How to Kill Head Lice Without Using Chemicals

When one of your children comes home from school with head lice, you can rest assured they'll spread quickly throughout the family. Once one member of a family gets them, head lice seem to breed like...lice. And remember, one louse can lay hundreds of eggs.

When you're attacked by lice, you can fall victim to seductive sales pitches to buy all sorts of shampoos, conditioners and treatments. Many of those products are excellent and they're used by reputable organisations. However, most have other negative side effects and they're all are more expensive than the guaranteed cure I set out here: coconut oil. What? Yes, coconut oil kills lice by suffocating the lice and killing their eggs. There's no chance therefore, that lice can become immune to its effects as they have to harsh and much more expensive chemicals.

One jar of coconut oil will be enough to kill all the lice in your family, and you can use it for other things.

Harsh chemicals damage your skin. Besides, they're no longer as effective. Here is a simple, low-cost, and absolutely safe and guaranteed way to kill lice and their eggs. It's also the best cure for dandruff and scaly scalp.

STEPS TO LOUSE-FREE HAIR
1. Buy a jar of extra virgin organic coconut oil.
2. Melt about two dessert spoonfuls of the solidified oil and let it cool a bit. You don't want to burn your scalp.
3. Apply the oil liberally to your scalp.
4. Massage well into your scalp.
5. Make sure that you put the oil on your hands and work it through the length of hair.
6. Wrap the hair in the plastic wrap you use to cover food, or wear a shower cap. If you're sharing a house and you don't want people to see you looking so weird, you can skip that step.

It's best to do this at night so that you can wash your hair next morning. Put an old towel on your pillow so that the oil doesn't stain your pillow cases.

After shampooing your hair, use one of those fine-toothed combs to remove dead lice and any eggs next morning.

TIPS
Use top quality extra virgin, and preferably organic, coconut oil. One jar will last for ages. Besides being an effective treatment for head lice, coconut oil has endless other health benefits.

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Comments on this article:

» left by Tammy Beavers from Church Hill ,Tn (1 year 80 days ago.)

If this solution works I'll be sure to tell everyone about this web site. I work with a head start program and there are frequent cases of head lice.
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» left by JP (209 days 2 hours ago.)

Where do you find EXTRA virgin organic coconut oil?

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» left by Jeannette Kavanagh from Melbourne, Australia (199 days 8 hours ago.)
Yes, any health store will stock extra virgin coconut oil. I've since discovered that the same principle applies to good ol' olive oil - it suffocates the adult lice and the eggs. However it doesn't have the same nourishing effect on your hair as coconut oil.
cheers

Jeannette

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» left by Suzanne Kennedy from San Diego (149 days 8 hours ago.)

We are giving the olive oil a try, as we don't have coconut oil and are desperate.  My 13 year old daughter has head lice for the first time ever, and we are just freaked out!  We tried the treated shampoo yesterday and it didn't kill all of the lice.  I hope the olive oil works until we can do the treated shampoo again in 6 days. 

Hopeful,

Suzanne

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» left by Mother of 2 from United States (146 days 23 hours ago.)

My 9 year old daughter just had a case of head lice about 3 weeks ago.  I had heard that the Nix and overthecounter shampoos don't work well.  Someone suggested going to the health food store and I bought some virgin organic coconut oil.  I put it all over my daughter's scalp, massaged it in, then worked the oil down the length of her hair.  (her hair is past her waist).

I put a shower cap over her hair, a towel over her pillow, and the next morning, I washed it out.  I couldn't belive that I was seeing dead lice!  Okay, I guess we smothered them.  After washing out the coconut oil, I combed her hair with a nit comb,and did not find any eggs.  I had read online somewhere, that a couple of drops of Rosemary oil in a spray bottle with water, and misting her hair before she goes out the door, will help prevent head lice.  I also put drops of tea tree oil in her shampoo, as this also helps.  School just started today, so I will let you know how it works preventing head lice.  One more thing, I require her to keep her coat, in the winter, inside her zipped backpack, to help prevent the little critters from getting on her coat, when everyone else's hangs on the hooks, just awaiting to crawl on another child's coat, and go home with them!  If we all did a little bit of prevention, besides just the normal, don't share hair brushes, combs, hats, and things like that.  With every school having a problem with lice, why do they still allow every coat to go on a hook in the back of the room?  Not my daughter's, zipped backpack, I let the teacher's know of this rule, and she is also not allowed to hang her coat on her chair!  This method alone, has prevented her from bringing the nasty things home!!

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» left by Dr Jeannette Kavanagh from Melbourne, Australia (146 days 13 hours ago.)

Thank you so much for your comments.

 

Yes, the rosemary oil and tea tree oil are also great.  I had tried the many tea-tree oil products on their own, as an alternative to chemicals, but had little success.  The coconut oil alone or in combination did the trick.  I agree too, that making sure that kids are not sharing combs, hats and so on is another part of the strategy.  When one thinks about it, those lice are pretty hardy critters.  One louse can lay up to 250 eggs in its lifetime and that's why some people despair about them constantly returning - every single egg has to be removed.  Then it's frustrating when your daughter or son goes back to kindergarten or school and it starts again.

 

 

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» left by Dr Jeannette Kavanagh from Melbourne, Australia (145 days 12 hours ago.)

Hello Suzanne,

Olive oil will work too - it suffocates the lice as well as the coconut oil.  I suggested the latter because it's known to be good for your hair. 

 

Talk of suffocation sounds like we're vicious hunters but in truth head lice can cause quite serious ill health if not eliminated.  Apart from skin irritations, their activity disturbs sleep and as we now know, sleep is vital to good health.

 

Please don't be discouraged if the lice return.  That's often more to do with the external environment - the school and how seriously they deal with the problem - than it is to do with your own efforts.  Some schools are great: they send students home as soon as the lice are detected and parents have to deal with the problem immediately.  Other schools want to take a more softly, softly politec approach until there's a very serious school-wide problem.  Then the parents have to tell the school how to handle it.  Even after you've killed all the lice, it's still important to find and remove the eggs.  They should be rendered harmless by the oil, but just in case, I meticulously find them.

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» left by Anonymous (201 days 22 hours ago.)
At the health food store. Try Vita Health.
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» left by KEVIN (190 days 20 hours ago.)
I have one that kill them on contact. 12oz rubbing alcohol, 2oz pine needle oil , 1oz rosemary oil. Apply at night before going to bed. This will not only kill them but they will not want anything to do with you for 30 days. These are some of the ingredents found in Ovide a perscription medication for lice treatment. DO NOT DO THIS AROUND ANY OPEN FLAMES OR SMOKE.
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» left by Chum Kilgus from Wear I Am Right Now (178 days 23 hours ago.)

i tried acohol,it seemed to kill when i tested it on three i picked up,but then i soaked my hear with it ,and it still itches!well im ganna tried the cocanut oil then hopfully it will do BETTER.(the alcohol kills some of the lice)

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» left by Jeannette Kavanagh from Melbourne, Australia (178 days 6 hours ago.)

Responding to you and to Kevin there are products on the market that rely mainly on ti tree oil which has a strong eucalyptus fragrance - that would be similar to the rosemary and pine needles mix.  I guess it comes back to what works for you and what's easy to prepare and apply.  Thanks for your comments - let me know how you go.

Jeannette

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» left by JJ from Ishpeming MI (147 days 2 hours ago.)

My Daughter picked up lice from the kids at the play ground yesterday, my friend told me she went out and picked up some lice kills and for everything she got has costed her around $100.00 Dollars so I searched the internet for Home remedy and I just went out to walmart and bought extra virgin coconut oil and I used to tbs full in a glass bowl stuck it in the nuker for 1 min and it melted I let it cool off and I worked it into my hair and scalp really good so here I sit all oiled up and waiting. I will let you Know of the results.

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» left by Dr Jeannette Kavanagh from Melbourne, Australia (145 days 12 hours ago.)

Hello there,

 

Yes, do please let me know how you go.  I'm keen to spread the word because I had used every product known before discovering this simple approach.  Also, you can use the coconut oil for other things and it's brilliant for keeping your hair shiny and healthy.

 

As I've said in other comments, it's important to ask at your school what their policy is re head lice.  My children went to a fairly middle class school and no one wanted to mention it.  I was a parent rep on School Council so I suggested that we take quick and decisive action, since one or two parents attacking that particular infestation would not work.  Initially, I was not supported but within a few weeks, most of the parents in the junior school were lodging complaints about their daughter/son being constantly re-infested by head lice. 

 

As always, when you're combing your daughter's hair with a fine tooth comb, also have a good search for any eggs the comb may have missed.  99% of those eggs will be dead due to the oil, but we only need one to start.

 

Good luck

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» left by Anonymous (125 days 15 hours ago.)

should the coconut oil be applied to wet or dry hair?

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» left by Anonymous (91 days 1 hour ago.)

Dry. It should be applied to dry hair, saturate it with the oil. I fine tooth comb the next morning before washing, then again after.

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» left by Anonymous (91 days ago.)

Knowing the life cycle of the buggers is helpful in preventing re-infestation. Most times re-infestation comes from with-in the home, and we think the kids brought home a new crop from outside. Something gets missed. Many people will forget to do the stuffed animals, the car, and other things. Here is where knowing the life cycle comes in handy. 21-28 days. Your not safe for 21-28 days. Diligence is important. Unfortunately, as embarrasing as it is, you need to tell everyone who has been near the family members know of the problem so they can treat and not give them back to you once you have them gone.

 

Here is what I did... After learning.

 

When lice or eggs are discovered, Oil the heads, EVERYONE in the house. Leave oil on overnight. I used disposable shower caps to help keep the oil contained and old towels to keep the pillows from getting oil stains. In the morning, I fine-toothed combed all heads before washing then again after. I repeated this oil overnight process every 5 days for 1 month. Thats it. I can't pick through the hair, I just can't. I know I won't get every crevis in my home, nor do I have the time to do it. I can't afford to take time off work for this. I hope I don't sound lazy, but this system works.

 

When a nit hatches, it has upto 5 days to find a host. When an egg hatches, it can take upto 10 days for it to begin to lay eggs, or as early as 7. If some of the eggs are not killed and hatch right after washing out the oil, you will want to oil the hair again BEFORE they can lay eggs. (5 days after 1st treatment). If some eggs were laid just before oiling the first time, it could be 10 days for some of them to hatch. Oil again 10 days after first oil treatment to catch these. Remember, there is hair all over your house and car. These strands of hair don't get treated and there are eggs on some of them. It can take upto 10 days from the first oil treatment for these to hatch and upto 5 days for them to find a host, and they probably will! Now another oil treatment is called for 15 days after the first treatment to catch these. If one or more of these hatch in 6 days from the first treatment, 5 days later they find a head, 2 days after that they can start laying eggs, this puts us at day 13. New eggs are laid. The day 15 treatment won't catch these. On the short end, they will hatch in 7 days putting us at day 20, so retreat then. On the longer side, they can hatch 10 days later putting us at day 25, retreat again.

 

If I didn't lose you here, you can see how they can reinfest from within the family homeat any time over a 25 day period. It is their life cycle, 21-28 days. On day 30, I treat again just for kicks and giggles, I DONT want to take a chance.

 

After you oil your hair the first time, you may want to oil it on a regular basis as it makes you hair soft and beautiful! We all love the way out hair feels after. I think this is better than a hot oil treatment for your hair, it feels like it wraps protection around each strand of hair preventing splitting and drying. It also does a wonderful job for flakes and dandruff!

 

So, I no longer lose my mind when these things hit home, and the kids don't cry when found anymore. We all know, Just oil and finetooth comb every 5 days for a month. It may seem like a lot of work, every 5 days, but compare that to spending hours on every head looking for and picking nits, turning your house upside down trying to vacuum every crevis in the furniture, cusshions, car, stuffed animals, etc.and ruining your pillows in the dryer and having to buy all new ones anyway!

 

Oh, one more thing, don't forget to boil all the hairbrushes and combs everytime you do an oil treatment. They should be boiled for 10 minutes, then let the water cool before trying to remove the brushes and combs. And, everyone in the home should have their own and don't share, even with other family members. This will teach the kids not to share theirs with anyone, including friends.

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» left by Anonymous (56 days 9 hours ago.)

My daughter is in bed right now with Listerine, Olive Oil, Tea Tree Oil all on her hair for the night. Our neighbors friends kids come over to play in our neighborhood all the time and they continue to spread lice to my daughter. this is the third time since the beginning of summer. I am wore out and now the holidays are comming plus a new baby due anyday. I found about 15 live bugs in her head tonight, I can see lots and lots of eggs, Yes I have been crying all evening. I will wash her hair (coconut shampoo and conditioner with tea tree oil dropped in) again in the morning, Hopefully this will kill the live ones I missed. I am going tomorrow to buy the coconut oil (extra virgin). I have all sheets etc washing and drying, the ones I can't get to tonight is secluded until I can get them tomorrow. This is such a long and exhausting cycle, I pray this works.

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