Many people---especially children and people who live with children---come into contact with head lice when they share space. When people touch heads to one another, share items like brushes and blankets and wear each other's hats and other clothing, head lice can easily spread. Common treatments to get rid of head lice are over-the-counter synthetic insecticides. You may choose to try an alternative head lice treatment if you haven't been successful with other treatments or if you're concerned about the toxicity levels of potent lice treatments.
Suffocants
The most popular alternative treatments for head lice are suffocants. These treatments, though not entirely proven to work by scientific studies, function by suffocating or creating an otherwise inhospitable head environment for lice. Common suffocants are mayonnaise, cooking and mineral oils and petroleum jelly.
Treatment Instructions
The suffocant of choice should be spread evenly and liberally over the scalp to ensure that the whole head is completely saturated. After being saturated in suffocant, the head should be covered with a tight shower cap and left that way for up to eight hours. No study has yet confirmed a sufficient amount of time, though leaving the suffocant on for longer may be more likely to work. After removing the shower cap, the head should be washed fully with shampoo. Note that some suffocants (such as petroleum jelly) may be difficult to get out in just one washing session.
Manual Removal of Lice
Lice won't fall off the hair after the head has been treated. Some lice that reside closer to the scalp may still be viable, so it is crucial to remove them manually after the suffocant has been washed out. To successfully remove lice, a louse comb or fingernails should be used. Wet hair should be segmented into inch-wide tufts, and the comb or fingernails should start at the root of the hair and comb (or pull) away until they reach the end of each hair segment. Afterwards, lice should be wiped off onto a tissue. Extra time should be spent examining areas around the ears and nape of neck, as lice tend to accumulate in these areas. Hair should be washed once more after a full inspection and manual removal.
Lice Removal Aides
Manually removing lice may be more difficult on some heads than on others. A one-to-one combination of water and vinegar soaked into the scalp for up to an hour, a natural over-the-counter nit removal aid product or an emollient like mayonnaise or petroleum jelly may also be used to aid in the manual removal of remaining nits.
Follow-Up
Head inspections should continue for seven to 10 days after initial treatment. After this point, treatments should be repeated just to make sure all hatched eggs and other survivors are gone. Also, a full hot-water washing of floors, recently worn clothing, recently used hair products and all household bedding should be done to ensure that no lice remain on anything that could come into contact with heads.
