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• Part 1 of 2: Use vinegar against head lice
• Part 2 of 2: Other head lice remedies
• Tips

Head lice are small insects that live on the human scalp and feed on blood. Lice can crawl but not fly, so they spread from person to person through very direct contact. This is why children are most affected as they tend to play close to each other. During the national campaign of Landelijk Steunpunt Hoofdluis in 2010, louse was found in 0.2% of the total number of students surveyed. Vinegar is an old home remedy used to control head lice by making it more difficult for the eggs (nits) to hold on to hair. Other treatments, both natural and pharmaceutical, can directly target and kill head lice. A combination of measures and strategies is probably the best approach for treating head lice.

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Part 1 of 2: Use vinegar against head lice

1. Understand the benefits and limitations of using vinegar. Vinegar is a common home remedy for head lice, but some people mistakenly believe it will kill adult lice and their eggs (nits). In reality, vinegar cannot directly kill head lice as it is not poisonous to them. However, it can help remove the nits stuck in your hair, preventing new lice from entering your hair and laying eggs. More specifically, the acetic acid in vinegar dissolves the protective shells around the nits, making them impossible to stick to your hair.
   • After applying the vinegar, the nits fall out of your hair or are much easier to remove with a fine-toothed comb.
   • While vinegar cannot kill adult lice, it can potentially be deadly to newly hatched lice (the nymphs). More research is needed to better understand the effect of vinegar or acetic acid on head lice.
2. First, use an over-the-counter medicated shampoo. Since vinegar cannot kill the lice and eggs, it is important to treat the lice with a medicated shampoo first. Lice shampoos are also known as pediculicides. After applying a pediculicide, you can use vinegar to help remove the nits from your hair.
   • Applying a medicated shampoo first will kill the adult lice and reduce the chance of the lice spreading.
3. Choose the right kind of vinegar. All types of vinegar contain acetic acid, but some types and brands are more concentrated than others. In general, you should choose a type of vinegar with about 5% acetic acid - this is enough to dissolve the coatings on nits, but not acidic enough for most people to irritate the skin. White vinegar is just acetic acid diluted in water, and usually the cheapest choice. Red wine vinegar is more expensive and often contains 5-7 percent acetic acid. Apple vinegar also works, but choose the unfiltered and pasteurized varieties, as they often contain the highest concentration of acetic acid (about 5%).# * A much higher concentration of acetic acid (over 7%) can irritate your scalp, although much weaker concentrations may not be able to loosen the nits from your hair. Stick to a 5-7 percent acetic acid percentage.
   • The itching of head lice is the result of an allergic reaction to lice saliva. Not all people have an allergic reaction and itching.
4. Get in the shower or bath and apply the vinegar. Once you have decided what vinegar and concentration you need, take a bath or shower. First, dampen your hair with a little water (but not soaking wet) and pour a few cups of vinegar directly onto your scalp. Massage the vinegar into your scalp and try to rub in as much of your hair as possible - this can be tricky if you have long hair, but take your time. Then let the vinegar soak for 5-10 minutes, which is enough time for the exoskeletons (the shell) of the nits to dissolve.
   • Keep your eyes closed when applying the vinegar. Dilute acetic acid won't harm your eyes, but it can sting for a few minutes.
   • Avoid getting vinegar on your clothes; especially red wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar can stain.
5. Comb your hair with a fine-toothed comb. After the vinegar has been in your hair for at least 5 minutes, comb it thoroughly with a fine-toothed comb. The nits and some of the adult lice that have come loose can be removed by intensive combing. For best results, you can purchase a special "lice comb" (very fine-toothed plastic or metal comb) at the pharmacy or online. After combing, rinse your hair well for a few minutes to remove any residual vinegar, then pat your hair dry with a towel - but be careful not to share your towel with others, as head lice may still be left behind.
   • Using vinegar is great for loosening the nits from your hair, but not for killing the adult lice on your scalp. So don't be surprised that you still find head lice after a vinegar treatment.
   • Vinegar treatments can be done daily until nits are no longer attached to your hair. The acetic acid also removes the oils from your hair, so your hair may look a little dry or frizzy after the vinegar treatments.
   • Nits hatch in 7-9 days after being laid, and adult lice can live for 3-4 weeks. So, if you only use vinegar to control head lice, it will take at least a month for the infestation to disappear completely.

Part 2 of 2: Other head lice remedies

1. Ask your doctor about over-the-counter shampoo. Make an appointment with your doctor or dermatologist and get a diagnosis. Then ask your doctor about the most effective over-the-counter head lice shampoo or ointments available at regular pharmacies and drug stores. Your doctor will probably recommend something based on pyrethrin, a substance from the flowers of chrysanthemums that is poisonous to aphids. Popular brands include Nix (a synthetic version of pyrethrin) and Rid (pyrethrin mixed with other substances that are toxic to lice).
   • These pyrethrin-based shampoos are effective at killing head lice, but not usually the nits. As such, you can consider using vinegar and pyrethrin together in one treatment to get rid of both lice and nits.
   • The side effects of using pyrethrin shampoos are scalp irritation, redness, and itching - especially among children who are allergic to chrysanthemums or ragweed.
   • Head lice do not spread disease (bacterial or viral), but the itching of the scalp can lead to excessive scratching and thus infections in some people.
   • After an anti-lice shampoo, do not wash your hair with a regular shampoo and / or conditioner. This will reduce the effectiveness of the anti-lice shampoo.
2. Consult with your doctor about prescription medications. If the head lice infestation cannot be controlled with vinegar and / or special shampoo, then you should talk to your doctor about a stronger remedy. In some areas, head lice has developed resistance to over-the-counter shampoo, and prescription medications are the only agent that works. The most common prescription head lice medications are benzyl alcohol (Ulesfia), malathion (Ovide) and Lindane (banned in some European countries). Lice-killing drugs are commonly called pediculicides and should all be used with caution, especially in children.
   • Benzyl alcohol kills lice on the scalp by depriving them of oxygen. It is effective, but the potential side effects are skin irritation, allergic reactions and seizures, so it is not recommended for children under 6 months of age.
   • Malathion shampoo is only approved for children 6 years of age or older due to potentially serious side effects. Be careful not to keep this shampoo near a hot hairdryer or near an open fire, due to its high alcohol content.
   • Lindane shampoo is a "last resort" for head lice because of the high risk of serious side effects (including seizures). Therefore, it is not recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics for use on children or pregnant women.
3. Consider a natural herbal solution. Research indicates that certain vegetable oils have a toxic effect on head lice and their eggs (nits). The plant oils that are most likely to control head lice are tea tree oil, anise oil, ylang ylang essential oil and nerolidol (a compound found in many plants). While these vegetable oils are not officially approved for lice treatment, they are generally considered safe and are probably worth a try, if your budget allows.
   • Vegetable oils such as tea tree oil are often used in natural medicated shampoos for dandruff and psoriasis, but they can also work well in controlling head lice.
   • Overall, these vegetable oils are as safe for children as they are for adults - no serious side effects have been reported.
   • Some other natural remedies that kill head lice through "asphyxiation" (deprivation of oxygen) are olive oil and butter. Apply this to your scalp and let it sit for 5-10 minutes before rinsing it out, preferably with a medicated shampoo for best results.
   • Head lice cannot jump or fly, so head-to-head contact is needed to disperse them. However, there are also indirect ways of diffusion, such as sharing a hat, brush, comb, towel, pillow, scarf, hair accessories, and through headphones.

Tips

• You may not be aware that you have head lice, but a few common symptoms are: itchy scalp and ears, many grayish spots (about the size of sesame seeds) on the scalp that resemble dandruff, and dark spots on the hair shafts.
• Head lice (Pediculus humanus capitis) is not necessarily a sign of poor hygiene or dirty living conditions - it is more likely to arise from direct contact with a person who already has head lice.
• If one person in a family has lice, all family members should be carefully monitored.
• Check head lice or nits by separating them in different places, under a bright light, and use a magnifying glass to spot them.
• Nits may look like dandruff, but they stick tightly to the hair shaft and do not flake off like dandruff.
• After using bristles or brushes, soak them in warm water (at least 54 ° C) for about 5 minutes to kill the lice.
• Do not use insecticidal sprays on your head or your kids - they are toxic when inhaled and absorbed through the scalp.
• Teach your children to avoid head contact at school or on the playground to reduce the risk of getting head lice.
• It is not possible to inherit head lice from your pets (dogs or cats) because the lice only feed on human blood and prefer the temperature and protection of the scalp.