Head Lice Home Remedies

Are any home remedies effective at getting rid of head lice?

There are head lice home remedies that work with varying success. Among them are:

Rubbing Alcohol: rubbing alcohol is one of the effective head lice home remedies. This is a remedy I actually used with success. You have to remember that, although you will instantly kill the adult lice and nymphs with a bath in rubbing alcohol, there are eggs attached to the hair that may or may not die from an alcohol bath.Most likely, most will die, but some will survive. The eggs hatch in about 7-10 days, so it's important that this procedure be repeated after 10 days.That's what I did, and I eliminated the problem without the embarrassment of seeing a doctor. Doctors don't recommend doing this however, as the skin readily absorbs alcohol--the scalp even more so.

Petroleum Jelly: There are a few related head lice home remedies that operate in the same way. They include: mayonnaise, olive oil, and mineral oil

General Instructions for Using these head lice home remedies

1. These products work as a suffocant. They are intended to cover the lice in a film of oil or petroleum jelly. This, they say, will suffocate the lice. To use these products, apply generously to the hair. Make sure the hair and scalp are completely saturated (two ounces should be sufficient and is one of the cheap head lice home remedies).
2. Next you'll need to cover the hair with a close-fitting shower cap. Leave the cap on for eight hours. Do not use the cap at bed-time as the cap could become a suffocation hazard. This is one of the most inexpensive and easy head lice home remedies.
3. After eight hours you may remove the shower cap and wash the hair with shampoo to remove the suffocant. Sometimes petroleum jelly may be may be more easily removed by first diluting the petroleum jelly by washing your hair in baby oil before shampooing.
4. Remove remaining nits (egg sacs) with a nit comb.
5. Wash hair thoroughly with shampoo to remove the remaining suffocant.

These are the most effective head lice home remedies. There are others, but these are the most effective.