Destroy Head Lice IMMEDIATELY and Naturally!



It's something that can make anyone itch. Head lice. Even if you haven't had it, you get those heeby-jeebies! If you have had it, it makes your bank account cry and your skin crawl.

We had a massive encounter with those pesky little critters 2 years ago. Someone was coming over every weekend and spending the night for over a month. Come to find out, her parents KNEW she had them the whole time. Well, we tried the expensive chemical treatments from the store 3 times. Nothing seemed to work. It was just before Christmas, so the joy seemed to leave with each and every failed attempt to get rid of them. After much research and many different trial/error procedures, we finally found the only thing that worked in one treatment. *I need to add, this actually kills each and every live bug and nit. The vinegar actually dissolves the "glue" they use to attach the egg to the hair strand, while the menthol in the listerine dissolves the bodies and shells of the live lice and the nits. There will be nothing alive if you saturate the hair. THAT is why this is better than chemicals that can harm a human, and better than mayonnaise treatments that can take hours and only suffocate live bugs IF applied correctly (which you still have to repeat every 2 days for 10 days anyways to make sure you get all of them and the eggs as they hatch!).*

What you need:

• Spray bottle (dollar stores carry them)
• Listerine (or any menthol mouthwash, make sure it's the highest "menthol" % you can buy)
• Distilled White Vinegar
• Fine tooth comb (our favorite is the double sided comb from the newborn baby kits)
• Coconut shampoo and conditioner (we use the cheap Suave stuff)
• Tea Tree Oil (Walmart $7.97 for 2oz bottle)

Directions:

• Brush any knots out of the hair
• Add 1 part Listerine and 1 part Vinegar to spray bottle. Do not dillute with water.
• Use a towel to catch any drip that may get near the face, neck, and shoulders.
• Saturate the hair completely with the mixture, making sure to get deep into the scalp and to the roots. Keep the towel over both shoulders and back for easy wiping. Do NOT get the mixture in the eyes!
• Cover head with plastic, or just leave open for at LEAST 1 hour. (2-3 hours would be preferred) For thinner hair (such as young toddlers), keep saturating hair as needed, to keep wet.
• Rinse and scrub hair and scalp under warm water thoroughly.
• Comb through hair with fine tooth comb, making sure to take it in small sections, and scraping along the scalp to start. If there is anything in the head, it will be dead by now and will just come out easily, including the nits (eggs). Everything is quite small, so keep an eye out.
• If the head is pretty clean, then you can just wash and condition hair as usual with coconut (add 2-3 drops of Tea Tree Oil) shampoo/conditioner. They do NOT like coconut OR tto.
• If there is a lot pulled out, it wouldn't hurt to repeat the process right away or even the following day.

For young children, this could seem like a torture tactic. We made it fun, like a "spa" treatment. We played music, sprayed and combed the hair, watched a movie and had treats during the wait period, then continued our "spa day" with a wash/comb/style. If you can think of something to keep your child occupied, use it! Whether it be a toy, book, tv, or kids songs to sing, if it keeps them fairly still it will make it so much easier(yes, it IS possible...if MY kids can do it, anyone's can!!).

I used to have this insane fear and panic about lice. Yes, it's digusting and humiliating, but it doesn't have to be a stressful experience. You want to wash pillows and sheets, etc. But other than that, just think of it as a spa treatment for your deserving child. We all need a little spa time, so why not make them think it's not so bad? If you are stressed, they will sense it, making it tougher. Keep it fun. I don't feel like having to worry about lice, but it's not a fear anymore. It's just another load of laundry, really. Why not take the time to bond with your child during all of it? Watch a movie, play a game, or even sing at the piano together. Either way, make it something everyone can smile about and realize it's not the end of the world.

I have NEVER had to deal with this up until 2 years ago. Since then, it has been 2 other times. Because we use the coconut shampoo and conditioner every other time they get their hair washed (the other times is just the regular toddler shampoo), the little pests don't want anything to do with this family. YAY! We are still careful.

Hopefully this has been something helpful for you and your family. Please leave comments if you use this method and what your outcome was. It would definitely be something to get out to anyone you know who may have to deal with this. Let's hope no one needs it ever, but if it is needed, that it is a go-to.