How It Works: Baby oil not only makes suffocates the lice but also makes the hair slippery making it difficult for the eggs to remain attached to the hair.
Olive Oil smothers and kills active head lice, making nit removal easier and moisturizing the hair and scalp. Part hair and apply the oil directly onto the scalp. Massage into the entire scalp making sure to saturate the hair. Apply a shower cap.
The olive oil will suffocate the lice, but not the eggs and you will need to repeat the treatment several days later until all of nits are removed. Other types of suffocating agents have been suggested, but olive oil appears to be the most effective.
Armed with a pungent smell and antibacterial properties, neem oil is one of the most effective home remedies to remove lice eggs from hair. Its strong smell repels lice, and some compounds in neem oil disrupt the life cycle of lice.
Spinosad topical suspension, 0.9%, was approved by the FDA in 2011. Since it kills live lice as well as unhatched eggs, retreatment is usually not needed. Nit combing is not required.
What repels head lice? Coconut, tea tree oil, lavender, eucalyptus, rosemary, lemon grass, and peppermint are scents popularly believed to repel lice. Using any coconut scented shampoo and conditioner is an easy way to increase your defense. At 1% concentration, tea tree oil killed 100% of head lice after 30 minutes.
Baby oil not only makes suffocates the lice but also makes the hair slippery making it difficult for the eggs to remain attached to the hair.
What kills head lice instantly? No methods have been found to instantly kill lice, though tea tree and lavender oil combinations in carrier oils have proven to be effective and time-efficient.
Suffocate the Lice
Soak your child's head in olive oil or coconut oil. Cover with a shower cap for at least 2 hours (or preferably overnight). When ready, remove the shower cap, and separate the hair into small sections, then use a metal nit comb to carefully remove the lice and eggs. Rinse the hair well with shampoo.
Petroleum jelly (Vaseline).
Like olive oil, many moms swear by this (other options: styling gel or mayonnaise). The thick jelly supposedly suffocates lice by clogging their breathing holes. For best results, coat the hair and scalp, cover it overnight with a shower cap, and wash out the next morning. Comb for nits.
Anise oil
Anise oil may coat and suffocate lice . A 2018 study of natural remedies for lice in children found that anise oil was one of the most effective natural remedies. Although other natural remedies were frequently effective, anise oil was one of just two that permanently eliminated lice.
The conditioner does not kill lice but stuns them for about 20 minutes enabling easier removal. The long toothed metal comb will remove nits and the stunned head lice. Wipe the comb on a white tissue and check for any lice or nits. Keep combing until no more appear on the tissue.
“You can use baby oil as a regular massage oil for your hair or body. It works equally well as coconut or any other oil. Massage your hair and leave it overnight to get frizz-free hair or use it to massage your body to de-stress,” suggests Dr Kapoor.
As mentioned above, tea tree oil has excellent properties that help treat lice. There are plenty of products in the market claiming to contain tea tree oil. However, they are unlikely to be as effective as pure tea tree oil. A concentration of at least 2% is required to kill lice nits.
No, although any oil like olive oil or baby oil could deter lice from laying eggs on the hair if you do not already have lice.
The dried Cetaphil will smother the lice. Leave it on your child's hair for at least 8 hours. In the morning, wash off the Cetaphil with a regular shampoo. To cure your child of lice, repeat this process twice in 1 and 2 weeks.
Spinosad (Natroba).
It can be applied to dry hair and rinsed with warm water after 10 minutes. It kills lice and nits and usually doesn't need repeated treatment.
It is not usually possible to get rid of lice in one day, as an infestation needs to be treated. However, there are treatments that can help get rid of lice and symptoms caused by lice more quickly. Lice infestations must first be treated by improving the hygiene of the infected person.
Coconut oil relies on its viscosity (attributed to its fatty content) to suffocate head lice by choking their breathing systems, and in the process killing them. There is a documented proof of it. That being said, when you talk about nits (lice eggs), they are immune to the action of a suffocating agent.
Most people believe that lice only causes itching at the scalp and are a pain to get rid of. In actuality, untreated head lice may degrade the scalp and affect its health. It will also affect your hair's health as well. If the hair follicles become blocked, then hair loss may occur.
Lice Hate Coconut!
Swap out your hair care products for some that are coconut scented or are made with natural coconut oils. Some studies have shown lice are repelled by the smell of coconut. If you're attached to your shampoo brand, you can simply add a few drops of coconut oil to it for a similar effect.
Hairspray makes it harder for the louse to grab hold. The smell of hairspray and the use of solvents (sad but true) in them can also deter creepy crawlies from finding their way in. Not to mention that if you're tying longer hair back, you've got a double whammy.
Head lice have no wings and do not fly or jump, but they can crawl or run through hair quickly. Most commonly, head lice are spread by direct head-to-head contact with an infested person.
Generally used as a repellent against parasites and insects, eucalyptus oil is among the most effective essential oils for lice. Apply eucalyptus oil to the hair shafts and then comb your hair gently. You can also mix this essential oil in your shampoo to make it more effective.