Question:
Can anybody help me with a continuing problem of head lice. My four your
old little girl keeps on getting them . We have cut her hair shorter, keep
it tied up constantly in the company of other children. Tried the
conditioner and head lice comb , tried tea tree oil shampoo and conditioner
and also tried boiling up Quassia and spraying it on every morning. I don't
want to use chemicals on her.
Can anybody suggest a treatment which REALLY works ??
Answer:
You have already used chemicals on her. The active chemicals in tea tree
extract appear to have little effect upon lice, while they can cause
serious irritation of skin. You boiled your Quassia in the most powerful
known solvent chemical, using about the amount that is lethal if promptly
ingested. Your entire body, and every food you eat, is made of up
chemicals. I think you get the idea.
Pharmaceutical lice treatments also use--you guessed it--chemicals.
However, they are chemicals which are highly toxic to most lice (some are
resistant to some treatments) and only mildly toxic to humans if used as
labeled. They have also been extensively studied and tested for toxicity to
humans, unlike the "natural" remedies, whose effects and safety are mostly
unknown. Most will require nitpicking and a repeat treatment, as some eggs
are missed and continue to hatch.
There is, however, a mechanical means, using the class of chemicals known
as "oils". Vegetable oils or vaseline can be used, totally covering the
hair for a few hours. This will suffocate the adult lice, after which you
can wash it out. But you still have to pick the nits, as they will be
unaffected.
Whichever method you use, you also need to eliminate live lice and eggs
from headgear, bedding, stuffed animals, etc. For more details, see the
Lousy FAQ at .
