Loading...This home remedy has gotten us into a lot of trouble.
In recent years lice have seemingly become resistant to over-the-counter lice shampoos, which has left families desperate for relief.
One mother wrote that a pediatric dermatologist, Neil Prose, M.D., at Duke University Medical Center, had suggested smearing the hair and scalp with petroleum jelly at bedtime, covering with a shower cap, and removing the Vaseline in the morning.
The lice were gone, but removing the Vaseline was easier said than done!
We were inundated with complaints from parents upset about the difficulty of this chore. Suggestions for removal ranged from Dawn dishwashing liquid to Wisk laundry detergent to cornstarch and Goop (used by auto mechanics to clean hands).
An easier solution to recalcitrant lice may be HairClean 1-2-3. It contains essential oils of coconut, ylang-ylang, and anise.
One dermatologist in Key West, Florida, told her colleagues, “The lice were running off their heads like clowns out of a Volkswagen!”
** “New Development in Head Lice Treatment.” Dr. Greene’s House Calls: Pediatric News. May 1998.
Alyssa
Arizona
Ok, Petroleum Jelly/Vaseline works wonders, seriously.
My two little girls have very thick hair (like REALLLLLLY thick hair) and when they got lice, it got pretty bad. I tried shampoos, mayonnaise, olive oil and combs and nothing would work. So the jelly you can buy at the dollar store, and basically all you do is spread throughout child’s head including scalp, I didn’t know you had to leave it in for 8 hours, so I only left it in for ONE HOUR, and then combed (kinda messy but worth it) the lice right out of the hair, then washed their hair really well afterwards.
This literally took every lice out and they have not come back (3 yrs ago). Make sure to of course, wash the blankets, sheets, pillows, and vacuum really well, especially where the child might have rested their head. I hope this helps! It really helped me, and I was soooo overwhelmed by this problem at the time. Good luck.
jb
I have had lice for 5 weeks that I know of. But before that time I used to put henna packs in my hair twice a week for several hours then a vigorous blow dry. I think this was keeping them under the radar.
I have tried practically everything including coconut oil in my hair for two days. I just tried nitnanny products 40$ …they were noticeably back in 30 hrs. my scalp feels sandy and I’m so horrified and embarrassed. I’m avoiding friends and cringing. Is the sand on my scalp eggs?
I’m waiting for the weekend to try the vaseline/baby oil treatment. The airalle people are very far away. I don’t have a car and I don’t think they have an office. They only do in home. Frankly, I don’t know what else to do. Neem oil, coconut, listerine, heavy daily blowdry, ginger oil, peppermint oil, nitnanny, licemd …raid….this seems like most treatments to be very personal. Some things work for some people and not for others. So many variables.
I think I was infected at the ymca. I have now recognized evidence on their work out floor matts, now that I know what to look for,that is., I’m over 50 and don’t have kids. I am not the demographic. If I didn’t have to leave the house I would stay in indefinitely.
mm
I am so embarressed by this I got lice from my daughter who got it when we went to the bahamas. All the girls were getting their hair braided and my daughter wanted it to so we did it. Biggest regret ever. We have never had to deal with this before.
I did the rid treatment on my daughter3 times and had to pick everything out and it worked. She is lice free so far but I seem not to be able to get rid of it. I have been battling for about a month now and have done 5 treatments and I haven’t gotten rid of them. I am so upset I am crying about it. I am now trying the Vaseline trick and I really hope this works it is so hard to hide it from people.
If anyone has any suggestions please let me know thanx
Blondie
Mm, I hear you! My granddaughter got them at school and gave them to my daughter and me and her brothers, and we have had them like five times in the past five years. My daughter does different things including Listerine and nit picking, I always relied on vegetable oil and vinegar and two spoons of tea tree oil, two hours. It used to work, I thought, and I used mayo and vinegar on a boyfriend and it seemed to get the nits off him! This time, four mouths and nothing is working! Maybe because I used rid about a day before or after the oil and vinegar maybe?
Since no one could nit pick for me I’d grab the rid but still itch and worry about nits so I’d sit with the runny vegetable oil and vinegar on my head for two hours and combed a lot with a metal nit comb. Then use tea tree mint shampoo and conditioner for awhile and comb every day, maybe do some hair oil with tea tree in it for an hour too, washes out easier, and they’d seem to be gone in a week or two! Now we did everything including rubbing alcohol that burned and dulled hair until I added some baby oil and left in 20 minutes. I’d comb all dead bugs off them, but they would come back! Same thing with mayo and apple cider vinegar with some tea tree oil on them for two hours, I’d comb off and swear they were clean and trust I was. My daughter maybe found a few nits she picked off. But they came back! She moved out again and says she got rid of them using other things, then Vaseline. But Idk how she got it out!
I was afraid of Listerine two hours on my color treated hair, and was afraid it wouldn’t work anyway! And two people recommended black hair and scalp conditioners with petrolatum. I resorted to trying that because, to my great relief, Denorex shampoo with coal tar killed many bugs quickly and easily, but slightly stained my hair. I was bad, left it in ten minutes, not safe! It has a cancer warning for tar in California (for large amounts of course.) I’m sure exaggerated but you need to keep using every few days for lice babies for three weeks. It doesn’t kill nits.
Other people use T gel it has less tar, safer on kids probably. You are not to leave them on, just wash twice. You need sunscreen for a day after Denorex. They said the Africa’s best Supergroconditioner and BB brand works once overnight, so I tried it! Well, it took me 17x to wash it out! And I rubbed vinegar in it half way through! But the worst part is, I itch a little! But I have to keep checking by combing over the sink to look for new babies, which are black specks. Though some may be dead. Not in two days though or if I itch and have them!
I check every day by combing over the sink to see if lice babies fall off. I’ve had nothing but babies for over a month, no adults, so how I still have any, idk! I even used the electric Nix comb once or twice every day for two weeks! Still had them. I’m sure it helps a bit though. Gonna keep using it. Hopefully it works eventually. And I’m gonna keep using the Denorex for a month! You can maybe dilute it for kids or call. There’s no warning. Or try t gel with tar. Every few days.
Now, many people love the Listerine for two hours. Some don’t. Some say, 3 minutes, others 20, others two hours! I suppose comb through in an hour and see what comes off. Or rinse in a plugged tub to check for live ones. Two hours may be best. If I ever do it I’m adding two spoons of hair olive oil or tea tree for moisture or baby oil with aloe. But seems that afterward you should rinse and towel dry hair, and spray on half water half vinegar for a half hour to an hour or two, for any missed nits or bugs.
Some people do two hours of Listerine and two hours of vinegar on wet hair and say they are cured! Now, vinegar and water, half and half on damp hair or straight on wet hair will make hair shiny, but clarifies and stings a bit, so simply rinse and deep condition after for a few minutes. Diluted in half won’t hurt hair. And washes so no need to shampoo!
So now I’m down to just a few treatments I can recommend:
Original Listerine capped for two hours, rinse, towel dry, pour or spray on half water and half vinegar and leave in another hour or two, comb out nits, rinse and deep condition.
Or, Denorex shampoo with tar every few days for three weeks, or t gel shampoo with tar, not as strong. The stubborn itch has menthol. Ask a doctor or call about small children. I thnk they might eventually be all gone with Denorex, just use sunscreen. I’m fair and didn’t burn. May stain slightly. A spoon of vinegar in a cup of water for a minute and rinsing helps remove, or hot oil treatments.
Using Rid but oil and vinegar two hours the next day for nits. Stings a bit and is very runny! Have paper towels ready! Maybe leave hang with a towel over shoulders instead of capping. Keep out of eyes. Apple cider vinegar is milder. Olive oil is thicker than vegetable and runs less. But I liked it better with vegetable oil I think . Wash 3x and condition. Comb off all the nits and bugs for it to work!
Bedding goes in dryer on high. No need to keep washing! Spray furniture with alcohol and soak comb in it. Comb every day for two weeks or more. Use the electric comb daily for three weeks if you can .
One more treatment that works very well if you do it exactly!:
Cetaphil face wash. Apply with a tint squeeze bottle, small sections to scalp and over lap. Then coat hair. Comb off the excess and wipe in tissues. Dispose in a plastic bag. Dry hair fully with a blow dryer. It takes time! You can pause for a minute but leave no damp spots! ALL the way dry to seal the buggers! Cap and sleep in it. Shampoo out in the morning and use a moisturizing conditioner. It’s mild, doesn’t lather. But you should condition. I think any sleeping in mayo or oil treatment must be followed by either massaging in vinegar for the last half hour for nits, before washing, or the half water half vinegar left in an hour to 2 hours after washing and towel drying, (or pour on straight on wet hair, wring out, leave in an hour or two), then comb and rinse off. And condition. With coconut oil, apple cider vinegar can be applied first and left dried on, then the coconut oil put on top and left in all night or day.
Lastly, two people said two garlic tablets made them leave!’ One is a nurse. I’m doing that next if I still itch or comb any babies off! Petroleum is too hard to wash out and probably doesn’t work on nits! Maybe I’ll just spray some vinegar and water on till it dries, since I did that African hair grow with petroleum last night!! Itch a bit. It will get any nits off. Good luck!
Jen
you can use all of that stuff and they will still return unless you remove the nits after you remove the lice. Ask someone you trust to help. Use the Lice shampoo, follow directions and ask someone to use a nit comb to remove all eggs.
You can also smother your head in vaseline for a day or two. Ask someone to use the lice/nit comb to remove the lice and nits. This should be done a few days in a row. Wash the Vaseline out, then use vinegar to wash near your scalp and hair. Leave it on for 5-10 minutes wash out and use the comb to section and comb out the Nits( eggs). If any are left in your hair they will hatch again, this is why you need an additional person to help you. I would repeat the process a week or two later for any that may have been left behind.
Christina
So glad I am not the only one out here dealing with this issue. Not sure where we picked it up, but I think from a sleepover my kids had recently. I treated my children (5 of them) and myself yesterday (hubby was clear – lucky him) with an over-the-counter remedy. It seems to have worked well, but it took 6 hours to get through everyone and I was beyond exhausted by the time I was done. I talked to a couple of co-workers today (after getting to work late because I slept through my alarm) and one suggested the vaseline option. I thought, sure, why not, I will try just about anything to get rid of this. So, tonight my kids are getting doused in vaseline and I will try the baby oil and dawn soap to wash it out tomorrow. I pray this works like so many people have said. I just cannot think about having to do this over and over again. I am ready to throw out every stuffed animal, pillow and sheet we have and just start over. It is so frustrating. Good luck to all those out there battling with these horrible little pests.
Chrissy
I got lice from my lovely 6 year old sister while visiting my family last week. ICK. My head had been, itchy, but I hadn’t found anything till last night, and today I made my husband search my hair, and low and behold we found a couple teeny little lice….SO….I just COVERED my head in Vaseline…and covered it in a plastic bag…and I am going to leave it this way for 8 hours or so….just to be sure everyone is smothered….
I had lice once before when I was about 5, and I remember my mother doing everything she could think of to get rid of them…I am really hoping this will work…but, in the even it doesn’t thank goodness you people have given me all types of tips. This is so embarrassing to have as an adult…WHAT AN AWFUL DAY…:[
At my wits end!!
I am battling this at the moment with my 7 yr old daughter. It’s been a month long battle and the school has a no nit policy so she has been missing way too much school over this. Every time I think we got rid of them I find newly hatched ones in her hair or the school is calling me to come get her. Her hair is VERY thick, long, and curly curly and the nurse tells me the only way to get rid of it for good is to pick them all out individually which seems nearly impossible considering her hair type and the fact that it’s blonde and they blend in. (Obviously I’ve tried without success) because a couple days later they’re are a few new baby ones. SOMEONE PLEASE HELP!! I have the Vaseline in her head now bc I’m to the point I’ll do anything but there has to be something that can kill those eggs. I’ve spent so much money and our family is already having financial problems at the moment so this is really driving me insane!! I’ve even tried straightening as close to scalp as possible after killing the adults and (thinking) that I’ve gotten all the nits.
Cathy
I am a hairdresser and have also experienced the lice drama with my own daughter. The Vaseline remedy does work if you leave it on over night but the trick is to use Selsun Blue Shampoo to wash it out. Nothing cuts the Vaseline like it!!!!
thelma
ga
I got lice from my grand-daughter about 5 weeks ago. She doesn’t have them anymore, but I can’t seem to get rid of them.I have tried everything on the counter. I had a friend call in prescription for perthrim and have treated 2 times with that. I went to doctor,got a script for dindane, didn’t work. I can still feel them crawling in head at night. I have saturated head with tea tree oil and covered with shower cap and slept in over night 3 times. I still have them! Nothing seems to work. I am considering getting a wig and shave head. I am sitting here with vinegar and shower cap on head. I have tried the mayonnaise thing, didn’t work. I am really depressed and crying a lot because nothing works. I am at an end, please if you have anything different please help me.
Sue
I used the vaseline during day for 8hrs gave the girls a movie day, when washing out I used alcohol for 30 secs then wash out then added lemon juice washed out in 30secs, had to wash their hair 3-4 times, found using hair straightener helps heaps as well. found 1 dead lice in hair, very happy mum, thx for advice.
DAP
I tried the vaseline remedy and was told by the doctor office to use baby oil to remove the vaseline, then rinse with dawn. So far, so good.
Barbee
We, my 6 year old daughter and I (I shaved my sons head) have had lice for about a week now. As soon as I noticed them, lord know how long we’ve had them, we have tried a store brand lice shampoo, RID, NIX, and LiceMD…they seem to kill the live lice but not the nits. Yesterday I coated my daughters hair in olive oil and left her hair in a shower cap for approx 5 hours.
I bought a metal comb because her hair in so fine and the plastic ones that come with the kits ate worthless…and even the metal comb didn’t grab all the nits in her hair.
Olive oil seemed to have killed the lice but not the nits…they were still very much glued to her hair. I’m going to go over her hair several times over the next few weeks in homes we will be lice free. I, myself, have Vaseline in my hair as we speak… it’s been almost 7 hours. I’m going to leave it all day and see what happens. * fingers crossed* every time I think we got em… they come right back. And I can tell you… being pregnant and having to deal with lice makes it insanely hard to fight back the tears. Good luck to us all!!
EVW
I tried Vaseline several times with my children and I concluded that is DOES NOT WORK! It makes a big greasy mess that requires shampooing their hair multiple times. The grease from the vaseline stayed for about 3 or 4 days and just made us all frustrated.
What I found that works is using a lice product followed by applying a regular conditioner (apply and rinse) because the lice shampoo dries out the hair. Then, “nit picking”… basically handpicking out the nits (eggs) every day. If you don’t pick out the nits, the lice will return, independent of what remedy you try.
ANOTHER TIP: don’t wait 7 days to do the second washing. In 7 days, the nits have a chance to hatch and lice grow and possibly lay more eggs. I like to reapply the product about 5 days after the first washing. And then more nit picking!!! It is a pain but must be done.
Karen D.
I smothered my head in olive oil wrapped it in cling film and left on all day. Combed out with nit comb, washed and blow dry.
It worked to remove adults but there are probably surviving eggs so I will repeat combing ever other day for a couple of weeks to remove any hatching lice. They have to mature before they can lay so hopefully by combing them out before they have chance to mature I can eventually eliminate them all.
I would shave my head, but not a good look for an over fifty!
My hair is going to be kept tied tightly back when the grandchildren visit from now on! Good luck to everyone fighting these horrid pests and thanks for all the posts, it’s reassuring to know I’m not alone.
RM
Well I tried Vaseline 3 years ago on all 3 of my kids and myself, and it did work. My daughter and I have really thick mexican hair, long too and it killed all the lice. I did do the rid first and cleaned out all nits and lice before slathering on the Vaseline. I saran wrapped my head after I put the Vaseline on, then the shower cap on top. I think I even ducked tapped the shower cap around our heads lol. I wanted them to DIE! lol
I used baby oil to get it out of our hair. I rubbed it in before rinsing it and it came right out when I did rinse. Then I blow-dryed out the hair, rubbed dish washing soap in our dry hair and rinsed again and that got the baby oil out. And because I was being so thorough cause I didn’t want to go through the reinfestation horrors I read about online, I flat ironed our hair from as far up the root as possible and all the way down on our hair, to kill any remaining nits I may have missed.
Of course I did all the obsessive cleaning as everyone else did. garbage bags of stuffed animals sealed tight for a month and I just tossed all pillows and went ahead and spent the extra cash on new ones.
Sadly yesterday we all have lice again! This time I think it was from school but who knows where they come from! I’m horrified yet again and I sit here online doing more research again, with my Vaseline drenched head and my trusty shower cap. I hope this clears up as quickly as the first time! And that this is the last time we see it in our household again!….btw I also heard neem oil works and kills both lice and nits. If this Vaseline doesn’t work (God I hope it does!) I’m going to try the neem oil if I can find it!:)
VR
Much to my horror I found them in my 8yr old daughter’s hair this morning (I had them over and over when I was young – bad experiences with chemical products) slightly put off with the price and bad reviews of chemical products so decided to google….needless to say she is now Vaseline’d up in a shower cap after being combed with quite a few adults coming off her head. Fingers crossed!!
hallie
Thank you for this!!! We’re on month 3 of recurring lice infestations. I too have tried the nasty chemical treatments several times and THEY DO NOT WORK! When I discovered a big louse on my daughter’s part last night, I was ready to try anything. My sister in law insisted we do the vaseline treatment and my own search lead me to this site. I’m convinced. We’re all greased up now and it’s really not that bad. But I hear the rinse out is the hardest part. Still better than the smelly, toxic insecticide that I’ve been coating their heads with.
Good luck everyone! You can do this. And you’re not alone… just read all of these comments and you’ll feel like it’s not a lost cause.
LJ
My pediatrician told me to put the Vaseline on and leave it on for NO FEWER than 4 hours. THEN, BLOW DRY THE STUFF DRY right on her hair. Then, wash it out using Dawn.
gina
I was worried the Vaseline would be difficult to get out of my hair but thanks to everyone’s input it was easy. I used a generous amount of olive oil and then dish soap, then rinsed and washed with my regular shampoo and conditioner and the Vaseline was completely gone. I did this cycle 2x. I was able to comb after the first washing too. And, I have extremely thick and lengthy hair. My hair was much longer until the lice decided to move in, forced me to cut my very long hair. :( I am going to do one more treatment with the Vaseline and hopefully the lice will be gone.
Also, if you have had lice for a few months like I have, and have a tiresome scalp from all the combing, well, the Vaseline is quite soothing.
Mommy of 3
My sons brought home lice from the neighbours a few weekends ago and I used Resultzs. I prefer using non chemical treatments so today I tried Vaseline -because I still found lice yesterday. I left it on for nine hours or so then I rubbed baby oil on it and on top of that Tresemmes deep cleansing shampoo. Then I rinsed it all out and used the Tresemee shampoo again -worked great! Hardly any oily residue at all. For sure adding oil and shampoo to the dry Vaseline covered hair is what worked. Hopefully the lice will be gone now for good! Good luck!
steph m
I used the Vaseline and kept it on for 3 days under shower cap… it seems like its worked.. I just got notice from my daughters school lice it going around so I’m daily checking now ugg
t.flores
I’m so glad I came across this website. My 8 year old daughter has had lice for almost a month now. This is only the second time she’s had it and the first time she was so young we were able to get away with shaving her head. This time, however, her hair is so thick and long that it was taking me hours every day just to comb through it.
My lice checking and treatment process would take me around 5 hours a day, and I have been doing it daily. I also just had a baby (cesarian section) one week prior to her getting lice, so it’s been physically exhausting to do so much vacuuming and laundry each day. The chemical treatments weren’t working and I have been so frustrated because I am trying my hardest to get rid of this but it just won’t go away.
She starts school in 5 days so I finally broke down and did the Vaseline treatment yesterday (I heard it’s impossible to get out). After reading so many comments and methods I think I’m going to leave the Vaseline on through tomorrow to prevent any lice from possibly attaching and I have an arsenal of different products to try to get it out. We will be using coconut and olive oil hair products from now on and I will be blow drying her hair. Thanks to everyone who posted their experiences; it helped me see I’m not the only one who has struggled with this for an extended period of time!
cla
Baby powder soaks up the Vaseline cover the whole head it gets a lil pastey but it drys up the Vaseline
Emily
So I had lice for about 3 weeks I thought it was just dandruff. But I was brushing my hair in the morning and found a adult louse in my hair. I brushed my hair out on a white piece of paper and saw a bunch of lice and eggs. I used a lice shampoo but that didn’t work so I saw above that Vaseline works. I left it in over night with a shower cap and I’m pretty sure the lice are gone. It’s hard getting the Vaseline out but it works!!. I used baby oil and conditioner to get it out you just gotta wash your hair a bunch. good luck(:
Amanda
Vaseline works wonders. One year we– my four kids, my self, my friend, her 2 kids, and one other friend had head lice. We don’t know who got it first but it seemed as soon as one family got rid if it the other spread it. It was awful!! We had it for a year back and forth!! We all decided to try Vaseline per my doctors advice. Everyone came to my house and if you were a boy your head was shaved and all the girls and mamas applied Vaseline.
We kept it in our hair for 3 days and then started washing it out. As crazy as it sounds baby oil took it out. After that we had no lice or nit problems. We brushed out what we could but the doc said they will come out on their own after time and since we left it in so long the nits couldn’t breathe or hatch. Vest treatment out there. Now I keep baby oil and Vaseline around just in case. Saw daughter scratching this morning checked her head and saw a nit. Boys are now being shaved and the little miss and I are wearing Vaseline for a few days. No big deal :-)
Penny
I found out that the body wash Cephsil (misspelled) works great. it works like the Vaseline but because it is a thick soap, it washes out easier. You coat the child’s hair and cover over night. And then wash and comb out. I did it the one treatment and they were gone. I did not have to treat my daughter’s hair again (not until she got them again the following year at school, but used again and it worked again)
Sue
For getting ride of lice I’ve used Crisco instead of Vaseline, but just about any thick oily substance will work for killing the adults. The problem is killing the nits. After a night of smothering your scalp/hair with Vaseline (or some other oil) wash it out with a liberal amount of dishwashing detergent (rinse, repeat, as needed… it’ll take at least two goes before all the grease is out of the hair).
BTW you’ll probably want to rinse the hair with a diluted lemon juice or a conditioner to restore the proper PH balance to your hair. The oil treatment will suffocate the adults, but there will still be some nits (lice eggs) stuck on the hair shafts (these nits will hatch within two weeks and you’ll have the same lice problem all over again). Dry the hair and THEN use a flat iron on your child’s hair. Be especially careful to use the flat iron near the roots. The heat of the flat iron will cook the nits still in the eggs. Yes it will give your child perfectly straight hair for a day (which is a plus to many people), but this is a medical treatment not a fashion statement. If you child hates straight hair, just rinse with water and the hair will be back to normal when it dries. BTW if the kid with lice is a young boy I’d just shave their hair off, it’s easier for all involved.
As the mother of seven children I’ve had to deal with lice more than once and RID is horribly toxic stuff AND it doesn’t work. They always tell you washing (shampooing) your hair doesn’t get rid of lice, but it does discourage them (rinses many of the adults down the drain). Blow drying hair discourages them (they are killed by the heat). Flat ironing hair kills them (cooks the nits like hard boiled eggs). I assume hair spray and other hair products would discourage them, too.
There is a reason kids have problems with lice and grown-ups don’t. One final hint– Don’t allow your kids to share hairbrushes/combs/lice combs while you are battling this. One stray nit will just start the whole cycle over again.
Paula
Vaseline has proven to be effective for many parents, because it helps suffocate adult lice. However, many people find it to be messy and difficult to rinse off. Using dish washing liquid can be a good way to rinse off. After the Vaseline treatment, you can apply vinegar to help unglue nits from the hair shaft.
RW
How long after removing nits and lice from one child is the other child clean…. hope the Vaseline/mayo. treatment works on my five year old after 80$ of OTC things not working. Have two year old with long curly hair… what a nightmare that would be. We have also shaved the boys hair short.
Courtney
I have had head lice and or eggs eight times in my 20 year life. I am so annoyed. I have been battling it for almost two months. I tried Vaseline as a last resort Wednesday and am still washing it out, I just hope it worked. My Mom swears by it that it worked when I was younger, but since I’ve had it so many times memories phase me.
This time I have had only nits, no bugs. She would find one or two for a couple days, then three or four, then one or two, then five to eight. I tried RID, Licefreeee!!! The “Head Lice Cure” $48 dollars online all have not beat the nits. I don’t understand where they are coming from with no bugs.
She says that Vaseline suffocates them and I even used two cans of Pronto Plus lice spray on every surface of my mattress and carpets. I pray it worked and that this nightmare can be over before my birthday this week. Goodness!
mom in texas
We’ve been using the Vaseline treatment on our 4 kids for years now. The trick to get it to work well is to make sure the hair is clean and dry, and make sure you get it on the scalp. We separate their hair in 1-inch bands and apply heavily to the scalp, and smear a bit more along the length of the hair, working from front to back of the head, then roll it up in a bun, tie it up with a bandana and let them run around with it like that for the weekend (if time allows, overnight if not).
I agree, getting it out is tricky, but if you really take the time to make sure you thoroughly come out their hair with a fine tooth comb, there isn’t much to wash out after the combing process. Dawn on dry hair with very minimal water seems to work thus far to get whats left broken up and washable.
We recently moved and the school here is very strict in forcing you to use nix/rid, so I’ve had to make a trip to a new physician to get a new “authorization” to use this method. According to the doctor, this is way more effective than any chemical in either of those (due to them becoming resistant to the pesticide) because it actually smothers them when applied heavily and left on for long periods of time (and possibly the eggs too, if enough time is allowed, the eggs need to breathe as well).
He also recommended a vinegar rinse (tablespoon or so to a quart of water, rinse hair well with, let sit for a min or two, then shampoo as usual) to use once a week or so to help deter re-infestation.
hope this helps!
Aimee
One thing that has worked really well on Nits (since nothing kills them, but removal) is rinsing my child’s head in Lemon Juice. You have to be careful of their eyes and hold a towel on them so juice doesn’t burn. It has to sit for a minimum of 10 min. My child lets it sit for 30 without complaints of burning or irritation. Then rinse with warm water and comb through the hair with a nit comb and lemon juice instead of the OTC gel. The acid in the juice helps to “unbind” the nit to the hair.
as
I used Vaseline in my hair, my babies hair, and my daughters hair. She was the only one with head lice, but I used it for everyone just to be safe. I put it in our hair on a Thursday (good thing they didn’t have school Fri) and she still has it in her hair (it’s now Sat). I just washed my hair last night and again today. It’s hard to get out, but I would do it again.
I’m going to wash her hair tomorrow, but I haven’t seen any bugs in her hair. A few eggs that I couldn’t comb out (which is why I have made her wear the Vaseline for so long). I don’t want the eggs hatching and then starting all over again. Anyways…….. It seems to have done the trick.
A.M.W
I’ve tried the Vaseline. And it will not come out! What do I do! I’ve done a lot of things to my hair and I’m scared it will dry my head out and I’ll have dandruff. What do I do!
Angela
I have the cure for getting Vaseline out of your hair. Shampoo won’t work. BABY OIL. It works wonders. Tell everyone you know. BABY OIL!!!!! THEN shampoo. IT WORKS.
Roni
Hello Debbie, thank you so much for your tips! Yesterday, I found lice on two out of three of my children. I automatically ran to the pharmacy and bought the lice kit. After treating my kids and myself, I starting reading about how the lice shampoos don’t always work. I had heard about using Vaseline before but I was afraid I would never get it out of our hair. I took your advice and used the baby oil and I was surprised that it actually cut through the greasiness of the Vaseline. I also used Palmolive liquid dish soap and washed our hair 2-3 times with it, then used regular shampoo. Thank you so much, it worked great and so far we seem to be lice free!!
V.E.
I used baby oil to cut the vaseline in the shower and wiped it off with a towel before I washed it with dishsoap,then washed it with my regular shampoo and cream rinse. It works very well.
JR
About ten years ago a child passed onto me a bad case of insecticide-resistant lice. I tried using the insecticide products three or four times, to no avail. I then found on the Internet a product which consisted of olive oil and a little rosemary oil. The lice were all killed in one application. It was easy to wash out the product, and my hair smelled great. I can no longer find this product on the Internet, but I certainly recommend trying olive oil.
Amber
My daughter has incredibly long, thick, dark & curly hair. We struggled with lice for close to 5 months! I was at my wits end! We tried EVERYTHING and then tried vaseline. It worked the first time. I don’t care if it took an eternity to remove. Vaseline was a life saver!!
KLR
My daughter has had a bad case of lice for a long time… I put the Vaseline in her hair 3 and half hours ago and sent her to bed… I just went in to check on her… pulled her shower cap back… and along the hair line I located 8 lice… they were all dead… I am very happy at this moment… because I think this may actually work for us… concerned do the nits come out though? does it kill the nits?
kiki516
So, yeah I am sitting here with Vaseline on my head, and my 4 yr old daughter who has hair down to her rear end is asleep with it in hers as well… My daughter came home approximately 2 months ago with lice (she was staying with her aunt when my mother passed away) and about a week later we found out she had head lice, I had not had it since I was pregnant with her, and I had done Vaseline then because of the pregnancy, between her father and I we have done probably 8 rid treatments, I even did mayonnaise and vinegar treatments… and nothings was working.
My 8 year old son got it, but I just shaved his head and it was gone… now I have gotten it… so Vaseline is were we are at now, I was told GOOP works to get it out… but I just have to remember to apply it before wetting it… I think I am going to do the goop, dawn soap and coconut shampoo all at once… I will hopefully get it out easily. My biggest problem is I do not have a washer and dryer here in my home and its very expensive to wash everything multiple times, thankfully they are leaving for their dad’s tomorrow, so I can get them washed and cleaned before they return and he has already done it there… lets pray this works… will keep you posted.
Ivy
Hey RR, that sounds like a tough situation. I would be tempted just to use clippers and get rid of all of his hair very quickly to keep the trauma down to a minimum for him. Ordinarily I don’t think that’s necessary, but he’s only 1 and if messing with his hair is terrifying to him, I’d want to avoid all that combing. The Vaseline helps to kill the lice and nits but since you can’t tell the live nits from dead ones, there’s really no substitute for combing them all out.
rr
My 9 year old daughter’s friend was infested with lice and gave it to my one year old about a week ago. I used NIX and thought I got it all, my one year old boy has a ton of hair that is thick. I noticed today he has a very large adult bug and a few smaller ones.
I smothered his head in Vaseline and covered with a cap for two hours he was in a very serious accident 4 months ago and he has post traumatic stress and doesn’t like his head touched, this is torture trying to wash out the Vaseline and I can’t sit him down to get the comb through his hair.
ANY suggestions on how to get the dead ones out and get nits out? I can’t even get to see if all are dead and to get nits out. PLEASE help my son has been through so much and to torture him like this is so bad… Will the Vaseline kill the nits? Any help would be a life savor he is only one and will not stay for me to comb out his hair and check…
RR
I have 4 kids. The youngest being 2 (it was easy getting it out of her hair). My 9 year old is the only one who has never had lice. I used Vaseline on my 7 year old daughter. She has thick, long hair. It worked wonders. Then right after I got everything out of her hair, including the Vaseline, I realized I had lice. Frustrating! I am using it in my hair right now. Praying it works. I ended up just shaving my 6 year old son’s head. Boom! Gone! I will use Vaseline again. It is cheap and I only had to use one application. I am okay with washing it out, although it takes forever to get out.
Somer L.
I just tried this method and so far am happy with the results. I got lice from my son who got it from… I don’t even know where! I buzzed his hair because I wasn’t about to go through the shampooing and combing with him since he is only 3 and can’t sit still long enough for it to be effective. I used the Vaseline on my own hair and washed it out with bulk laundry detergent from the Natural Foods store. I would rather wash my hair every day with Vaseline than have a continuing lice problem, that’s for sure!
Kandy
My 12 year old contracted head lice from another family and now has it back again from visiting their home and just found this out a few days ago. I checked him today and they are back… eggs, nits and live bugs. I am not convinced that lice cannot live long off a live attached hair strand and that they do not jump as I saw one that did. They come from somewhere – How do you explain how the 1st person get’s it?, cannot be true that you get head lice from someone else, bugs are bugs in my opinion and they can be anywhere just like fleas.
I tried store bought RID and this DID NOT WORK for me, so I say don’t waste your money. I am currently trying Vaseline as I have read that this does work since its greasy, heavy and can smother them, and any dish soap should wash it out after 2 or 3 washings as it easily washed off my hands after applying and I use GAIN dish soap and worked just as good as DAWN.
I agree all nits need to be pulled out as you cannot tell if these are alive or dead. You can only tell if they are actual bugs if they are dead or not looking under a magnifying glass and some you can see them actually crawling around. Now I know why kids/adults that have greasy hair would not get head lice. I am confident that the Vaseline will work but not convinced that he will not get them again just because I used the Vaseline.
I have educated him that he cannot share brushes, combs, hats, coats with others and I am going to check him on a weekly basis as I do not want to overwhelm him. I am also going to have him blow dry his hair daily as the heat will also kill them, same concept as a dryer with bedding etc. I am going to pry my other kids and I don’t end up with them.
Diane
Normally I never post but after trying everything to get vaseline out hair I found the solution & I want to help everyone that is still having this problem. TRESemme’ DEEP CLEANSING Shampoo will take vaseline out of your hair. We tried it on three girls with very long & thick hair. All three girls are oily hair free and looking forward to going to school tomorrow:)
KG
I started with buying almost $60 worth of over the counter product. RID shampoo and Nix creme. It was unsuccessful, I didn’t see one dead louse, only many alive louse. I made a shampoo using 8 oz. of dawn dishing detergent, 2oz. tea tree oil, and 4oz. vinegar. It definitely worth a whole 6 dollars.
I used mayo on my daughter’s hair and the next morning while I combing through her hair I found 6 dead louse and 3 live louse. So, I can say mayo is good but it didn’t kill all the lice. My daughter and I have been dousing our hair in olive oil all day and night going on two days now. It seems to be working. I haven’t found any live loose on my daughters hair. The olive is great but really messy!! I’m going to use blue magic coconut oil conditioner (petroleum) for the next 8 days. I know it will work, and I think it would be worth the multiple shampooing I will be doing. I’ve also been spraying alcohol on the furniture and the beds. I’ve spent many hours researching remedies and learning about lice in general.
Ivy
Don’t be embarrassed! It’s gross, it’s a pain, but it’s not the plague. :)
We managed to knock out a VERY resistant case of lice with Vaseline. We just left it in for several days instead of washing it a bunch of times on the first day. That way no new eggs could be laid and it would interrupt the WHOLE cycle. That seemed to do the trick- no lice after that day and that was a couple of months ago. YEAH!
Another thing I would recommend is to pair the Vaseline treatment with the Nit Terminator comb, which is THE BEST lice comb out there. Seriously, this thing found nits after we had been over our daughter’s head three or four times in a row (we even ended up cutting her hair very short to make lice checks easier) and were SURE nothing was left. Wash it and let it mostly dry, then run that Terminator over the head every whicha way and get out all the nits you can find, THEN do Vaseline. It worked for us. GOOD LUCK!
mommyOF2
I’m quite embarrassed to be saying this… but my family has been struggling with lice for a year now!! Every time we think we are rid of it, it comes right back! I’ve washed everything, used the lice meds countless times (to no avail). I’ve tried baby oil, cooking oil, salt-water, pretty much every home remedy you see online! The only 2 I haven’t done is mayo (because I’m afraid my child would swallow it if left on overnight which can be toxic after its been out that long) and Vaseline (because we don’t keep it in the house).
After seeing this site I think I’m gonna make hubby (who shaved his head) go out and buy the largest container of Vaseline he can find at the store 2mrw! I hope you people aren’t lying about it working b/c for the first time in MONTHS I have hope of actually getting rid of this once and for all!!
…and no company at the house for a while afterward b/c I’m pretty sure in spite of informing ppl to check themselves some of my extended family are re-infesting my household.
Mr.Russ
Hi. I have had lice for most likely over 2 months now (sense my gf didn’t mention to me that she got them 2 months ago) I have had my hair washed 2 times with RID and it killed all the adults and we thought we combed out the eggs, apparently the eggs are on your scalp as well, as we had to scratch them out. But this is my last desperate attempt at removing the lice or my head will be shaved =/ and I love my hair so I pray that this Vaseline will remove all traces of it.
NoVASHN
Don’t forget to treat other siblings, especially if they share a room or bed, just in case. Our 4 yo had lice last week, we did Rid then followed up with Vaseline, he was clear of infestation. Our 6 yo was clear, so no treatment. One week later, I found an adult louse on the 6 yo, not one nit. Now, all 3 of us are under Vaseline/bonnets just to make sure. Dad is going to get it when he gets home. We had no trouble getting the Vaseline out with Dawn and shampoo-kids are boys with brush cuts so I feel some what lucky in the lice world.
Aaron
My hair is very thick and it was too difficult to get the Vaseline into my hair and all the way to the scalp. I used a combination of Vaseline and olive oil for fluidity, let it sit for around 10 hours, washed it out, and then rinsed my hair with white vinegar. Haven’t seen a trace of lice since. This was all after two unsuccessful $25 RID complete kits.
Long story short, this does the trick. Would recommend it to anyone!
Ivy
Same problem here- the nits are coming back but I’m finding no live lice. I have to assume that either the live lice are just hiding really, really well, or what I’m finding isn’t nits. I’m pretty sure what I’m finding IS nits, so when they come back after a very thorough nit removal I am assuming that there are lice still present. Those suckers can be TINY.
I am trying the Vaseline tonight on the recommendation of my daughter’s camp counselor, who said it worked for her child years ago and that if I do it that my daughter is welcome back at camp tomorrow. She said she didn’t try to wash the Vaseline out entirely but instead just washed as usual and let it wear itself off over the course of a week or two, which kept the lice from coming back. Works for me!
christina
I’m having the same problem with the eggs being present and no adult bugs. My daughter has many, many eggs in her hair that I cannot pick out. There are too many to pick out by hand. I put Vaseline in her hair this morning and still there are eggs. Will the Vaseline kill the eggs??? And if so will I be able to wash them out??
jcm
I have found nits on 3 of my 4 children now. I think I have gotten it all out of one’s head, but my daughter is a different story. We have used RID twice now, and every day I still find more nits, but no live bugs. I don’t understand how we are finding nits with no bugs! Since this started I have only found 1 adult bug. It was in my daughters hair. Since, we have found new nits in her hair each day, and now nits in 2 of my boys hair, but no bugs.
Can anyone explain that to me please? My doctor has told me to use the vaseline tonight, and I am going to, but my question is will the vaseline also kill the eggs to keep them from ever hatching in case I miss any when I am removing them? I am so frustrated!
Debbie
Nix did not work, even 2 applications. I did it correctly both times. I used two bottles the 2nd time just in case it wasn’t enough the first time (daughter’s hair was chin length). I went on strand-by-strand search and destroy missions, but although I got all of the nits, I kept finding more so I knew there was at least one more adult louse left alive. They ARE DEFINITELY RESISTANT!
In an act of desperation, I tried the Vaseline. It was either that or giving her a Britney Spears cut (shaved) and sending her to school with a pink wig. ;-) The Vaseline has to be left in for at least 8 hrs to suffocate them, but it seems to have worked. I will have to make sure I get any new nits out to make sure she doesn’t get re-infested, but it did kill the lice.
As for getting out the Vaseline, that was tricky, but I actually found a solution that WORKED! BABY OIL!!! Dawn dish-washing liquid didn’t work. Clarifying shampoo on it’s own didn’t work. Corn starch is supposed to bind to the oil and wash it away, but while it may have helped a little, it didn’t work. Surprising as it sounds, even though it’s oil, it works!
Here’s how to do it: Get some Vaseline, a shower cap, fine tooth combs, clarifying shampoo (Suave is cheap and works well) and BABY OIL!!!!! Apply the Vaseline, then cover with a shower cap. Sleep on a cheap air mattress if you have one so you don’t ruin your beds and pillows. Keep it on at least 8 hrs (longer if possible) to make sure the adults and nymphs are dead.
In the morning, squeeze out as much of the Vaseline as you can by hand (use rubber gloves), and them comb as much as you can out (repeated combing with the fine toothed combs). Once you’ve gotten as much out as you can, slather the baby oil all over the hair and scalp – soak it. Work it in. Apply clarifying shampoo, lather, rinse, repeat. You may need to repeat the baby oil treatment again if you can still feel the Vaseline anywhere in the hair, but you’ll definitely need to shampoo several times to get it all out.
I was completely shocked, but it really worked well! Hopefully we never have to go through this again but if we do, at least I can skip the other things that don’t work, save time, and take care of it the first time.
kaylee
Well let me tell you the mayo did NOT work on my hair! We did it twice, and the next day I was infested with lice. We found at least 40 eggs. Mayo does NOT work. My sister used Vaseline, and she has never had lice since.
PEOPLE’S PHARMACY RESPONSE: THANKS SO MUCH FOR DOING THE EXPERIMENT AND REPORTING YOUR RESULTS! WE WILL NOT BE RECOMMENDING MAYO FOR LICE IN THE FUTURE.
Jordyn
It works believe me.
I’m in 7th grade and got it. I cried and cried.
Because lice sucks! My Mom read Vaseline works.
She read right, it was a miracle!
But it took a long time to get the thick oil out of my hair. We used Dawn, dish washing soap.
It worked.
erica o
I am having a nightmare as well. Three of my kids have lice. The smallest is 3. Nix doesn’t work!!! More live ones after using it and the combs they give you in the $20 boxes doesn’t pull anything at all out. Tonight I have all their heads in Vaseline. If I get it or can’t get rid of theirs… I will try the mayo.
I am washing clothes, towels, bedding as they are used. In my opinion, do your self a favor and don’t spend money on NIX. Also instead of the comb they provide buy a dog flee comb. It works 98% better and they sell them at Ralph’s. I picked one up with the spray for my couches, chairs, and beds. The flee combs pulled out some of the lice that I couldn’t even see we’re there. Good luck to you and I.
PEOPLE’S PHARMACY RESPONSE: THERE ARE SEVERAL GOOD NIT COMBS AVAILABLE ONLINE, SO YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE TO RESORT TO A DOG FLEA COMB.
Windy O
What a nightmare!!! I used the Vaseline treatment and it seems to have worked to get rid of lice but, I have tried all of the suggestions to get the petroleum out of their hair and it is not coming out. I cannot imagine putting oil on top of oil ( baby oil) and I am going to the store for more Dawn. I have used baking soda and corn starch and they are getting tired of having their hair washed.
laura o.
I have had lice and they itch A LOT!! I tried putting mayo on & I have not had lice for 5 years! :)
CC
I work at a school. I got lice two weeks ago and I am pregnant and I can’t keep using the OTC treatments and they are not working anyways! I tried the Vaseline and left it on for two hours and I still feel them crawling. I am so upset over thisI don’t know what else to do?? Can anyone help me before my children get it and my whole house gets infected!
PEOPLE’S PHARMACY RESPONSE: DRENCH YOUR HAIR WITH CETAPHIL CLEANSER, USE A BLOW DRYER (THIS WILL MAKE IT HARD), AND LEAVE IT ON OVERNIGHT. SHAMPOO OUT IN THE MORNING.
AJ
My daughter had lice in the 3rd grade and it kept circulating throughout the school. We smothered her hair in olive oil after using a nit comb and sectioning the hair and getting everything out we could get. I put a shower cap on her hair and wrapped it in a towel and let her sleep like this overnight. It worked great. First thing in the morning you have to section off the hair and scrape out all the nits and lice (alive or dead, hopefully all dead) before you wash the hair. Dish soap or baby soap worked well but it has to be applied to dry hair. Use a hair dryer if you have to before you try and wash it out.
You likely want to apply olive oil a second night may 1 or 2 nights later to make sure you get all the nits. The key is sectioning off the hair and really getting every part of the head checked.
I think this works a bit better than the Vaseline and it sounds like it is much easier to get out.
nikki
My daughter had lice when she was in third grade. I tried the RID 3 step solution. When I used the first step, it seemed like it worked. My mom told me then about Vaseline. While I put the Vaseline in, I saw live lice crawling. I had to hand pick them out. She kept the Vaseline in over-night, and took it out that morning without a problem. Her hair did look greasy but took a shower every hour. I then looked at her hair, there were about 6 or 7 nits left. I put Mayonnaise in and it was GREAT! Best way is for Vaseline and Mayonnaise together and all lice and nits are gone!
ashley
I used Vaseline last night left it in over night and washed my hair this morning. I put dish soap in my hair before getting it wet, than washed hair 3 times with dish soap, 2 times with shampoo and once more with dish soap. it worked! lice and Vaseline are gone. there was only a little tiny bit of Vaseline left which came out after one more wash in the afternoon.
debbie
After dealing with head lice for a whole summer with my stepdaughter, I tried the shampoos, combs, and anything I could find. Every time she would come back she would have them. We started using the hair dryer on her dry head ( normal, don’t hold it so close it will burn the scalp). This will dry out the nits, Keep at that once a day for about a week or after they have been exposed to lice. This works, I was ready to shave some heads before I thought to try this.
Cass
My child also brought lice home from school. I also became infected. Since I was pregnant, my M.D. warned against using the OTC treatments and recommended vaseline or mayonnaise instead. Either product deprives the lice of oxygen.
However, these products do not kill lice nits (lice eggs.) The traditional methods (combing, cleaning bedding, etc.) helps, but I had to do two more vaseline treatments at later dates as nits hatched.
JD
Olive oil to smother the nits and then use tea tree oil mixed with a baby shampoo works great
JudyM
I don’t know about Vaseline, but our doctor gave us the “BEST” cure for head lice and it works in only an hour. It works great and even gets the nits out! You put a generous amount of Best Foods Mayonnaise on the hair making sure it gets all over, cover with a shower cap, leave it on for an hour (be careful it will drip) and then shampoo out. Lice are all gone! When my daughter went back to school after trying this the nurse said it was the best removal she had ever seen in her 20 years experience – not one nit was left!
Brigid
Mayonnaise is the way to go! Apply it to dry hair and massage in. Leave on for several hours, or overnight. It was the only thing that worked for our family. I think that the oil suffocates the lice and the vinegar ‘pickles’ the nits so they can never hatch. Easy to wash out and leaves hair looking beautiful afterwards. They don’t call it the ‘hillbilly hair conditioner’ for nothing! Those lice control shampoos are not only ineffective but downright dangerous.
LAS
I tried this once when I thought I might have lice. I don’t know about the lice, but I will NEVER do this again. I had to go to the beauty shop for a couple of days of them working on it to get the vaseline out of my hair. There are surely better methods!!
leda
I have used vaseline a few times when my daughter got lice from school, and each time it kills the lice, just was hard to get out, but I will try these methods next time (if there is one).
thanks
PK
I was terribly frustrated some years ago by my child coming home with head lice. I read that saturating the child’s head with olive oil would work. My profession is medicine and I did not like the idea of using insecticides (primary ingredient in human anti-lice treatments) on my child. The olive oil worked great, one treatment, and left my child’s hair very soft and beautiful. She now uses it and does years later for beauty, the lice problem most prevalent in children’s schools under the fifth grade.
Brooke Wright
I had lice about a month ago. My daughter had infected me from school. We both had lice and did not know what to do. My friend had reccomended vaseline, which had worked very well. But to get it out you put baby oil in your hair, squeeze your hair out, and then wash your hair three times with dawn dish soap. This got the vaseline and the oil out suprisingly.
CAN
A baking soda wash will remove the vaseline, and straight alcohol in the hair for 30 seconds followed by a good moisturizing shampoo will kill the lice.
Yvette
Peanut butter, mayo, olive oil, or anything thick like that wrapped around the head and left overnight will kill the live lice, but you still have to pick out the nits. It is easier to remove than a petro product.
Nancy Plante
I’ve heard that you can remove the Vaseline with mineral oil or baby oil, then shampoo the oil out. I’ve never tried it but supposedly the oil dissolves the greasy Vaseline.
Angie
My daughter contrated lice when she was in first grade. After three unsuccessful attempts using lice shampoo, I consulted my pediatrician friend who recommended vaseline. I smeared her head with the stuff then covered it with a shower cap. It worked great but it took a week of three or four washings per day to get the greasy look out of her hair. I used Dawn, shampoo and anything else I could find. Finally I found a foaming acne wash that worked well but took 3-4 tries.
Mindy Washburn
To remove the Vaseline–or any other greasy/oily substance, apply shampoo to dry hair, work it through, then add water. Same thing for cleaning shortening covered hands, work liquid soap in first before the water. Wetting the surface first keeps the soap from reaching the grease.