preceded by bouts of crying in a fetal position!). The real frustration begins with the combing. The combs that come with the chemical lice shampoos just do not work. I am sure this is not lost on the companies that make the chemical shampoos. Money is made from the chemical lice shampoo being used multiple times. They have no vested interest in the head lice being taken out of the hair. 

Home remedies
for head lice removal consist of all the natural and chemical head lice treatments found at your local drug store that are meant to drain you wallet over time because unless you have a very mild case with little or no eggs or nymphs, it will not work.  I am going to break down some of the most common ones I know about..

Home Remedies for Lice that DON’T Work!

Mayonnaise, Olive Oil, Vaseline Treatment:
You are supposed to lather the head with the stuff and keep it on anywhere from a few hours to all night.  It purports to suffocate the lice and kill them.  The only problem with these home remedies for head lice removal is that it does nothing for the nymphs (babies) or the eggs.  I even suggest that it does little to the adult louse because they have the ability to suspend their nervous  system when under attack or play dead.  I have put a live louse in water and froze it for 2 hours.  I took it out and put it under the microscope and watched it reanimate – come back to life!- in less that 30 seconds.

Cetaphil Treatment:
This uses the face soap Cetaphil.  You are supposed to put it on your hair until it is completely saturated.  Then you take out the excess soap with a towel.  The next step is to completely dry the hair with a blow dryer.  Depending on the length and thickness of the hair this can take hours.  I have done it to my poor daughter until I knew better.  It is a grueling process that does not take into account that you need to comb the nits out.  I have never seen this technique work.

Over the counter Chemicals:
I have heard people say that this method works for them.  I have more people say after working for hours and even days think that it works and then have the lice reappear after 10 days.  This is because the chemicals only work on adult lice – they have to have a central nervous system to kill them.  So you have to use the product again in 7-10 days because that is when the nymphs (baby lice) become adults.  The only problem is that the eggs or nits also hatch in 7-10 days.  If you don’t get all of them out with the first treatment they will live through the second treatment.  Crazy.

Dog Shampoo:
Please do not use dog shampoo on your child! Some of the active ingedients in dog shampoo, like pyrethrins, are also the main ingredient in Rid and other anti-lice shampoos. And other dog shampoos contain permethrin, like Nix. Plus there are dog shampoos with essential oils.  They are not tested on the delicate heads of children and the chemical balance could prove to be harmful.

Prescription Treatments:  
Prescription lice treatments, such as Ovid and Kwell, are much stronger and carry an increased risk of side effects.  Lice are so easy to get rid of with the right information, and there is no need to expose your child to unnecessary levels of chemicals.

The best home remedies for head lice removal in Arcadia is to call a professional. You will avoid a big mess, time wasted,
and plenty of headache.