Why Home Remedies for Lice Removal Don’t Work

It can be very frightening and stressful to find out that your child has come into contact with head lice. Even though you will want to get rid of the lice immediately, it is important to do your research in order to treat it. You may come across several home remedies that are ineffective and possibly even dangerous for your child. If you are unsure of which home remedies to avoid, do not panic. Here is a list of home remedies to watch out for:

Olive Oil/Mayonnaise 

Olive oil and mayonnaise are often applied to the hair in order to suffocate the head lice. Then after 6-8 hours, you will be directed to comb the lice out of the hair. The problem with this method is that even if the living bugs are suffocated, the lice eggs will not be affected. Therefore, the lice eggs will continue to hatch and lay their own eggs and make the situation worse. Using mayonnaise for hours while unrefrigerated can also put your child at risk of salmonella. 

Petroleum Jelly 

Similar to olive oil and mayonnaise, petroleum jelly is used in the hair to suffocate the lice to then comb out. Even though petroleum jelly is a different substance, this does mean it works any better. This will still not affect the lice eggs that are ready to hatch at any moment. Not to mention, petroleum jelly is extremely difficult to get out of your hair. Using the petroleum jelly treatment is more trouble than it’s worth and will not help your head lice infestation. 

OTC Treatments

At most drugstores you will likely find over the counter treatments that claim to get rid of head lice. The problem with these treatments is that lice have become increasingly resilient to them and many living bugs will not be affected. Despite the claim that they rid you of lice, over the counter treatments still do not kill lice eggs. They also contain many harsh chemicals that can be harmful to your child. They will likely irritate your child’s scalp and cause a negative reaction. Overall these treatments are dangerous, expensive, and will not actually get rid of your head lice. 

Haircut 

It might seem obvious that getting a haircut would also decrease the amount of lice in your hair, but lice can still lay eggs in only a quarter inch of hair. For this method to be effective, you would need to shave off all your hair, which is barely a solution. This is probably not the hairstyle your child wants and can leave them feeling uncomfortable just because of some head lice. 

Ignoring the problem 

Although you might not want to address the problem, ignoring head lice will not make them go away. Lice will only continue to lay eggs and grow in number. Unfortunately, once they have become comfortable in your child’s hair, they are there to stay until something is done to remove them. 

Lice Clinics of America in Omaha 

If you have recently discovered your child has head lice and you are not sure what to do, Lice Clinics of America in Omaha, Nebraska can help. At our lice clinic in Omaha, we refrain from any harsh chemicals or ineffective treatments. We use our signature and FDA approved AirAlle treatment which uses only warm air. This treatment kills both lice and lice eggs to ensure you are completely free of head lice. Contact Lice Clinics of America in Omaha for a lice treatment that actually works!