Getting a note with the word L-I-C-E from your kid’s school or daycare is an absolute terror for parents. Most people would frantically search their homes for anything to eliminate the lice. Some people have even considered using hairspray, but does hairspray kill lice?
That’s what you are going to find out in this article. Among the few questions we shall be answering is if hairspray, hair gel, hair dye, and tea tree can kill lice and their nits. We shall also tell you what keeps lice away from hair and what can permanently remove them from hair.
Does Hairspray Kill Lice And Lice Eggs?
Hairspray does kill lice but not eggs(nits). It also slows down the infestation rate. By laying eggs and attaching them to hair follicles, lice can multiply and spread throughout your hair. Hairspray coats the hair follicles making it impossible for the lice to attach their eggs.
There are no fresh hatches if the female lice cannot attach their eggs, which slows the infestation of lice in your hair.
Hairspray has a sticky feel that lice don’t like; therefore, they avoid it. They can’t attach the eggs they lay well; hence they can’t reproduce successfully. Lice find it difficult to hop from one hair strand to the next when you have hairspray on your hair. A female lice adult needs to move freely in your hair since she lays six eggs daily.
However, excessive hair spray can weaken your hair follicles, so using it might not be a good idea. The hair falls more than usual because it becomes fragile and prone to breakage. Even though hair loss caused by hair sprays may not be permanent, it can nonetheless be upsetting.
Can Lice Survive Hair Spray?
Because hair spray is powerful enough to paralyze and suffocate lice, it might be difficult for them to survive. Try Lice Hair Spray from Amazon if an ordinary hair spray doesn’t work as well as you’d want. The legs of lice stick to their bodies when you apply hairspray to your hair. The legs will block the lice’s breathing openings, killing them.
A lice prevention spray made of essential oils is another option for preventing lice from spreading and surviving in your hair. You can use it to protect yourself and your family members from getting lice because it works so well. If you hear of any infections at school or when a family member has it, spray it on your children’s hair.
Even though essential oil hair spray prevents more infections than it treats, you should give it some thought. If the spray has essential oils such as geranium, citronella, tea tree, lavender, rosemary, and peppermint, it will ensure no lice survives.
It’s important to remember that not all essential oils are suitable for children when using this spray. You can learn more about here lice prevention sprays with essential oils.
Does Hair Gel Suffocate Lice?
Yes, hair gel can suffocate lice. The stiffening styling gel will perform better by preventing the lice’s breathing pores from opening. Unfortunately, the gel does not suffocate the nits(eggs) since they lack breathing pores. In a few days, the newly hatched lice nymphs will appear if you had not removed the nits through nit combing.
Imagine the new infestation when they all hatch since an adult female louse can lay up to eight eggs daily.
To use the gel effectively;
- Wash your hair with a regular shampoo.
- Using a nit comb remove all the nits you can.
- Apply the hair gel to your hair and scalp and let it harden.
- Wash your hair the following morning and dry it using a towel.
- Repeat the procedure for 10-14 days.
Does Hair Dye Kill Lice?
Because hair dye contains chemicals fatal to lice, it eliminates them. These claims, however, are not supported by studies but rather by Anecdotal evidence. For a hair dye to effectively kill lice, it must have alkaline ammonia as a component. Due to the toxic smell and irritating gas of ammonia, lice are extremely sensitive to it and typically die from it.
Hydrogen peroxide is a common component in hair dyes, and studies have shown that it works best to eliminate sea lice. However, experts have not researched enough to show their impact on head lice.
Unfortunately, hair dyes won’t help you stop lice infestation because they can’t get through nit shells. Second, applying hair dye to children’s hair is not recommended.
You shouldn’t use hair dye on eyebrows or eyelashes because it can irritate or cause injury. You should take precautions to prevent chemical reactions to the eyes, hair, scalp, and airways.
Can You Kill Lice By Straightening Your Hair?
Although straightening your hair can kill lice, you should consider the adverse effects first. Indeed, lice cannot survive in extreme heat. However, it can be hazardous for your child’s head because lice live near the scalp.
A hair straightener must make direct contact with the lice to kill them. Unfortunately, because they move so quickly, lice can be challenging to eliminate using a hair straightener. Using a straightener alone will not be effective since the egg shells will continue to stick to the hair strands until you apply a nit comb.
However, because the nits (eggs) can’t move, can you use a hair straightener to kill them? It will be a little difficult because the eggs’ thick shells can block the heat from penetrating inside.
Frequently exposing your scalp to high temperatures using a hair straightener can be harmful. Burns and hair damage are both possible. It’s unsafe to use a hair straightener on a child as well. Even if you focus on the hair only, lice will continue to lay eggs on the scalp, where they will eventually hatch.
Does Tea Tree Oil Kill Lice?
Tea tree oil does indeed kill lice. Tea tree oil is the best for effectively destroying and repelling lice and their nits (eggs). It has been studied and recommended as the most potent essential oil by a National library of medicine(NIH). It is safe to use when diluted, but one must determine if it will irritate their skin.
Tea tree plant leaves make tea tree oil. Most people use it as a treatment for various ailments. Some conditions that tea tree oil can treat are athlete’s foot, acne, and fungal infections. Certain studies by NIH suggest that tea tree oil can kill lice. Additionally, it can reduce the number of eggs that hatch.
You should use tea tree oil sparingly because it is still considered unsafe. Apply a minimal amount to a small skin area and let it sit there for 24 hours as a test.
If the area is not irritated, you can apply minimal amounts of diluted tea tree oil to your hair and scalp. Keep in mind that tea tree oil is poisonous if consumed. Additionally, it is advisable to consult your doctor before using tea tree oil to eliminate lice.
What Keeps Lice Away From Hair?
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could get a way to keep lice away from hair to avoid all the trouble of getting rid of it? There are several ways you can do this, as shown below:
1. Essential oils
You can use lice-repelling essential oils such as peppermint, eucalyptus, rosemary, lavender, and lemongrass. They will keep lice away by mixing a few drops of these essential oils into your regular shampoo or conditioner. Alternatively, buy a shampoo or conditioner with essential oils from Amazon.
2. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil contains lauric acid, which kills lice. It may not be as effective as the other over-the-counter treatments, but it is less toxic. Coconut oil works by suffocating the lice and should be in liquid form. A particular study has shown that a spray containing coconut oil and aniseed oil is effective.
How To Remove Lice From Hair Permanently?
The most interesting aspect of a lice infestation is that nits (eggs) are more likely to be seen easily than actual lice. You can recognize nits if you see a few little white specks stuck to the hair shaft and are impossible to remove. Simply look for a way to eradicate lice from hair permanently.
Here are some recommendations:
1. Lice killing shampoos
You can use permethrin- or pyrethrin-containing shampoos like rid or nix to eliminate lice. Both come from the pyrethrum plant, which contains natural pesticides. You should use the shampoos on clean, moist hair with no products.
After ten minutes, rinse the shampoo, and then use a nit Comb to remove the lice and any nits. You should repeat the procedure seven days later to catch any lice that may have hatched.
2. Nitpicking and wet combing
The only way to eliminate all lice is to remove all the eggs. You can use treatments and a fine tooth comb to remove all nits and lice from your wet hair, as this is the most efficient way. To lubricate and make the work easy, you can use a conditioner.
3. Use a nit-picking service
Ask your friends or neighbors for recommendations for nit-picking service providers, or speak with your local doctor. These professionals specialize in thoroughly getting rid of lice from hair. Using a louse buster, specialists can typically rid your hair of lice using a louse buster for good in 30 minutes.
4. Cetaphil cleanser
Another product that is highly effective and non-toxic is a Cetaphil cleanser. Start by applying a generous layer of Cetaphil to your dry hair and scalp. After giving it some time to absorb, use a fine comb to remove any excess.
Blow dry the hair until completely dry and leave it for eight hours. After washing it the following morning and using a nit comb, repeat the procedure after 7 to 14 days.
Conclusion
While hair dye and hair spray can suffocate lice to death, using a straightener to kill lice is not a recommended procedure. When trying to kill lice, using a hair straightener could cause injury to your scalp. While essential oils and coconut oils are excellent at keeping lice out of your hair, tea tree oils are also quite effective at killing them.