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View Full Version : Yikes! Help, headlice!!!! What natural treatments have you used? ***Update in OP***



mommy111
09-03-2010, 07:49 PM
Update: After oil applications, daily wet combing, and using a fine toothed comb a couple of times a day on everyone, including the adults, and dryer-drying every bit of clothing/bedding the kids came in contact with, I am happy to cautiously say that we appear to be lice free. New nits have stopped appearing in DD's head as well as DS's head. Thanks to all of you who helped us avoid the chemical treatments. Katie, thank you also for the suggestion for the metal nit comb, the plastic ones were not working and once we has someone get and ship out one of the metal ones to us, we were all set!


So after restarting school this week, it seems the kids have come home with a little gift....
Pls give me advice about what to do. I want to avoid the medicated shampoo if at all possible. I've heard of the cetaphil, but we're in China and I can't find cetaphil here. I've heard of vinegar and olive oil and mayo. Have any of you used these with any success? I do have a nit comb, and I've done oil and combing out really carefully but I don't think that gets rid of the smaller headlice.
TIA!

ThreeofUs
09-03-2010, 08:01 PM
NYTimes ran a great article on this, but it might be subscriber-only.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/29/health/29patient.html?pagewanted=2&sq=lice&st=cse&scp=1


Here are some highlights:
-anything that will suffocate the lice is great - olive oil, mayo, hair conditioner, or any other mild lotion. You put it on the child's head, heat with a hair dryer, cover in plastic and leave over night. wash out in the morning or at least 8 hours later. repeat at least once a week for 2-3 weeks.
-comb your child's hair and pick nits every.single.day. (you'd have to do this with the pesticide route, too....)
-wash bed linens in hot water and dry at high heat for 20 minutes to kill any runaway lice
-throw stuffed animals, pillows, etc. that have come in contact with the infected person’s head in the drier
-vacuum thoroughly

HTH

Sweetum
09-03-2010, 08:03 PM
try applying a heavy oil like castor or any of the things you mentioned and blow drying on high heat. The lice should fall off (they'd be either drunk/drugged or dead). You can put a towel around DC's shoulders to catch them. But it's important to also take care of the nits/eggs, and as far as I know you can do that only with a nit comb (unless you want to use medicated shampoos).

mommy111
09-03-2010, 08:15 PM
Awesome, so its the oil plus heat! I tried oil and washing a hour after, but that doesn't seem to work. I'll do the oil/heat/leave in overnight thing and hopefuly that will work. And I guess we'll run the washer/dryer a few times this weekend.
Ivy, thank you so much for the link to the article as well, it does pull up and its a great read.

AJP
09-03-2010, 10:18 PM
All of the above suggestions should help and I've heard tea tree oil works too.

indigo99
09-03-2010, 10:52 PM
Awesome, so its the oil plus heat! I tried oil and washing a hour after, but that doesn't seem to work.

A big part of it is the time factor. I've heard that you need to wrap in plastic and leave it on overnight because you need to cut off their oxygen supply for six hours or more in order to suffocate them.

I haven't really researched it, but I was under the impression that heat wasn't really used with the oil treatment. It's used with some alcohol and cetaphil treatments to harden the goop. You need extended temps upward of 130-140degrees to actually kill them with heat.

Some studies suggest that the suffocation methods don't really work though. What really does work is plain hard work - removing the nits. The adult louse isn't going to live forever so if you can pick out all of the eggs and prevent new ones from hatching then eventually you'll be lice free.

Be sure that you wash everything in hot water and dry in a hot dryer though. The water doesn't kill them, but the heat does.

kerridean
09-04-2010, 09:33 AM
I went through this June 1-21. It was HORRIBLE! The suffocation methods are not proven to work and are not FDA approved treatments.

The official recommendation is to use 2 treatments of NIX, and this is what I would recommend. However, you cannot use any other products in the hair while using NIX!! No conditioner, chlorine, tea tree oil, mayo! It will strip the hair of the NIX.

Unfortunately for us, nothing worked. We ended up with a visit to urgent care and a script for Ovide (Malation). It was a miracle after 3 weeks of pure hell. Next time I am going straight for the big guns....OVIDE.

I HIGHLY recommend going the medication route if you really want this to be over in the next week or so. Especially stay away from the mayo. It can go bad over night and cause salmonella.

Neatfreak
09-04-2010, 09:43 AM
Where have the suffocation methods been proven not to work? I must have missed that study; I had high hopes of going the Cetaphil route if we ever are invaded ...

kerridean
09-04-2010, 10:13 AM
Where have the suffocation methods been proven not to work? I must have missed that study; I had high hopes of going the Cetaphil route if we ever are invaded ...

I guess I mean they are not FDA approved methods and are not recommended by the CDC or the FDA for treatment of headlice. I prefer to use methods that have been proven and tested to work...but that is the scientist in me:).

http://www.cdc.gov/lice/head/treatment.html

kerridean
09-04-2010, 10:22 AM
For a really GREAT guideline, google "Spokane Regional Health District Lice Guidelines". I tried to link it here but it is a PDF and too big to link. It explains why some of the home treatments are not recommended. It is VERY helpful.

o_mom
09-04-2010, 11:03 AM
I guess I mean they are not FDA approved methods and are not recommended by the CDC or the FDA for treatment of headlice. I prefer to use methods that have been proven and tested to work...but that is the scientist in me:).

http://www.cdc.gov/lice/head/treatment.html

You might be interested, then, in this recent study showing suffocating cream to be more effective than malathion. :) link (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20695855)

I think there is a huge distinction between 'not FDA approved' and 'not proven effective'. Use of products off-label does not automatically make them unsafe/ineffective - it depends on the data that is out there.


For a really GREAT guideline, google "Spokane Regional Health District Lice Guidelines". I tried to link it here but it is a PDF and too big to link. It explains why some of the home treatments are not recommended. It is VERY helpful.

Here's the link (http://www.srhd.org/documents/Health_Topics/Lice-Guidelines.pdf). Very interesting. It also lists malathion (Ovide) under treatements not recommended. ;)

Now my head is itching from reading all this! :p

kerridean
09-04-2010, 12:20 PM
You might be interested, then, in this recent study showing suffocating cream to be more effective than malathion. :) link (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20695855)

I think there is a huge distinction between 'not FDA approved' and 'not proven effective'. Use of products off-label does not automatically make them unsafe/ineffective - it depends on the data that is out there.



Here's the link (http://www.srhd.org/documents/Health_Topics/Lice-Guidelines.pdf). Very interesting. It also lists malathion (Ovide) under treatements not recommended. ;)

Now my head is itching from reading all this! :p

I am just trying to be helpful. We had to use Malathion because NOTHING ELSE WORKED. Not nix, not the other home treatments. Malathion worked for us, finally, and got rid of the lice after 3 weeks of failed treatment. I am well aware it is listed on the "not recommended" section. I had to make an educated decision along with my doctor, otherwise my daughter would still have lice. I am glad the other methods worked for others, however they failed for us. I hope it works for the OP.

o_mom
09-04-2010, 12:43 PM
I am just trying to be helpful. Forget it now. We had to use Malation because NOTHING ELSE WORKED. Not nix, not the other home treatments. Malation worked for us, finally, and got rid of the lice after 3 weeks of failed treatment. I am well aware it is listed on the "not recommended" section. I had to make an educated decision along with my doctor, otherwise my daughter would still have lice. I am glad the other methods worked for others, however they failed for us. I hope it works for the OP. Geez

Sorry if I sounded harsh, that really wasn't my intention. I was trying to provide the link to the document since you said it didn't work and really did find the info interesting. There was a lot of good stuff that discussed the risks of all treatments, not just the home remedies. I understand that after other things have failed making a decision to go to something stronger, but I don't think that it makes all other treatments not worth trying.

ETA: Since you didn't mention at all the risks of Ovide, said that it was from an urgent care visit and said how you would go straight to it the next time, it really didn't come across as a 'not recommended' treatment in your previous post and I thought that might be important for others to know. :shrug: I was a bit flippant about it, I apologize.

annex
09-04-2010, 02:06 PM
I would also reiterate what has been said above - don't rely on any chemical or natural product to kill everything. Use a lice/nit comb every.single.day for at least 2 weeks. Or hire a professional nitpicker to do it for you. Throw hats, jackets, and pillowcases into the dryer on hot heat once a day as well to kill anything that you may have missed. The students in my DD's school who kept getting lice were the ones whose parents thought the pesticide alone was enough to do the trick.

ThreeofUs
09-04-2010, 02:46 PM
I guess I mean they are not FDA approved methods and are not recommended by the CDC or the FDA for treatment of headlice. I prefer to use methods that have been proven and tested to work...but that is the scientist in me:).

http://www.cdc.gov/lice/head/treatment.html


While I believe O-Mom has done a great job of addressing the problems with this post, I would like to add one last thing.

The CDC only lists FDA approved treatments, many of which have been proven to be ineffective in the treatment of some lice strains, given that the lice are now immune to the pesticides they contain.

From the UK's National Health Service web site:
"Head lice can sometimes be difficult to treat due to a high re-infestation rate and their ability to develop immunity (resistance) to traditional insecticides contained in some medications.
It is thought that head lice will not develop immunity to the newer silicone- and oil-based preparations because they have a physical rather than a chemical action on lice."
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Head-lice/Pages/Treatment.aspx


This web site goes on to say that the wet combing method is the best method for removal, as does the NYTimes article.



The fact that the CDC even lists the Lindane prep as "approved" (which it is) is because of industry pressure on the FDA. Lindane, for those that don't know, is an organochloride that is so highly toxic that it was banned for use on food by the EPA in 2006.

Even the CDC says "it is not recommended as a first-line therapy. Overuse, misuse, or accidentally swallowing lindane can be toxic to the brain and other parts of the nervous system...". And the FDA has issued statements and warnings about the deaths and neurotoxicity problems associated even with normal use of the product.


As a research scientist, I find myself very concerned that people might not know that all things listed as "approved" by the CDC are not necessarily good choices for use - especially on children. In this case, this is especially true, because (1) the treatments don't work and (2) the treatments may be harmful. I really can't agree with equating "approval by the CDC/FDA" with "good practice".

mommy111
09-04-2010, 04:18 PM
Oh goodness, I sure am staying away from the mayo!!!!! Salmonella in hair, who knew!
I really want to avoid the chemical treatments if necessary, I am not a huge fan of any kind of pesticide unless absoluteley necessary (and I do realize that may be the case here at the end, sigh, but I at least want to give it a shot without chemicals) DD will be easier, she is so cooperative, she will easily sit for an hour every day getting her head checked and wet combed. DS, though, at 2, hates anyone touching his head. I tried to do it last night in his sleep and he woke up extremely angry. I may well have to shave his hair off if all else fails. So now the kids have had oil in their heads for 24 hours, I have found 2 big lice and innumerable nits in DD and one louse with nits in DS. I am going to wrap up their heads to see if the suffocation works.
Sorry to lay out all the gross details :) This is not my idea of a fun weekend :)

kijip
09-04-2010, 04:36 PM
Head lice are becoming resistant to the active ingredients in the OTC meds.

We had an awful exposure in the summer of 2007. We initially used the OTC meds. Most of the bug were still quite alive after using as directed, to say nothing of the nits. So my situation was the reverse of kerridean's- we tried the OTC meds and then went to the suffocation methods (why it would need to be FDC approved to use a soap or food product and a hair dryer is totally beyond me, it's totally non-toxic). For us, the problem was solved rapidly after that point. Lots of combing but when we combed after drying cedaphil on the hair, the lice were actually DEAD as opposed to after the OTC treatment.

Getting rid of lice is comb dependent. You need a metal tooth licemeister type comb. The plastic ones in the OTC med boxes are worthless pieces of junk. Then you need to use it. A lot.

o_mom
09-04-2010, 04:40 PM
Oh goodness, I sure am staying away from the mayo!!!!! Salmonella in hair, who knew!
I really want to avoid the chemical treatments if necessary, I am not a huge fan of any kind of pesticide unless absoluteley necessary (and I do realize that may be the case here at the end, sigh, but I at least want to give it a shot without chemicals) DD will be easier, she is so cooperative, she will easily sit for an hour every day getting her head checked and wet combed. DS, though, at 2, hates anyone touching his head. I tried to do it last night in his sleep and he woke up extremely angry. I may well have to shave his hair off if all else fails. So now the kids have had oil in their heads for 24 hours, I have found 2 big lice and innumerable nits in DD and one louse with nits in DS. I am going to wrap up their heads to see if the suffocation works.
Sorry to lay out all the gross details :) This is not my idea of a fun weekend :)


Go as short as you can with your DS to start. A friend had lice a couple years ago and she waited and waited and finally took the clippers to her DS and it was a huge improvement in ease of treatment and checking. I wouldn't shave him bald, but even going down to 1/2-3/4" would make it so much easier. With a 2 yo, I think it would help immensely to make it less stressful on him for checks.

kerridean
09-04-2010, 05:31 PM
It is correct that the only way to REALLY get rid of them is through wet combing. I did it twice daily. Once I finally got the metal comb....it really made a difference. Bottom line...whatever you use....you HAVE to get rid of ALL of the nits so they do not hatch. I was SO diligent and some still hatched. I think I need therapy from going through this...while Dh was deployed

AJP
09-04-2010, 05:57 PM
I forgot to say that fairy tales has great products for anyone who is still looking for/trying methods. They also sell the metal tooth licemeister comb. We used suffocation methods AND the fairy tales with great success and were diligant with combing, laundering, drying things on high heat etc. GOOD LUCK!
http://www.fairytaleshaircare.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=107

kerridean
09-04-2010, 09:23 PM
Head lice are becoming resistant to the active ingredients in the OTC meds.

We had an awful exposure in the summer of 2007. We initially used the OTC meds. Most of the bug were still quite alive after using as directed, to say nothing of the nits. So my situation was the reverse of kerridean's- we tried the OTC meds and then went to the suffocation methods (why it would need to be FDC approved to use a soap or food product and a hair dryer is totally beyond me, it's totally non-toxic). For us, the problem was solved rapidly after that point. Lots of combing but when we combed after drying cedaphil on the hair, the lice were actually DEAD as opposed to after the OTC treatment.

Getting rid of lice is comb dependent. You need a metal tooth licemeister type comb. The plastic ones in the OTC med boxes are worthless pieces of junk. Then you need to use it. A lot.

Good point. I will try it next time (hope there is not a next time). I swear I need THERAPY:). The metal comb is imperative, IMO

mominjune
09-04-2010, 11:21 PM
I forgot to say that fairy tales has great products for anyone who is still looking for/trying methods. They also sell the metal tooth licemeister comb. We used suffocation methods AND the fairy tales with great success and were diligant with combing, laundering, drying things on high heat etc. GOOD LUCK!
http://www.fairytaleshaircare.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=107

My friend who has 3 daughters with long hair and 2 rounds of lice in their home last year before they used it, says this line product works well for them. She had tried all the other more toxic treatments and said this worked better. Also, they have lice repellent shampoo that actually smells nice so they use it on a regular basis.
I have not used any of the line except their "lice repellent spray" when there were a few cases at my daughters school. It made me feel better to send her off to school after spraying her with what smelled like citronella and rosemary. I figured it couldn't hurt. :)

I'm planning on buying their "bed bug repellent spray" when we go to Disneyland in a few months. With the rise in bed bugs, an inspection of the mattress and some sprays of the repellent couldn't hurt either!

kijip
09-04-2010, 11:50 PM
Oh, for all of you reading this and thinking "never me" please get prepared...when you find lice you want and need to act immediately. Waiting for the right comb to come in the mail and needing to pay overnight shipping would suck. If you live in an area with a local source for the licemeister comb that is great, but many can't find it locally. I can not emphasize enough that the readily available in mass market retailers plastic combs are useless. I still have 2 licemeister combs at the ready.

As more lice become drug resistant, it will be a larger and larger problem. We got ours from my brother's kids. I didn't think anything of letting T's same age cousin share his bed...bad idea. He was 4 and I agree with kerridean- it is practically PTSD inducing. I think we used Rosemary Repel shampoo for a year or more afterwards.

mommy111
09-05-2010, 02:13 AM
Aaah, OK, need to go change the plastic comb and get a metal one. I guess that is why y plastic comb turns up with nothing! The lice and nits that we picked out were my very amazingly kind neighbour here hunkering down with DD and nitpicking (now I know where that word comes from!) her head.
I already had DS's beautiful curls cut in prep for his school to where he is about 1-2inches long. However, I think he got the headlice first and because of his short hair has been hatching and shedding them so that DD git them as well. I feel all itchy myself (mostly just anxiety), I can't afford my very long hair getting any lice :)
I've heard about the fairy tales repellant before, I've thought about ordering it before but always thought we'd never get lice. Like Katie said, though, next time we're going to be prepared for other kids in school having lice.....when we're back in the US, we're going to order their louse repellant stuff.

AJP
09-05-2010, 07:07 AM
Oh, for all of you reading this and thinking "never me" please get prepared...when you find lice you want and need to act immediately. Waiting for the right comb to come in the mail and needing to pay overnight shipping would suck. If you live in an area with a local source for the licemeister comb that is great, but many can't find it locally. I can not emphasize enough that the readily available in mass market retailers plastic combs are useless. I still have 2 licemeister combs at the ready.

As more lice become drug resistant, it will be a larger and larger problem. We got ours from my brother's kids. I didn't think anything of letting T's same age cousin share his bed...bad idea. He was 4 and I agree with kerridean- it is practically PTSD inducing. I think we used Rosemary Repel shampoo for a year or more afterwards.

:yeahthat:
My girls were 18 MONTHS and don't go to daycare. They didn't get it from their shcool-aged cousins (none had it) but had recently been to the gym babysitting/kids center and to some play place at the mall that MIL took them to. No one in the family had it so I can only guess they got it from an other child. We tried the suffocation method because we had those things on hand and I ended up ordering the fairy tales stuff with the comb the next day with - yup, overnight shipping.
We also use the conditioning spray a few times a week and use the rosemary repel shampoo a few times a week many, many months later.

MmeSunny
09-05-2010, 11:57 PM
Those lice combs look very similar to dog's flea combs. Has anyone tried one of those??? I know. . . Odd question but flea combs are a lot cheaper!!!

BarbieSmith
09-06-2010, 07:43 AM
Just a quick note about mayo, from someone with some food chemistry and foodborne illness background. Mayo will not breed salmonella easily. It is so acidic that it is hard for anything to breed in it. You will NOT get salmonella from putting clean mayo on your head overnight... it is plain reckless to say otherwise. But note: UNLESS you introduced water, proteins (chicken, tuna), etc. into your mayo. We have a rule in our house that only a clean/new utensil is used for scooping out mayo.

That said, I would not choose a food item as my first choice.

Barbie

ps: when people talk about chicken salad and tuna salad, etc. and say you cannot leave it out because the mayo will go bad - please silently laugh at that. It is the PROTEINS in the mix that will go bad (egg, tuna, etc.) - NOT the mayo. Mayo can make it through practically anything!!!

nov04
09-06-2010, 08:22 AM
Oh, for all of you reading this and thinking "never me" please get prepared...when you find lice you want and need to act immediately. Waiting for the right comb to come in the mail and needing to pay overnight shipping would suck. If you live in an area with a local source for the licemeister comb that is great, but many can't find it locally. I can not emphasize enough that the readily available in mass market retailers plastic combs are useless. I still have 2 licemeister combs at the ready.


I have metal combs upstairs just fearing it will happen to us. We've used fairtytales shampoo for 2 years (on and off) and been okay (fingers crossed!). We also have some tree tree oil.

I'm itching my hair just thinking about this.