How to Kill Head Lice With Suffocants and Home Remedies
Lice breathe through holes in the side of their bodies called spiracles. Some of the newest over the counter products to hit the market are specially designed to form a film around the lice and clog the spiracles, eventually suffocating the lice.
It would be nice if olive oil or mayonnaise were a reliable solution for head lice. Unfortunately studies show that these home remedies aren’t very effective. Even Nuvo/Cetaphil Cleanser, which is 96% effective, requires three 8-hour treatments, spaced over an interval of three weeks.
While suffocants can be effective against the lice, they don’t kill the nits (lice eggs). Nits have a very low metabolic activity so it’s hard to suffocate something that hardly breathes. According to an article published by the University of Nebraska, head lice can survive being submersed in water for over 14 hours. Nits require even less oxygen and can survive much longer.
*In general the following treatments are to be applied twice, with the
second treatment scheduled 7 to 10 days after the first application. A
manual combing is also recommended after the treatment to remove the
nits. Total time for each treatment is between 1 to 2 hours.
*For more specific treatment instructions click on the treatment links below each product.
Benzyl Alcohol
Benzyl Alcohol paralyzes the breathing holes of head lice, which in turn suffocates the lice. According to the CDC, Benzyl Alcohol does not kill the nits, and must be applied a 2nd time, one week after the first treatment.
Ulesfia
Treatment
Dimethicone
Dimethicone is a silicone oil and, in general, is considered to be inert, non-toxic and non-flammable.
LiceMD
Treatment
Spinosad
The active ingredient in Spinosad comes from a naturally occurring soil dwelling microorganism, which interestingly enough was collected from the soil in an abandoned rum distillery on a Caribbean Island. Spinosad causes neuronal excitation in insects. After periods of hyperexcitation, lice become paralyzed and die – Natroba – health care professionals.
Natroba
Treatment
In addition to Spinosad, Natroba also contains Benzyl Alcohol which, mentioned before, acts as a suffocant for lice. In a study of 552 subjects, 86% were lice-free 14 days after the treatment. FDA Press Release
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