What Really Works for Head Lice?

Apply Melaleuca oil directly to the scalp and then wash hair with a shampoo that contains Melaleuca oil. This works as a treatment and as a preventative!

Please be cautious, chemical head lice treatments are listed on the cancer coalition website as one of the top 3 contributors of childhood cancer.
Tea Tree Oil works wonderful and is non toxic. For more info on safer alternatives and purchasing high quality melaleuca(tea tree) oil visit www.LiveTotalWellness.com/texas to request info.
Blessings,

Try to avoid the strong shampoos like RID (sometimes lice become immune to it and it's not all that good for you, can burn your scalp etc).

I used "Lice Freeeee" which is non-toxic. It took me two applications (but I had a really bad infestation) Leave it on for as long as you can. I then used Neem tree oil shampoo and conditioner on me and my boys to keep them away (you can get it at Whole Foods). Neem tree extract kills adult lice but not the eggs, so it helps stop re-infestation when you go back to school.

Good luck! It's no fun. Knock on wood our school has been free of them for 4 months now, but it took us checking heads every single day for about 2 weeks.

My daughter got head lice last year from school. We tried several things before we were finally able to beat them once and for all. We used Listerine and then followed that with NIX. You put the Listerine on their hair and cover it with saran wrap for 2 hours. Wash the hair with shampoo ONLY and then apply NIX. Just follow the directions on the packaging. After that, make sure you comb the hair really well. Also, don't use the plastic combs that come with the kits. Buy a metal one. THey work much better. I combed her hair with it for 2 or 3 days after the treatment to make sure we got everything. Also, be sure that when you comb their hair, that you do it in bright light. The nits are really hard to see, especially if they have light colored hair. Good luck!

I dont know about the all natural treatments...sounds like a good idea.

But my Mom used on us either RID OR NIX. I am hispanic and have a FULL head of hair and let me just say this was never a fun experience for me. I dont remember which one had the thicker comb in it but i liked it better since i have thick hair. The thinner comb would be better for those with fine hair.

Yes it smelled and horrible but worked! We didnt have to do more than one treatments on me. My mom also washed all laundry sheets, towels and clothing in the RID/NIX detergent treatment they have. As well as boiling all brushes and combs in the house. I dont know if she treated the carpet our house...I think she might of bombed the house when all the kids got it.

Let me tell you what...she got rid of them! At least until we got it again from school.

Attched links below for further info on them and NIX site has helpful info on it.

http://www.nixlice.com/
http://www.ridlice.com/products.html

I did not read thru all the advice already given, but I know what has worked for my daughter, and she has LONG, THICK hair!!! I covered her entire head with mayonaise, then put a shower cap on her. Wait 45 mins to an hour then wash it out. It killed all the living beasts, but I had to pull all the eggs out by hand. I tried EVERYTHING else before this though. I even went to my doctor for prescription strength chemicals, and that did'nt even work. So, go with the MAYO and good luck! Oh and don't forget to spray that stuff (I don't remember what its called) that kills lice on bedding, etc... I took her bedding, pillows, etc.. and put it in a plastic bag and sprayed that "stuff" in it, tied it up and let it sit for 24 hours. All my friends that have children that have been faced with this joy, have been successful with the mayo :-) Plus its a great conditioner

After you use a treatment, whatever you choose, you must and I cannot stress this enough - you MUST comb through and remove ALL eggs by hand. It is time consuming and tedious, but it is the only way to get it done. (The two times my daughter got it, I used RID and it worked great, didn't hurt anyone)

Walgreens has a product called "lice ice" that is supposed to be the one to get. I have heard it is easier to use than most of the other treatments. Good Luck!

For actual lice (i.e. the crawling bugs) use vinegar. Hold your kids head over a sink and pour vinegar over it. You'll see the bugs fall off immediately. But, this won't to anything for the eggs. You'll need the chemicals like Nix for that. Use the vinegar, then wash with shampoo, then apply the chemicals.

Hello S.,

how about using essential oils?

Personally I use NEEM shampoo and conditioner -- it has rosemary oil (Lice don't like rosemary oil). Here are a couple of links that may be helpful. Good luck! ~C.~

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chek out this link from last february.
http://www.mamasource.com/request/4018130717102833665

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check out this website
Head Lice Treatments By: Shiloah Baker
http://www.homemakingcottage.com/health/lice.html

~~~Herbal Lice Treatment ~~~
12 drops Eucalyptus essential oil
25 drops Rosemary essential oil
13 drops Geranium essential oil
25 drops Lavender essential oil
5 drops Tea tree oil essential oil
5 drops Cypress essential oil
5 drops Citrus essential oil
3 oz. vegetable oil

Shake ingredients in a shaker i.e.: cruet. Let sit on hair for 2-3 hours. Wrap hair in saran wrap or put a plastic shower cap over the hair. This should do 2 treatments. This is a very effective method of getting rid of these bugs (At least it worked well for my family). Put this treatment on dry hair for best results and then cover with a shower cap.

The most important thing to do to get rid of the lice is to make sure that you get ALL of the nits out. They are the eggs and will hatch. This is the one thing that is not killed by any treatments, even the store treatments. You must pull them out by hand. When my children had lice, I spent hours and hours pulling the nits and the bugs out by hand. We used the beer and the essential oil treatments. If you have any suggestions to add, please email.

-Shiloah Baker

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PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!use a commercial lice treatment! The all natural stuff is GREAT at killing the adult lice, but not the eggs, which means they are gonna keep hatching and keep laying more eggs and the cycle wont end. I just treated my 9 yo daughter with a kit I bought at the pharmacy, yes it has chemicals in it, but it kills EVERYTHING, you use it on the first day and then again a week later and you are done, no more lice. You can use the neem oil in your shampoo to repel the lice so they wont get them again, but it won't break the cycle

use dog shampoo, its cheap and it works, make sure it says on there it will kill lice. then just comb out the nits