Home Remedies For Hair Lice: Do They Work?

Lice infestations are more common than you’d think. Your child comes back from a sleepover, and the next thing you know, they’re scratching their scalp like their life depends on it. Head lice are a nuisance; there’s no question about it. Kids who contract them face physical symptoms and emotional distress, as well as bullying from the people around them. And while some people swear by home remedies to get rid of the critters, their efficacy is anecdotal at best. Let’s look at a few home remedies and see if they actually do what people say they do.

Wet combing

Wet combing involves spraying conditioner on wet hair and using a lice comb to pick the lice out. While effective, the method can be time-consuming and requires several sessions before the lice are completely eliminated. It can also lead to excessive strain on the eyes because looking for lice manually is a difficult task. It’s a task that’s best left to professionals.

Essential oils

Several essential oils are touted as being good for lice removal. Tea tree oil, lavender oil, eucalyptus oil, red thyme oil and cinnamon seed oil are just some that people obsessively use while combing their hair. However, not only do most people forget to dilute these oils to avoid harm to the scalp, but some of them are also bad for human skin and can even be downright toxic.

Salt and vinegar

Salt and vinegar are supposed to loosen the grip that lice have on your scalp. The treatment isn’t very effective, though, because it deprives your hair of its natural moisture and leaves it extremely dry.

Garlic

It seems like someone got vampires and lice mixed up! A lot of urban legends claim that mixing garlic with a few teaspoons of lime juice and spreading it on the scalp is effective. The odor supposedly acts as a deterrent. This treatment is ineffective due to the fact that the strong smell of garlic is repulsive and can stay in your hair for a week. Secondly, for this treatment to be effective, it needs to be repeated monthly to prevent the risk of more outbreaks. While these treatments may be affordable, the cost of performing them is high, and even then, none of them are foolproof. If you’re looking for a quick fix for your lice problem, visit Lice Troopers at our head lice removal salon in Miami Beach. Get in touch with our lice doctors for their expert advice today.