The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Robert Henry (Ten Mile, Tn.) on 08/05/2016
★★★★★
HI U GOOD FOLKS DOIN,,,,,,,,,,, net surfing and found this,
I am from New Mexico and my daughter had lice in the 5th grade. I tried the over counter medicine but it didn't work. She has really long thick hair so we didn't notice until they were bad... it's like they popped up overnight... the Dr suggested mayonnaise but I chose to use Organic Apple Cider Vinegar. I put the vinegar in big spray bottle without diluting it and made her cover her face and the I soaked her hair with it.. the smell yes is strong but it does the job quick. I left it in her hair for about an hour or more had her shower and she said she could see them falling off.. She had no nits to comb out her hair was super soft too. I didn't have to do another treatment.
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Peppermint Castile Soap
Posted by Chris (Chicago) on 01/18/2016
★★★★★
I'm surprised no one has mentioned Dr Bronners peppermint castile soap for Lice. You have to use the peppermint one though because the peppermint and saponified oils kill the lice. It's used as a natural insecticide in organic gardening.
What you do is you use the Dr Bronners straight undiluted. Apply it generously to dry hair. You do not have to bag it. The soap dries and won't get on your stuff. Even if it does its just soap. Bagging a childs head is a suffocation hazard, I know alot of parents mean well and think it wont happen to their kid but this is more common than you think. So you get a bit of soap on your kids pillow, ITS NOT THAT SERIOUS. Leave the soap in all day or overnight, when you take your kid a bath and rinse it out make sure not to get it in their eyes because the peppermint stings. It's harmless but why make them more uncomfortable. A bunch of dead lice will be falling out of their head after doing the treatment.
Do the UNDILUTED treatment every few days (use your best judgement as you know how bad the infestation is), everyday when you bathe them use the dr bronners diluted as a shampoo and when their hair is dry add coconut oil as a leave in treatment. You can even add peppermint oil to coconut oil but its not necessary. Coconut oil does plenty on its own. You should nit pick but you dont have to. My daughter is autistic and its hard to get her to sit still for it. Also if you miss even one egg and it hatches your efforts were for nothing. Use dr bronners and the coconut oil religously and you will keep killing them as they hatch and youll be lice free before you know it. Use the dr bronners diluted as a shampoo, then use the coconut oil as a leave in treatment. No nit picking necessary. Though if you do a vinegar rinse after shampooing and comb with the nit comb it will help take the eggs out but you can just comb, you dont have to sit there for hours nitpicking. Just comb it through their hair and youll get some eggs out here and there. This is how I rid myself and my daughter of lice without nitpicking through our hair and our family and friends have also has success with the Dr Bronners. I normally notice theyre all gone after 1 or 2 treatments (you might find babies that have hatched after the first treatment). But I keep shampooing for 2 to 4 weeks as a precaution. Washing with Dr bronners regularly and using the coconut oil kills them as they hatch and keeps them from laying more eggs. So even if you are nitpicking and miss some eggs they wont live long enough to mature and lay more. And remember to use the Undiluted treatment every few days as a more heavy duty treatment. Its the most important one.
On another note PLEASE DO NOT USE KEROSENE on your child's head to get rid of lice. All it takes is some static on your childs clothes to light the kerosene and their head on fire. It's very dangerous. I understand lice suck and they are a plague on our children but at the end of the day they are harmless bugs. You don't need to practically douse your childs head (or yours) in gasoline. ITS NOT THAT SERIOUS.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Mom Of 2 (Chicago Il) on 10/15/2015
★★★★★
I used coconut oil mixed with tea tree oil and lavendar oil but it on my child's hair for one hour, shampooed out and used a nit comb. Excellent. One time was all it took-earth clinic is wonderful.
SPF 30 Sunscreen
Posted by Lesha (Ottawa) on 04/24/2015
★★★★★
Hi all! Have had head lice for three years on and off...crazy, upsetting, and difficult! I have found an answer.I used sunscreen 30 for three hours. I noticed it was greasy and unwelcoming. To let you all know...I have tried all remedies! Okay...so, dry hair and apply 30 sunscreen on the root lines first...apply a lot! Rub in and cover all hair like a helmet. Place shower cap on for three hours. Go to shower tap, bend over and apply a hardy conditioner for hair...rub in and add more...you will feel a waxy effect taking place....wet hair with warm water and comb with small-toothed comb. It will be like taking a wet wax off hair...keep combing. Rinse hair in warm water...not hot! Now you have a seal. Wrap hair for 10 min. in towel. Release hair and blow dry on high. Stop and take a break...on head and upside down...pay attention to crown and back and 2 inches above ears...do again...stop and take a break...the hair will separate in small ribbons....dry more if you can/ Now sit and breath and have a drink...do not wrap hair again...put towel on pillow for sleep. In morning, blow again until hot...and wash hair as usual. Blow dry after or sun dry shaking hair and fingering. I hope this helps friends. Sunscreen 30 and later a hardy conditioner on top.... waxy buildup...comb. Blow hair...break for a bit...and resume/ Please no tears.... this will work!!!!
Nit Remedies
Posted by Mgh (Uk) on 04/13/2015
Have you tried the nitty gritty comb , it was designed by a mum who was also an engineer, it has long teeth with spirals on them , you use on wet hair with conditioner, it just combs lice and nits out really quickly, no nasty chemicals. It was a life saver when my 4 children were little.
Nit Remedies
Posted by Mmsg (Somewhere, Europe) on 04/13/2015
Alison, like someone here already wrote, you just have to pick them out by hand one by one. Do some daily, and in a short time they should be gone.
Nit Remedies
Posted by Alison (Uk) on 04/13/2015
My child has a huge problem with nits! I have no problem getting rid of the mites themselves but can't seem to get rid of the eggs. My child has lots of very fine hair and nit combs dont seem lift them off the hair. Tried all the obvious remedies but no joy. Any ideas anyone?
Grapefruit Seed Extract
Posted by Mrs A From Uk (London, UK) on 03/22/2015
★★★★★
For head lice, please read everything you can find about Grapefruit Seed Extract (liquid concentrate) - especially users' reviews.
Pick Them Out in Sunshine
Posted by Charity (Faithville, Us) on 03/21/2015
★★★★★
I have LOTS of experience with these lice. My daughter got them and did not mention it to me until it was horrific case. We tried tea tree oil. A whole bottle overnight, she had long hair wrapped in a towel. I wouldn't do that again.
Ao over the course of six months . I nit picked out in the sun. If there is one egg left on the hair shaft and it hatches. Then you are back to square one. I also washed her stuff constantly in hot water and bagged it while using stuff that had been in bags. I also had 3 feet of hair and never got it. My other family members never got it either.
For my grand daughter, I used a lighted magnifying glass my friend got lice and I picked her twice in a week between her using tea tree shampoo and she was over them. The combs don't get them all off the shaft you have to pick.
Kerosene
Posted by Slim (Cal., US) on 03/14/2015
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Nante (Germany) on 09/27/2014
★★★★★
Want to get rid of lice in once? It requires a lot of work but pays off.
1. Wash your hair with tea tree shampoo or if you have none add tea tree oil to shampoo
2. Put as much coconut oil in your hair as you can fathom. wait 2 hours
3. Comb, comb, comb with a fine lice/flea comb (i used my pets flea comb after disinfecting). This is really important. divide your hair up in partitions to make sure you have had each section. After each stroke dip the comb in hot water with vinegar and brush with an old toothbrush. Keep combing until the comb is clean.
4. Wash again with tea tree. use also vinegar with your wash to kill eggs.
5. Apply new coconut oil and leave it in for two days. keep combing every day.
6. Sleep with a shower cap. put a towel on your pillow that your replace every day.
7. Meanwhile: take out all of your bedlinnens, all coats, scarfs and clothes you have been wearing. Put them in separate closed bags. Spray vinegar in the bags. Wash them as soon as you can. keep them closed and in quarantaine until you are ready to wash.
8. Add baking soda and/or vinegar to your laundry to kill lice & eggs.
9. Wear clean clothes every day for 3-5 days depending on the severity of your infestation. add the dirty clothes to the separate, closed bags. keep the laundry separate for a week.
10. Steam clean your home, mattrasses, pillows, blankets, laundry basket and clean your whole house thoroughly. don't forget the wardrobe, cloth hangers! Replace the vacuum bag. if you don't have a steam cleaner use vinegar everywhere and let it soak for a while.
I know this is a lot but it will get you rid of the lice in ONCE!
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Kate (Nebraska, US) on 07/14/2014
★★★★★
I discovered a horrid infestation on my son yesterday. The thousands of nits were too difficult to remove and he requested his head shaved. I had already treated and we washed everything in hot water, etc...once it was all over I got to thinking...with an infestation that large (and it was awful)...why did I not have one nit or bug? In the last several months I have taken to not shampooing (maybe once every week or two, as I am preparing my scalp for dread locks) so I should have been infested too. Then I remembered. I was worried about getting a fungus from not shampooing so I have been spraying a home made solution in my hair every day. Distilled water, Aloe Vera Gel, Sea Salt, Fractured Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Tea Tree Oil, Lavender Essential Oil and Lemongrass Essential oil. Now that I've been reading this forum, I understand exactly why my head is so clean. My son has now taken to spraying the solution on his bald head ;) Good Luck all!
Olive Leaf
Posted by Diane (Uniontown, Pa) on 03/27/2014
★★★★★
My grands were INFESTED a few years back with head lice. Both my husband and I were taking olive leaf extract at the time and we never got them. Olive leaf extract taken internally kills them. They got them again. So we took the olive leaf extract and I also used Denorex Therapeutic proactively. They got it again, my head started itching, and I found a bug. So I took ole, did the Denorex Therapeutic again, got rid of them easily. I never even nitpicked. I never vacuumed, washed bedding or any of that. I just changed my pillow cases. My grands have head lice yet again. Their mother has finally agreed to at least make a tea from the ole capsules and pour it on their heads to see what this will do. Just wondering if anyone from here has tried an ole tea yet for head lice?
On another note, for those of you that are wondering why you keep getting them, I heard an interesting story a while back. A coworker said her family had a problem with head lice the whole time she was growing up. Her mother would wash all the beddings, put things in garbage bags and contact all the other parents every time they got them. Her dad was so desperate he poured kerosene on their heads, and they still kept getting them. Years later, they found out that their aunt had them and never told anyone because she was too "embarrassed". So if you're struggling with head lice, it's probably someone in your close circle not letting you know.
Cetaphil
Posted by Alice (San Juan, Tx) on 07/17/2013
★★★★★
So, the kids went to the arcade and brought home a dose of head lice. We tried the cetaphil face lotion--apply liberally, put on shower cap, sleep. When you get up in the morning, rinse it out. All dead. NIts came out really easy. I think we're done, except for a week or so of checking just in case. Good to know just before school starts and it makes the rounds.
Olive Oil
Posted by Ashley (Brownfield, Me, United States) on 12/05/2012
★★★★★
I have a daughter who is in her first year of kindergarten. One day my daughter came home with her hair so tangled and while I was combing her hair I noticed that she had lice and I will admit I freaked out and so I called my mom up and asked what was the best way to get rid of lice and she hung up and came straight over. I watched as she was putting olive oil in my daughters hair... All I could think was 'why olive oil?' but knowing that my daughter had school the next day I was willing to do anything to get rid of the bugs. I stayed up till four making sure that my home was lice free it took me an hour after I washed her hair out wit dish soap to brush it but I then rinsed her hair with white distilled vinegar and I saw such a difference it was amazing. I have never heard about tree oil till now but even now I check my daughters hair every night before she goes to bed.
Coconut Oil
Posted by All Natural All The Time (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) on 09/29/2012
To remove the oils (coconut or other) from hair, I use a 20% dilution of grain alcohol (like vodka, Alcool brand, Clear Spring brand). The 90% alcohols listed here are sold to make fruit preserves. Something like almost 1:5 with distilled water makes the 20% solution.
The solution will not rinse out the oil (unless you use gallons of it). Instead, soak the alcohol solution into the oily hair. Massage to mix with the oil. Oil mixes with alcohol. Alcohol mixes with water. Water mixes with soap. Add your soap or shampoo to the wet, oily hair. Massage to lather.
Once you get a lather going, the entire goop rinses out. I find that it takes me about three times with the alcohol mix and shampoo to remove all the oil. I used about 8 ounces of the alcohol mix on a head of short hair. A thick head of long hair may take more of the mix to remove it.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Punky Ramone (Quezon City, Philippines) on 09/20/2012
★★★★★
Im 42 years old american been living all over the pacific and asia including philippines from 2004-2005. Since my wife is filipina. Left went to saipan then to u.s. 2008 back and forth between u.s and philippines til 2011 where we started business until july 2012 we never had problem with head lice. We still dont know where we got it but being a devoloping country could have been anywhere. This I do know 1st and formost get out all the bugs and nits u see using a very fine comb and a white tshirt on the floor. The ones that come out that are moving give them a good squezze u will here them pop. Then burn the tshirt. Second use tea trea oil mixed with shampoo. Comb again next day take a day off. Then use eucalyptus oil. Dont dilute at least the eucalyptus oil we have in philippines leave on 30 minutes wash out with shampoo. Repeat 3-4 times and get used to the smell of eucalyptus coz u can wash the oil out ur hairs not oily but the smell stays nothing u can do deal with it. Besides its not a bad smell alternate tea tree and eucalyptus every other day for 2 weeks. Lice gone but if you dont remove all the bedsheets and pilow cases all this treatment is pointless. Best to get your bedsheets to a commercial dryer and set it as high as possible after washing in clorox if they are not colored if colored wash in borax then dry on highest setting and vacuum everything hope this help
Olive Oil, Dish Soap, Vinegar, Tea Tree and Neem Oils
Posted by Brittany B (Spring Lake, Mi) on 08/21/2012
★★★★★
This really did work! Thank you for the tips. My daughter came home from Preschool last week and we did the Nix and Rid treatments three times and it would not take care of it. Not to mention all of that is so expensive! You could even see the live lice it killed from the oil and the nits that the come didn't get came out so easily. Amazing! Thanks again!
Kerosene
Posted by Rebekah (Dowagiac, Mi) on 08/15/2012
★☆☆☆☆WARNING!
Someone is going to end up in the ER or dead if this is not removed. DO NOT EVER PUT KEROSENE ON OR IN YOUR BODY!!!!
Kerosene
Posted by Pedro (Earth) on 08/13/2012
★☆☆☆☆
Kerosene and other should never be taken internally. It's extremelly toxic just like gas or diesel. Do not try this remedy. It's also highly flammable, so I wouldn't use it on the skin either (it is also toxic that way through absorption).
There are lots of remedies for colds and other ailments on this site that are safe to be tried, but not this one.
Kerosene
Posted by Joshua (Lebanon, Pennsylvania, USA) on 08/12/2012
★★★★★
For those suffering from head lice, as well as many other tiny parasites that live in the hair and on the skin, do not be afraid of using kerosene! It is an old remedy that works and does not harm the skin or hair. It will even help cure at least some skin problems. The only problem is that it smells bad. It is a product of petroleum, just as is vasoline. Even diesel fuel is a good remedy since it is very closely related to kerosene; the only difference being the temperature used to distill the petroleum to produce the kerosene or diesel. In fact, my Dad told me that his father used to give him and his siblings a teaspoon of kerosene mixed with sugar for colds! Yes, taken internally! I tried two tablespoons once when having digestion problems and it took care of the problem! Having said all that, kerosene/diesel is not something to be taken for any and all illnesses. It is good for killing parasites, including on your pets. Try it.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Angela (Escondido, Ca) on 08/08/2012
★★★★★
Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil in liquid form - the best! At first I used an OTC topical and spent all night combing my hair and both of my girl's hair. It didn't work well and I could immediately tell I'd have to repeat. We all wore hair shower caps to bed. The poision dried out our hair and I got sick from the chemicals.
I went online to look for a natural cure, found coconut oil, had some on hand, and used it. After applying a somewhat generous amount, concentrating on the scalp, to our hair, the shower caps went back on for two hours. I then recombed their hair, scalp down, it was clearly evident it worked!!! I rinsed our hair with vinegar and used shampoo - no conditioner. Recombed our hair and we were clean! I'm going to repeat one or two more times every week. Our hair, still a bit oily, is so soft now and no more itchiness! Organic coconut oil - AMAZING!
