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.
NIX Lice Killing Crème Rinse Family Pack
Permethrin, one of the active ingredients in this NIX shampoo, is a substance known to be extremely effective for killing lice and other mites (although for treatment-resistant super lice, you may need a prescription product).
For the study, researchers compared tea tree oil, lavender oil, peppermint oil, and DEET. The researchers found that tea tree and peppermint oil repelled lice the most, and a tea tree and lavender combination kept some lice from biting people with treated skin.
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.
Will hand sanitizer kill lice? While hand sanitizers do contain alcohol, they don't kill lice. They may slow down lice for some time, so you can remove them with a fine comb.
Just like with mattresses, lice can only live on any bedding—whether it's sheets, pillows, or comforters—for 1-2 days. Without a human scalp as a source for food (blood) for longer than 1-2 days, lice cannot survive.
Permethrin lotion, 1%;
Permethrin is a synthetic pyrethroid similar to naturally occurring pyrethrins. Permethrin lotion 1% is approved by the FDA for the treatment of head lice. Permethrin is safe and effective when used as directed.
Malathion Ovide Lotion is a prescription-strength lotion that comes highly recommended by experts for treating lice. It's suitable for treating live adult lice and their eggs, known as nits. Malathion is applied directly to the scalp and dry hair.
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.
Kids push their heads together to fit in a phone's viewing field and create a situation ripe for head lice to spread. Sharing headphones, also increasingly popular since kids carry their music with them everywhere, is another way lice can spread. 3. Home remedies are ineffective at best and dangerous at worst.
Lice and nits can't survive the high heat. It's true that lice and nits can't survive temperatures above 113°F (45°C). This makes them susceptible to any heat source, such as a hairdryer or the plates of a hair straightener.
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.
It's been proven on dandruff, but does nothing to inhibit lice. Head lice need a different approach.
Unfortunately, even a shampoo as effective as Head & Shoulders won't help when it comes to head lice.
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.
Generally, if no live crawling insects are seen three weeks after the treatment, it's safe to assume that they are gone. Nits would have hatched by that time if they were alive. Nits and their shells may remain in the hair for some time but won't be viable.
Head lice usually stay close to the scalp and behind the ears. You might also spot them on the eyebrows and eyelashes.
Adult lice can live up to 30 days on a person's body. To live, adult lice need to feed on blood several times daily. Without blood meals, the louse will die within 1 to 2 days off the host.
Listerine contains alcohol that kills lice. Applying a dilute vinegar solution afterward can loosen the glue that holds nits to the hair shaft and make them easier to remove. Lice also could be smothered with coconut oil.
Listerine contains a mixture of essential oils (like methyl salicylate) that are known to repel or discourage lice infestations on their own, but outside of being bothersome, these herbal oils will not kill lice.
Because head lice do not survive long off the host, they are not likely to be found on bedding or clothing. But, you can kill lice by laundering washable items in hot, soapy water in a washing machine. They will also die if heated in a hot dryer for 30 minutes.