Head Lice Olive Oil

A Home Remedy For Curing Head Lice

Head Lice Olive Oil is probably the best treatment for getting rid of head lice.

Why? - Because is it a natural form and natural product with. The Oilve Oil actually smoothers the head and stops the lice from moving or breathing. It is known as the best solution out there.

Olive Oil is the best smothering agent. It has been lab-tested and found to be effective in killing head lice. Olive oil has few, if any, allergic properties and is relatively inexpensive. The least expensive grade - pumace or restaurant grade - is best. And olive oil can be purchased with food stamps.

Head lice breathe through holes in their sides. When you cover these holes with olive oil, the lice will die. However, they do not die instantly, it takes a while for them to die, head lice can shut down their systems for hours. That's why you need to know exactly how and when to use a smothering program.

Smothering head lice is a safe and effective treatment option, but it can be somewhat complicated. To smother successfully, you have to be persistent and know when and how to apply the smothering agent.

Technique

• Apply either olive oil or conditioner to dry hair aiming to cover each hair from root to tip.
• Detangle the hair using an ordinary comb.
• Immediately comb the hair with a fine tooth comb.
• The best comb for this is the Lice Meister comb. However, plastic nit combs are also very effective for detecting climbers.
• Wipe the olive oil or conditioner off the fine tooth comb onto a paper tissue and look for lice and eggs.
• Repeat the combing for every part of the head at least 5 times.
• Also examine the comb for lice and eggs.
   
  Conditioner stuns lice for 20 minutes. So once the hair is properly covered with a layer of conditioner, do not delay in combing those little suckers out!

Can you use Mayonnaise, Butter or Vaseline?
Like olive oil, mayonnaise, butter and vaseline are smothering agents. However, unlike olive oil, these substances are difficult to get out of the hair, particularly in the case of vaseline. Children are often repelled by the smell of butter and mayonnaise and both these substances can turn rancid, and cause problems if children suck on their hair.

Mineral oil (including baby oil) is not recommended because it can be harmful to mucous membranes.

How do you Clean the Home Environment?
Some entomologists believe that you do not have to clean the home environment at all because head lice die very quickly once they are off the human head (36-48 hours), are very slow moving off the head, and nits need a human blood meal within 45 minutes of hatching to survive.

If you find yourself obsessing about house cleaning, you need to take a deep breath and refocus your energies back to the infested person's head.

When is it safe to send my child back to school?
In this day and age most schools have a no-nit policy to control head lice outbreaks. If your child catches head lice whilst at school it is best to inform them straight away. You will then need to keep your child away from school until you have completed your head lice treatment. When you have completed one pediculicidal (shampoo) treatment & one olive oil treatment (or two olive oil treatments) and a thorough nit combing and manually removed all nits, you can send your child back to school. At this point, there should be nothing left on the head that is capable of moving onto another head.

Simple Head Lice Questions
Can you catch head lice from using a swimming pool ?
This is xxtremely unlikely because head lice shut down in water.

Can you get AIDS from head lice?
There has never been a case of someone getting AIDS from head lice. Head lice are not known to transmit infectious agents from person to person.

Can heat kill lice?
Yes, lice hate dry heat. The best way to clear your clothes and bedding is to place all possible infected items into a tumble dryer. Leave them in there for 20 minutes or more and this should ensure all lice and eggs are gone.

What if you can't see the nits to pick them out?
You need good quality light and a pair of glasses if your eyesight is not at its best. If you have poor eyesight, get someone to help you or purchase a blue vision visor which magnifies nits 2 1/2 times at a distance of 8".
Daylight is best. If it is evening time after school, then sit directly under a decent light in your home. Sit near a window and shine a bright light on the infested person's head. 

Why is manual nit picking so important?
Every successful head lice removal program must include manual nit picking. Even if you treat with chemicals and/or olive oil you must also incorporate manual nit picking into your treatment program because nothing has proved successful in killing nits. Head lice lay their eggs close to the scalp, especially during warm weather. Therefore, removing all the nits by hand is the only sure way to get an infestation under control. 

How do you get head lice?
Head lice do not hop, jump or fly. They migrate through direct contact with an infested person and their belongings.

How widespread are head lice?
First of all it is important to know that head lice is not considered a disease. Public health departments do not keep any records for head lice. Schools are more interested in trying to keep children out who have been infested with head lice as they can spread quickly. However, schools and manufacturers of lice products estimate head lice cases at 12- 25 million infestations a year in the United States alone. Most of those infested are children under the age of twelve.