We are all looking for easier and safer ways to control lice. Reports that the use of many of the over-the-counter insecticide treatments are becoming less effective and some may even be dangerous to our health are really making us take a closer look at possible alternatives. Home remedies are very “in” right now and one that seems to keep popping up is mayonnaise lice treatment. But does this lice control method really work?

Understanding lice and how they behave are basically the keys to successful lice removal. These pesky little bugs suddenly appear out of nowhere and no matter how hard we try to get rid of them, they keep coming back. Once a child receives them at school, in a few days (or so it seems), half the school has them. They are not a dangerous insect, but they are extremely annoying and no matter how you think of them, they can make you feel dirty! You can’t help but think that you have let your family’s hygiene drop to indifferent levels.

Lice don’t bother if you are dirty or clean! They are a human parasite and their only need for survival is a warm host and a constant supply of food. The top of your head and your hair provide both, making you the perfect host!

Head lice are spread from anyone who already has these small pests through direct contact. This is usually from head-to-head contact, or sometimes from sharing items such as hats, headbands, scarves, and personal headphones. The usual sign that lice are active on one of your children is to see them constantly scratching their scalp. This annoying itch is due to being bitten to feed you and your skin reacting to the saliva. This allergic reaction appears as small, itchy red spots on the surface of the scalp and, if left unchecked for too long, it can become quite painful and even infected.

The correct treatment of a lice infestation is twofold. You will need to destroy the living adult, but you also need to make sure to remove the eggs they leave behind. The eggs (or “nits”) are whitish in color, about the size of the head of a pin, and adhere firmly to the hair shaft, making them quite difficult to move. Trying to comb them with a normal comb is practically useless!

Killing lice has been big business for chemical companies around the world for many years, but some evidence has been reported that overuse of products like pesticidal shampoos and creams has been, shall we say, “silly.” In fact, the National Pediculosis Association advises against the use of anything that contains an ingredient called “lindane” due to the fact that it has been associated with a number of medical conditions.

Lice mayonnaise treatment is a simple and natural way to kill lice and is something you probably already have at home in one of your kitchen cabinets. Mayonnaise works by blocking the airways of the lice and actively suffocating them.

For this treatment to work properly, you need to completely suffocate the infected person’s hair and head with a good thick, creamy mixture of mayonnaise. Ideally, you should cover your head with something similar to a plastic cap that you will find in a salon or a shower cap and leave it on for at least 2 hours.

Then you need to shampoo as much mayonnaise as possible and then comb the hair well with a dedicated metal tooth nit comb. You should clean the comb every time you run the comb through your hair before combing it again. If you don’t pay close attention to this process and skip any of the nits, they will hatch in about 7 days and the infestation you thought was rid of will start again.

There are many different opinions on the use of home remedies for lice treatment, but more importantly, you should use your own “informed” judgment as to what you believe. Many parents report that some methods work better than others. But I am sure that you are like me and would rather know what it is that you are putting in your child’s head before starting to use any potentially dangerous substance! A mayonnaise treatment for lice is something easy to access and also easy to use. And something that you could try, with the certainty that it is a completely natural product.