Can rubbing alcohol kill head lice?
I was a bit alarmed by the question “Can rubbing alcohol kill head lice?”
It is quite understandable that, when faced with persistant head lice, the thought of doing ANYTHING to get rid of the little critters would appeal….desperation is a powerful emotion!
But can rubbing alcohol kill head lice?
The chances are that rubbing alcohol could stun head lice making them easier to remove with a good quality nit comb. However, there is no evidence to suggest that the alcohol would kill head lice. An awful lot of alcohol would need to be rubbed in during the attempt to asphyxiate (suffocate) head lice and the consequences of that do not bear thinking about:
- consider how unpleasant the stench of alcohol being rubbed into the scalp to kill head lice would be.
- the alcohol (especially when rubbed) would irritate the scalp leaving it extra sensitive during nit combing (an activity that can leave the scalp tender anyway if done too long).
- the hair would be stripped of its natural oils leaving it frizzy and dry.
- there is a risk of flammability making this a high risk approach to killing head lice.
When answering the question “Can rubbing alcohol kill head lice?” , Freedom From Head Lice would express extreme reservations about taking such an aggressive approach to attempting to kill head lice.
Examining posts on this site will reveal alternative strategies to eliminate head lice that are less risky and much more effective.
The approach that I would personally recommend from experience is the Best Head Lice Remedy by Joy Elizabeth. A full review of this product can be found if you CLICK HERE.
What is the best Head lice natural cure?
When looking for a head lice natural cure, many parents are expressing caution over using chemical or prescribed treatments for head lice and following that primal instinct to protect their child from unnatural treatments.
There are arguments for head lice being naturally cured as well as for pharmacy purchased head lice treatments. Discussion on this theme is ongoing through the posts on Freedom From Head Lice.
In the opinion of Freedom From Head Lice, the best natural cure for head lice comes from the instructions in Best Head Lice Remedy by Joy Elizabeth. This comprehensive set of notes and videos gives the reader all of the necessary information to treat head lice naturally and safely with minimal disruption to the family.
Freedom From Head Lice have tested the treatment detailed in Joy Elizabeth’s book and have found it to be extremely effective in eliminating head lice …all for less than the cost of one bottle of over-the-counter head lice remedy.
To find out more about Best Head Lice Remedy CLICK HERE for the full review.
Best Head Lice Treatment - Product Review
Joy Elizabeth’s book “Best Head Lice Treatment” really delivers a straight forward, inexpensive and, most importantly, effective home remedy for treating head lice.
Most parents feel a huge array of emotions when their child becomes infested with head lice: revulsion (being infested with head lice is an unpleasant thought and experience), confusion (”How did this happen?”) , desperation (”When will I ever get rid of these lice?”). Joy Elizabeth deals with all of these questions in this digital product in a compassionate and direct manner that inspires confidence to address the problem quickly and with dignity for the person who has head lice.
What is different about Best Head Lice Treatment?
The recipie for treating head lice is easy to follow and quick to prepare. As well as the ebook ordered, there are audio recordings and two short videos making Best Head Lice Treatment different from its competitors in that there is this comprehensive bundle of digital products that bring you the power to conquer head louse infestation.
For a full review of Best Head Lice Treatment CLICK HERE.
Reducing head lice contagion in schools
Head lice contagion in schools is a particular issue with children under the age of 7. The whole way that learning and classroom layout are structured for younger children means that heads being in close proximity (whilst children learn and play) makes the head louse’ migration a very simple task.
Obviously, those children with long hair are at a higher risk of receiving or spreading head lice. For this reason, an essential starting point for reducing head lice contagion in schools is to insist that long hair is tied back securely to avoid accidental hair to hair contact and head louse migration..
Personal and Social education is also essential for raising awareness and understanding of how lice pass from head to head and how the children themselves can, through awareness of their actions, minimise head lice contagion. As part of a school Head Lice Policy, pupils can also be taught how to manage and outbreak of head lice themselves so that nobody need be left with a severe and unmanaged head lice infestation.
A Head Lice Policy is a useful tool with which to open discussion about lice, head louse contagion and head lice treatments and forms a foundation stone for reducing head lice contagion in schools.
If you are having problems with your child being infested with head lice at school, Joy Elizabeth’s “Best Head Lice Remedy” is a great solution that I can personnally recommend.The book is inexpensive and will give you a tried and tested home remedy for head lice that will cost less that a single treatment from your local pharmacy yet can be used again and again when your kids pick up lice from school. Your purchase includes training videos, audio support and email answers to questions from the author. All this combines to make for a really successful and safe home treatment for head lice.
Lindane for treating head lice
Lindane is the most toxic head lice killer (pediculicide) available. It is a cyclodiene pesticide. Patients report an unpleasant sensation when using this treatment. This is caused by the head lice twitching on the scalp as they experience a slow death.
There is another disadvantage to using Lindane - it is not greatly successful in killing the head louse eggs (only 45 - 70% ovicidal) which means that re-infestation is likely and one treatment will definately NOT eradicate head lice.
There are claims that, because of its widespread and sustained use, head lice are also becoming resistant to Lindane. However, it is a toxic substance and sustained use carries a risk of side - effects.
To reduce the chances of side-effects, patients should use no more that 2oz of Lindane shampoo per treatment. Patients should also wear gloves to reduce absorption into the blood stream. If there is broken skin it should not be applied.
Lindane also increases the absorpancy of the hair meaning that no other hair products or oils should be applied for several days afterwards to prevent undesired effects on the hair.
On balance, there are much safer options for treating head lice than using Lindane. In many parts of the world it has been banned from animal usage…which should give us pause for thought before using it on humans.
Lindane is often a low-cost treatment for head lice and serious side-effects experienced have usually been experienced through misuse. However, if cost is an issue, a high quality nit comb and hair conditioner is a cheap and effective treatment for head lice.
Dangerous pesticides should NEVER be used to treat head lice
It has been known for some people to resort to dangerous pesticides as a way of treating head lice that are only intended for use on animals. Some veterinary preparations for treating fleas also list lice as one of the things the preparation will treat. NEVER use a product that has not been tested and licenced for human use on yourself or your child ….there could be serious side-effects from doing so….even respiratory disorders and fatalities have been reported.
Thorough combing for treating head lice
Thorough nit combing as a means to eliminate head lice is rapidly becoming the nit treatment method of choice for many parents as the persistance of head louse infestation in some schools is making it an unpleasant prospect using chemicals on childrens’ head in the medium to long term.
Pesticides are all toxic to some extent and can eventually lead to head lice becoming resistant to them.
Other treatments for head lice have uncertain safety or efficiacy records (as discussed in earlier posts) and some, such as flammable treatments, are downright dangerous!
For all of the above reasons, many pharmacists are recommending using a high quality nit comb such as LiceMeister and Nitty Gritty combs which have the capacity to remove unhatched eggs, nits, nymphs and live lice from the scalp. Combs such as these top of the range nit combs make nit combing an easy job.
I remember the first time that I used the NittyGritty comb on my daughter’s hair. I had carried out what I thought was an effective nit combing with a cheap metal nit comb one day previously and believed myself to have done a thorough job. Two days later I pulled out over 100 nymphs, 13 more adult lice and a terrifying amount of nits and eggs. A high quality nit comb is a must if your child is being contaminated with head lice. With a bit of conditioner and a thorough nit combing of the hair every two days, an head louse infestation can be completely cleared up within a maximum of 2 weeks without any toxic chemicals going onto your child. They will then stay clear of head lice provided they are not in continued contact with someone who has lice. For this reason, it is wise to check the whole family’s scalps for lice when you first suspect an outbreak.
Permethrin as a treatment for head lice
Permethrin (trade name Nix Creme Rinse) is a synthetic pyrethroid pesticide. If you have a crysanthemum allergy you may also be allergic to permethrin as they have a similar chemical base.
Permethrin is not 100% ovicidal meaning that between 70 and 95% of eggs may be killed during treatment. However, that remaining 5 - 30% of surviving and hatching eggs may go on to produce a repeat head louse infestation. One treatment is never enough to completely solve the problem. There are also claims that some head lice are becoming resistant to permethrin. Vigilence after treatment in essential to ensure complete eradication of head lice.
Permethrin is traditionally administered in shampoo form which is then left for 10 minutes before rinsing. Part of the appeal of this method of treating headlice is the speed of treatment compared to formulae that need to be left applied for several hours.
Are Synergised pyrethrins effective treatment for head lice?
What is synergised pyretherin?
Synergised pyretherin is the name given to a chemical insecticide that the Chrysanthemum plant produces naturally.
Are synergised pyrethrins effective for killing head lice?
Head lice have the ability to oxidise the chemicals in synergised pyrethrins quite easily unless a synergising agent is added to boost their pesiticidal effectiveness. The most common additive of this kind is Piperonyl butoxide (derived from petroleum). The FDA states that this chemical combination is both safe and effective (class 1) for use of hair and scalps.
How is this combination used to treat head lice?
The most common carrier for synergised pyrethrins is shampoo that is lathered on wet hair and left for 10 minutes to before rinsing and re-washing the hair with non-medicated shampoo. This treatment will kill live lice but is not completely effective in killing head louse eggs. For this reason, treatment needs to be repeated in 7 - 10 days time to kill off any newly hatched head louse eggs before the nymphs become old enought to breed. This is FDA’s advice even though some products claim to kill both lice and eggs and therefore suggests one treatment for effective head lice elimination.
Cautionary advice about using synergised pyrethrins….
-
If you are allergic to Chrysathemums, kerosene, ragweed or any product derived from petroleum, you must not use synergised pyrethrins to treat head lice.
-
In any case avoid using the product near to mucous membranes and wash hands thoroughly after use.
-
Some patients are claiming that lice are becoming resistant to synergised pyrethrins. Anecdotal evidence seem to back this up but scientific research is yet to be done on head lice resistance to treatment.
-
The Federal Trade Commission website can also be visited to see evidence of patients sold synergised pyrethrins as a product effective in killing head lice in a single treatment who have discovered that this is misrepresentation. This can be distressing for people (already distressed by having head lice) thinking they have effectively dealt with the problem then finding they are still infested with head lice.
Alternative treatments for head lice
There are several companies that are promoting a variety of “alternative head lice remedies” that are, in fact, totally unproven as effective head lice remedies.
These remedies tend to include ingredients such as tea tree, rue and other herbal ingedients.
The problem with alternative treatments for head lice is that, if their efficiency is not scientifically proven, then their users may develop a false sense of security and confidence that proves later to be unfounded as the head lice infestation happens again or even worsens.
The other problem with alternative remedies for head lice can be that there are no firm guidelines about safe dosages to use. This may cause personal reactions to the ingredients ….or may even render the treatment of head lice unsafe if used incorrectly.
