Common Louse Treatments: What you Need to Know

There are several common louse treatments that are highly effective at removing both lice and their nits. However, both diligence and perseverance are essential for removing the troublesome pests. Although harmless, lice (singularly referred to as a louse) have the capability of infesting entire households and schools in a matter of days.

Lice can infest people of any age, any socioeconomic background, in any country. Contrary to popular belief, lice actually prefer clean hair rather than dirty or oily because their nits, or eggs, stick better to cleaner hair. Lice may be spread by direct physical contact, and also through the use of an infected person's personal items, such as a brush, comb, hat, towels, or bed linens.

The most common louse treatments may include:

Pesticides and insecticides

Many commercial products use chemicals such as malathion and phenothrin, and may possibly cause irritation or serious allergic reactions in some people. These products are usually in shampoo form and aren't recommended for those with breathing problems such as asthma. You should consult your your doctor before using these products on very young children or if you are pregnant. Many entomologists agree that lice are quickly becoming resistant or immune to commercially made chemicals, making them ineffective.

Natural methods

Common louse treatments that utilize natural herbal solutions typically take a bit longer to work than commercially sold products. However, a natural, organic approach to dealing with head lice is gentler and safer, particularly for small children or those who may have sensitive skin. Some natural remedies may include the use of herbal oils such as tea-tree, lavender, and geranium, massaging the mixture into the scalp, loosening the nits from the hair shafts and enabling them to be combed out.

A variety of home remedies that have been circulating for hundreds of years are rather effective at eradicating an infestation of head lice. Besides the many herbal oils commonly used, other methods people swear by include covering the scalp with shaving cream to kill both lice and their eggs, shampooing the hair with antiseptic mouthwash, and using a solution of baby oil and vinegar.

Saturating the hair and scalp with petroleum jelly may also work by suffocating the lice. However, this method may be quite messy and require several washings to completely remove it. Corn flour or regular baking flour may help to absorb some of the petroleum jelly before washing the hair.

Combing

Another one of the more common louse treatments that does not involve the use of harsh chemicals is simply combing the hair thoroughly with a special fine-toothed comb. Ideally, the comb should be made of metal teeth that are no more than three-tenths of a millimeter apart. This ensures that each strand of hair is covered and each louse is collected by the comb. One nit left behind can result in a complete re-infestation in a mere week.

Some people choose to use a flea comb in place of one intended for removing lice, although you should never, under any circumstances, use flea product solution on a human in an attempt to kill lice. Other "don'ts" when it comes to lice removal are using kerosene, gasoline, or isopropyl alcohol, all of which can be extremely hazardous and cause serious injury.