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The Olive Oil Protocol: Killing Head Lice without Chemicals
The most common methods of treating and eradicating head lice contain pesticides and chemicals. Two of the most common of these pesticides, lindane and Malathion, are particularly harmful and distressingly common.
Over the counter lice treatments with permethrin have become less and less effective due to overuse and the resulting resistance that has developed to this chemical. So how can head lice be eliminated without using dangerous pesticides or chemicals? One simple and inexpensive approach has been tried and proven repeatedly—olive oil.
The so called ‘olive oil protocol’ gives parents another option for getting rid of head lice without using expensive and potentially dangerous or ineffective chemicals. Olive oil is naturally safe, so long as the person with lice is not allergic to olives. This oil smothers the live head lice and, if left on the scalp for a protracted amount of time, can smother the nits, or head lice eggs, that are attached to the hair shaft.
The most common method of using olive oil to kill head lice is to apply the olive oil at night. Warm the olive oil to just above body temperature and apply it to the affected person’s dry hair before bedtime. Work the olive oil through the hair like shampoo or conditioner, until the hair and scalp are saturated. Then wrap the person’s head in a plastic shower cap and let them go to bed.
By the time they wake up in the morning, the lice will be dead, suffocated by the olive oil. It will take several shampooings to remove the olive oil from the hair, so plan to wake up a little early the next day to provide time for this. Wash the olive oil out thoroughly, and then comb the nits out with a special fine tooth nit comb. Remember, killing all the adult head lice is not enough. If even two nits are missed, the head lice infestation will return.
This treatment should be repeated for three consecutive nights for the optimum efficacy. Make sure to wash the affected person’s bedding, pillowcase and nightclothes every day in the hottest water possible. This is to prevent any lice that remain on them from getting back into the person’s hair. In addition, the pillow and any stuffed animals or other items that cannot be washed in hot water should be put in a hot dryer for thirty minutes every day to kill any lice on them.
The olive oil protocol for killing head lice without the use of pesticides or chemicals is highly effective when used correctly. The most important thing to remember in order to ensure successful treatment is to be meticulous in combing out the nits that will be left behind on the hair shafts. The olive oil will smother many of these nits, but not all of them will be killed by the smothering effect. Head lice eggs are very difficult to kill. Therefore, removing them is by far the most reliable option for preventing re-infestation.
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Sun 6 Jul 2008 02:33:19 CST | |