Head lice, scientifically known as Pediculus humanus capitis, are parasites which live and survive on a human host on the scalp, neck, ears, and in the hair. The lice feed on blood 4 – 5 times a day and are spread through close, personal contact, commonly in schools. Sharing hats, head bands, combs, or pillows can increase your risk of getting lice.
Home Remedies for Head Lice
While medical shampoos are very effective, there are many home, natural remedies to treat head lice without harmful side effects.
1. Garlic
Garlic has a strong fragrance which suffocates and kills lice.
Method – 1:
Ingredients:
- 8- 10 cloves of garlic
- 2 -3 teaspoons of lime juice or coconut oil
Process:
- Grind garlic cloves and mix with either lime juice or coconut oil.
- Apply to the scalp.
- Leave for 30 minutes.
- Wash hair with hot water.
- Repeat regularly for best results.
Method – 2:
Ingredients:
- Fresh garlic juice
- Cooking oil or coconut oil
- Lemon extract
- Green tea
Process:
- Combine the above-mentioned ingredients.
- Apply to the scalp.
- Leave for 30 minutes.
- Wash hair with hot water.
- Repeat regularly for two months for best results.
2. Olive Oil
Olive oil makes hair silky, making it easier to comb. It suffocates and kills lice, but is not recommended for nits.
Method – 1:
Ingredients:
- Olive oil
- Shower cap or towel
- Herbal shampoo containing tea tree oil
Process:
- Apply olive oil to the scalp before bed.
- Cover with a shower cap or towel and leave overnight.
- In the morning, comb hair to remove dead lice.
- Wash hair with herbal shampoo.
- Repeat regularly for best results.
Method – 2:
Ingredients:
- ½ cup of olive oil
- ½ cup of conditioner
- Liquid soap
Process:
- Mix olive oil and conditioner with a small amount of liquid soap.
- Apply to the scalp.
- Leave for an hour.
- Wash hair with shampoo and conditioner.
- Comb hair to remove dead lice.
- Repeat weekly for best results.
3. Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil has natural insecticide property which effectively treats head lice. Be sure to always dilute the oil before application.
Method – 1:
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon of tea tree oil
- 1 ounce of natural shampoo
- 3 tablespoons of coconut oil or olive oil
- Shower cap or towel
Process:
- Mix the above-mentioned ingredients.
- Apply to the scalp.
- Cover with a shower cap or towel and leave for 30 minutes.
- Wash with warm water.
- Comb hair to remove dead lice.
- Repeat regularly for best results.
Remedy – 2:
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon of tea tree oil
- ½ teaspoon of lavender oil
Process:
- Mix the above-mentioned ingredients.
- Apply to the scalp.
- Wash with warm water.
- Repeat regularly for best results.
- These oils act as repellents and keeps the head lice away from hair.
4. Neem
Neem has a pungent odor, which inhibits biting and kills lice.
Method – 1:
Ingredients:
- Handful of neem leaves
- Water
Process:
- Boil neem leaves in water for 10 minutes.
- Use the water to rinse hair.
- Repeat twice weekly to get rid of head lice.
Method – 2:
Ingredients:
- Neem oil
- Shower cap or towel
Process:
- Apply oil to the scalp.
- Leave for 15 minutes.
- Comb hair to remove dead lice.
- Cover with a shower cap or towel and leave overnight.
- In the morning, wash hair.
- Repeat daily for two weeks to remove the head lice.
5. Salt
Salt has desiccation properties, which eradicates head lice.
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup of salt
- ¼ cup of vinegar
- Shower cap or towel
Process:
- Mix salt and vinegar in an empty spray bottle.
- Spritz entire head until wet.
- Cover with a shower cap or towel and leave for 2 hours.
- Wash hair with shampoo and conditioner.
- Repeat once every three days for best results.
6. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil has a lubricating nature which stops lice from moving freely and multiplying.
Ingredients:
- Coconut oil
- Apple cider vinegar
- Shower cap or towel
Process:
- Rinse hair with apple cider vinegar and pat dry.
- Cover scalp with coconut oil.
- Cover with a shower cap or towel and leave overnight.
- In the morning, comb hair to remove dead lice.
- Rinse with shampoo.
- Repeat daily for a week for best results.
- Note: For added results, add a few drops of essential oil to the coconut oil.
7. White Vinegar
White vinegar contains acetic acid, which effectively kills lice safely and inexpensively.
Ingredients:
- White vinegar
- Water
- Shower cap or towel
Process:
- Mix white vinegar and water.
- Apply to the scalp.
- Cover with a shower cap or towel and leave for 2 – 3 hours.
- Dip comb in white vinegar and comb to remove dead lice.
- Repeat regularly for best results.
- Note: Vinegar can be applied without diluting it first for stronger effects.
8. Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise contains oil which suffocates lice with its viscosity property.
Ingredients:
- Full Fat Mayonnaise
- Shower cap or towel
Process:
- Apply mayonnaise to the scalp.
- Cover with a shower cap or towel and leave overnight.
- In the morning, shampoo hair.
- Comb hair to remove dead lice.
- Repeat daily for a week for best results.
9. Tea Tree Oil and Olive Oil
Both tea tree oil and olive oil prevents lice as they have insecticide properties. This also loosens the hold nits have on the hair and helps to remove them easily.
Ingredients:
- Tea tree oil
- Olive oil
- Vinegar
Process:
- Mix tea tree oil and olive oil.
- Massage into the scalp.
- Leave for 30 – 60 minutes.
- Wash hair twice to completely remove the oil.
- Second time rinse with vinegar to treat the problem.
- Comb hair to remove dead lice.
- Repeat regularly to prevent head lice.
10. Sesame Seed Oil
Sesame seed oil has high antibacterial, antifungal, and insecticide properties which cure head lice.
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup of sesame seed oil
- 1/8 cup of neem oil
- 1 teaspoon of tea tree oil
- ½ teaspoon of eucalyptus & rosemary essential oil
- 10 drops of lavender essential oil
- Apple cider vinegar
- Shower cap or towel
Process:
- Rinse hair with apple cider vinegar and allow it dry.
- Mix the above-mentioned ingredients.
- Apply to the scalp.
- Cover with a shower cap or towel and leave overnight.
- The next morning, comb hair to remove dead lice.
- Wash hair with shampoo.
- Repeat daily for 1 – 2 weeks.
11. Orange Juice
Orange juice acts as a potent insecticide which kills lice and loosens eggs from the hair.
Ingredients:
- Orange juice
- Water
Process:
- Wet hair with water.
- Pour orange juice over scalp.
- Leave for 20 – 30 minutes
- Comb hair to remove dead lice.
- Rinse hair with warm water.
- Repeat daily for 2 weeks to remove the lice and its eggs.
12. Oil
This method makes lice uncomfortable and quickly kills them.
Ingredients:
- Mayonnaise or vaseline
- Coconut oil
- Shower cap or towel
Process:
- Mix mayonnaise or vaseline and a few drops of coconut oil.
- Apply to the scalp.
- Cover with a shower cap or towel and leave overnight..
- In the morning, Use a blow dryer to help suffocate the lice
- Apply shampoo to hair without wetting and cover with cap
- After 30 minutes wash hair.
- Comb hair to remove dead lice.
- Repeat regularly for best results.
13. Petroleum Jelly
Petroleum jelly has a stifling effect on roaming lice.
Ingredients:
- Petroleum jelly
- Shower cap or towel
- Baby oil
Process:
- Apply a thick layer of petroleum jelly to the scalp before bed.
- Cover with a shower cap or towel.
- In the morning, apply baby oil to the scalp to remove the jelly.
- Comb hair to remove dead lice.
- Repeat 3 – 5 times for best results.
14. Baby Oil
Baby oil kills lice through suffocation.
Ingredients:
- Baby oil
- Laundry detergent
- White vinegar
Process:
- Apply baby oil to the scalp.
- Comb hair to remove dead lice.
- Wash hair with laundry detergent and hot water.
- Apply white vinegar to scalp before bed.
- Leave overnight and wash hair the next morning.
- Repeat regularly for best results.
15. Mouth Wash
Antiseptic mouthwash, such as Listerine, suffocates and kills lice.
Ingredients:
- Mouthwash
- Shower cap or towel
Process:
- Pour mouthwash in an empty spray bottle.
- Spritz entire head until wet.
- Cover with a shower cap or towel and leave for 2 hours.
- Wash hair at least 2 times otherwise it will look oily.
- Repeat monthly for best results.
16. Alcohol
Alcohol effectively kills lice.
Ingredients:
- Rubbing alcohol
Process:
- Pour a bottle of rubbing alcohol over your head until your hair is completely soaked.
- Apply conditioner to scalp.
- Comb hair to remove dead lice.
- Wash hair.
- Repeat regularly for best results.
Tips:
- Wash clothes, sheets, and towels in hot temperatures to kill lice.
- Clean all lice-infected carpets, mattresses, and upholstery.
- Regularly clean hard surfaces and floors with a bleach solution of 1 part bleach and 10 parts water and regularly vacuum carpeted areas.
- Use long–toothed combs with rounded teeth for combing hair.
- Regularly shampoo hair to prevent head lice.
- Tie your hair back or wear a hat use hair spray when you or your children are going out in public and avoid head-to-head contact to prevent getting lice.
- Cover seats with a jacket in public places places such as an airplane, movie theater, or bus to prevent getting lice.
- Avoid lice-effected people for a minimum of two weeks so as not to get lice.
- Soak headbands, rubber bands, and combs in medical shampoo to kill the lice.
- Don’t share hats, head bands and combs.
Have you tried any of these methods? Do you know any other methods or blogs discussing how to treat head lice? Share your experience with us!
Hi everyone, this is Rajee!
I live the beautiful city of Baltimore, where my husband works.
I’m from India. I have been visiting India on and off for past few years and my mom was an inspiration for me to start this site. She has a wealth of knowledge on home remedies for a large number of health problems, and we grew up in an environment where frequent visits to the doctor just wasn’t logistically or financially feasible.
Despite this, she managed to raise a family of healthy kids, and my goal here at Home Remedies for Life is to pass on some of her knowledge of natural remedies.
These are very interesting remedies some I haven’t even heard of before!
wont salt, vinegar or lime juice turn black hair, grey?
Lemon can lighten you hair. Apply them only to the scalp and avoid applying it along the hair.
Interesting remedies here. I might give some a try. I do know that rubbing alcohol works but I leave it on hair overnight with a shower cap. It even kills nits. Maybe it dries them out.
Did this work?! Please help we r going through this infestation for first time ever and in so freaking out. I’m taking my 15 yr old to a lice clinic on Monday as well so that he won’t have to shave his “sexy” hair as the girls in high school call it lol. I know it’s embarrassing. It happens to the best though. I just need tips that actually work ?
how about the garlic and lemon is this work for lice it will remove that for ever
Yes, it will. The strong fragrance of garlic suffocates the lice. The citric acid present in lemons kills the lice and nits as well.
How to use it: Take some vinegar in a bowl or spray bottle. Now using a cotton ball (if you are using a vinegar from a bowl) apply it well to the entire scalp. Now cover his/her head with a shower cap and allow it to stay overnight. Wash his/her hair the next day with regular shampoo and comb out the dead lice
Disclaimer: These are only home remedies and should not be used instead of medical advice.
Help!!! 9m old baby girl got lice from her half sister what works best I’ve tried mayonnaise with coconut oil mixed with olive oil still finding tiny baby lice anything that someone has tried that actually worked I don’t want to keep putting lice treatment over the counter products I’ve used non toxic licefree gel and shampoo but need some advice first time mom I’m freaking out
The home remedy should be tried once in a week to completely get rid of head lice. Even if one head lice escapes, it can reproduce within a week.
My daughter has open sores on her head from the lice What can I use so her head wont burn
You can use olive oil, coconut oil and neem leaves method mentioned in the above article to treat both the head lice and open sores.
Not only is my hair infested and keeps getting reinfected,my home and items are infested too,despite moving,they have come with me ,this is been going on for 6 years now,i am about to go insane
Use tea tree oil methods to treat the head lice. Apart from that, spray the diluted tea tree oil on the furniture and items that are infested with head lice.
Where can I find Neé leaves?
Neem leaves are Indian Lilac. You can find them any local grocery store or Indian stores.
u can buy neem oil in a bottle…we use to buy it in Coff.s Harbour…..there may be a Neem farm there..Bundy..
I’m 29. I have long and very thick hair. And I did All kind of oil treatments since 2 months . Such as tea tree oil,olive,coconut,mayonnaise,lavender.
Also I tried vinegar. And I comb my hair every single day (some days two times daily)
I wash all pillow cover and bed sheets and towel and clothes every day
But I still have eggs. I’ve never seen any lice in my hair(my mom checks) but still new eggs peer in my hair!!!
I’m exhausted and got depression
Please help !!
As per your description, we are not sure whether you are using a nit comb to remove eggs or not. If not, purchase nit comb and brush your hair with it to remove the live or dead nits. Repeat the process 2 – 3 times in a week. Even if 1 egg hatches, the new head lice will be able to lay eggs in few days. So, continue the oil treatments regularly until you get complete relief from the problem.
What sort of vinegar is used to rinse through the hair after the tea tree oil and olive oil please?
You can either use apple cider vinegar or plain white vinegar.
Question ladies..
If I do the coconut oil vinegar and tea tree oil treatment how often do I do it? Daily?
You can repeat the process twice or thrice in a week.
One of the best lists I’ve seen. Thank you!
Thanks for your appreciation.
Ok my entire house is infested I have 16 year and 15 year old biracial children. Thy even have it. I thought I was having an allergic reaction to my hair color and bleach and that’s why I was scratching(a month ago) well yesterday we found it it’s lice. I’ve never had it nor dealt with it. My 12 year and 2 year old Caucasian babies have it as well. I need best possible advice. My 16,15 year old and I have extremely thick hair and it’s hard to comb through. I need suggestions. I’ve done one treatment on my head and my 2year olds and I’ve done the baby oil suffocating overnight and at the moment I’m on the mayo/listerine technique for myself. I’m using myself as a crash dummie. But I can’t comb it out ? Please help me
As you have extremely thick hair, make small hair partitions and comb your hair. Though it may take some time we recommend doing it with some patience.
I have used the Mayonnaise method before and it worked. I however just saturated the girls hair with it, put the shower cap on and then wrapped their hair in a plastic bag. Removed the bag and cap after I came home from work and washed their hair out.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
Is there any side effect of applying garlic with coconut oil..is it true that black color of hair gets fade up..
Nope, the combination of garlic and coconut oil doesn’t fade up the hair.
My daughter in law suggested 1 part green vinegar and 1 part apple cider vinegar, saturate the head, cover in shower cap or plastic bag for an hour then rinse….my 6 yr old grandson had it when he came for a visit….does this really work?
We never tried it. You can give it a try and let us know your experience.
Just wish to say thank you for this wonderful list.
It’s always good to be able to find natural options for curing something.
And, you’ve organized this list very well! Simple, clear, to the point, yet packed with beneficial info.
Much mahalos. 🙂
What is safe to spray on furniture or items that can’t be washed thoroughly?
Add few drops of tea tree oil into a cup of water. Mix well and spray the solution on the furniture. Repeat the process once in a week.
how long do you have to do the orange juice/olive oil treatment
how many weeks/months