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Coconut Oil For Getting Rid Of Lice

Q. I am a kindergarten teacher and on occasion pick up lice from my students. The best home remedy I’ve ever used to kill lice and easily remove nits is coconut oil.

I completely saturate my hair with the oil and cover my head with a shower cap. I leave it on overnight and wash it out with regular shampoo the next morning. This leaves my hair silky, without lice. If the infestation is bad, I do this again a second night. It really works!

A. There used to be a product called HairClean 1-2-3 that contained coconut oil along with anise oil and ylang ylang oil. Although people told us they found it effective, it is no longer on the market. Thanks for suggesting this substitute.

We have also heard from people who rinse their hair with original formula Listerine. The alcohol and herbal oils seem to help kill lice.

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About the Author
Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist who has dedicated his career to making drug information understandable to consumers. His best-selling book, The People’s Pharmacy, was published in 1976 and led to a syndicated newspaper column, syndicated public radio show and web site. In 2006, Long Island University awarded him an honorary doctorate as “one of the country's leading drug experts for the consumer.”.
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