How to Treat Lice with Olive Oil
Lice, those small, crawling insects that live on the scalp and cause itching, are a persistent nuisance. Many parents find themselves
throwing their hands up in dismay when trying to get rid of a case of head lice and nits. There are many over-the-counter pediculidecontaining shampoos designed to treat lice, but they're rarely completely effective in one treatment, they expose your child to harsh
chemicals, and they fail to dissolve the casing of nits that will hatch into new bugs. Research has shown olive oil to be a safe, effective
and natural way to treat lice.
Difficulty:Moderate
Instructions
Things You'll Need
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Shower cap
Olive oil
Metal lice comb
Dish detergent
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Hair dryer
Bobby pins/hair
clips
Bright light
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Magnifying
glass (optional)
Towels
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Bowl of warm,
soapy water
Drench dry hair with olive oil, making sure to get it all the way through the hair. Saturate the scalp especially well since this is
where lice try to suck to gain nutrition. Make sure they will suck up a good amount of olive oil.
Pile your hair on top of your head and cover with a shower cap. It will be oily, sticky and uncomfortable, so you may want to put
a towel around your neck or tie the shower cap in place with absorbent gauze or a cotton bandanna.
Leave the shower cap on for up to 8 hours but no less than 3 hours. Studies have shown that lice are able survive for up to 2
hours when submerged in oils or other liquid agents. The longer you leave the cap on, the better.
Place towels or newspapers on the floor underneath a chair positioned near a bright light. Prepare a bowl of warm, soapy water
to have nearby. You'll need it to swish the lice comb between combings. Be prepared to see many dead insects and nits (viable
eggs) floating in the water.
Remove the shower cap and let the excess oil drip onto the floor coverings. Separate hair into four sections, and then use bobby
pins to separate each of those sections into 1- to 2-inch locks of hair. Hold each lock of hair straight away from the scalp and
twist it like a rope so you can loop the "rope" over and pin it to the scalp once that lock has been thoroughly combed. This will
keep it out of the way and help you remember which areas of the scalp have been combed.
Use a metal lice comb, like the Lice Meister, to comb each section of hair (see Resources below). Hold the lock out straight, tilt
the comb at a slight angle and slowly comb from the scalp to the end of the hair. Swish the comb in the soapy water to remove
any dead lice or nits.
Continue combing until all the hair has been combed and looks free of visible lice and nits.
Wash your hair with dish detergent to remove the olive oil. This works best if you don't wet the hair first. Rinse, repeat if the
hair is still very oily and then shampoo with regular shampoo.
Dry your hair with a hair dryer, starting at the scalp and working your way out. The heat of the hair dryer will help to kill any
remaining lice and maybe even blow away some of the empty nit casings.
Look through your dry hair to find any nits that might have been missed, and use the lice comb one more time.
Repeat this procedure every day for at least 2 weeks. It's the only way to make sure you've caught all the lice. Their life cycle
runs about 12 days, and any nits you may have missed could have a chance to hatch if you don't continue treating every couple
of days.
Tips & Warnings
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Nits are usually found within 1/4 inch of the
scalp. They are grayish-brown and "glued" to
the hair shaft; sometimes you can even see
the lice larvae inside. You may need to scrape
them off with your fingernail to get all of
them. Nit casings are usually further down the
hair shaft and lighter in color than the viable
eggs.
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This process can take a long time. Consider
setting up in front of a television so you or
your child can watch a movie during the
combing.
Most plastic lice combs are relatively
ineffective. The only combs endorsed by the
American Academy of Pediatrics are metal
lice combs.
3 EASY STEPS TO CLEANING & ENVIRONMENTAL CARE
Place items that can safely be dried on high heat in a dryer for 20 – 30 minutes.
2. Vacuum items that cannot be dried.
3. If an item cannot be dried or vacuumed. Set it aside for 2 weeks.
1.
That is it! Remember, the focus of head lice elimination should be on the manual
removal of all lice eggs and nits from the head. Remember lice are not living in the
environment, they are living on you. Cleaning should be done initially after your first big
nitpick and cleaning should be repeated daily after follow up nitpicks and treatments.
EVERY PARENT NEEDS TO KNOW THE FACTS OF LICE
What Are Head Lice?
Head lice are small grey or reddish brown bugs (1mm to 4mm long) depending on their age. Baby lice are called
Nymphs. Lice live on the human head. They do not live on pets or on other parts of the body. They feed on blood
and cannot survive off the head for more than 24 to 48 hours without a blood meal. They also do not hop, jump or
fly. Thank God! Lice lay eggs called (Nits) these are teardrop shaped and are glued to the hair shaft on an angel and
on one side of the hair shaft. The viable eggs are typically brownish/yellow. Empty egg cases are clear, opaque,
almost see through. They are never white in color. Female lice lay 3 to 5 eggs per day and live for 30 days. They
need a male to mate with. Lice eggs take 7 to 10 days to hatch and another 7 to 10 days to be mature enough to
mate.