Apple cider vinegar vs. tea tree oil for head lice and nits?

Question

The Dr. gave us Lindane shampoo. It works on the bugs but not the nits (eggs). I won't use any more poison on my kids. It scares me. I need something to kill and remove the nits. Can I mix the vinegar and tea tree oil together? Do you leave it on overnight? What works best to get rid of these nits? I have picked and pulled. Please help!

Answer 1

You are correct, Lindane is not the best treatment for children because it can be absorbed thru the skin and is neurotoxic. I am unaware of any cases of actual damage, but the potential is certainly there.

The permathin and pyrethrin meds for lice kill many of the nits, but not always all of them. Lice have developed resistance to them. Added to this, your local school board may have a "no nit" policy before your child can return to school. This is all the more frustrating because the female louse is very efficient in cementing her eggs on the hair close to the scalp. Nit casings found more than a centimeter from the scalp are old and empty, or contain dead nits. Finally, these empty casings and even flecks of dandruff are mistaken for nits, thus the child is ordered back home.

Removing all nits can be arduous. If only a few, cut the individual hairs out. If many, a solution of one part vinegar and one part water messaged into the hair will help loosen the bond and make it somewhat easier to remove with a nit comb, that is, a very fine tooth comb. I can't speak for the effectiveness of tea tree oil.

I thought I saw an article on lice treatment using just a hair dryer. You might research this.

Answer 2

Apple Cider Vinegar For Lice

Answer 3

Here is a non-toxic all natural home remedy especially designed to rid lice infestations in children's hair: (from the Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine)

1. Carefully brush the child's head with a mixture of 3 parts olive oil and 1 part lavender essential oil.
* First apply to a small area to test for allergic sensitivity or skin reaction.
* The hair should be saturated with the olive oil mixture and a shower cap put on for 5 hours.
* The olive oil clogs the breathing pores of the lice and they can't hold their breath for more than 4 hours.

2. Follow this by an apple cider vinegar rinse to unglue the nits from the hair.
* Nits or lice eggs are fairly small and can be pearly to grey in color.

3. Then, using a fine-tooth comb, parents should comb the child's hair meticulously to remove the lice eggs from the hair shaft.

4. And finally, wash the child's hair with a natural shampoo.

Once completed, check the child's hair every other day for the next 10 days, and if needed repeat the treatment.

( You could try adding a few drops of tea tree oil in the vinegar rinse for extra strength)

Answer 4

i am a professional nitpicker in NJ and i have helped 100s of families eliminate headlice and nits over the years: Comb out is the only way to go- get a good finetooth metal comb like Licemeister or Terminator. Smother hair with a thick conditioner. Take thin sections hair and comb the hair out, strand by strand. 3-4 thorough comb-out would eliminate lice and nits permanently. this is the safest and surest method. also watch video @ www.headlice.org about how to do the comb-out. pl avoid lindane. good luck!

Answer 5

I'd do tea tree oil you need the RID to kill the eggs. I'd do one more treatment - then switch over...

Then keep on the head pure shampoo daily
wash everything you own -

Answer 6

Apple Cider Vinegar Secrets - http://AppleCiderVinegar.siopu.com/?NcL