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Treating Lice Without Pesticides

Q. Two years ago my entire family had a severe case of head lice, including my 4-year-old daughter, 6- and 10-year-old sons and my wife. (I was spared.)

We settled on the Cetaphil method. It worked 100 percent. We didn’t even need to clean the sheets, vacuum the house or wash the slipcovers.

Two years later, all three children caught lice again. Once again, the Cetaphil method worked perfectly. I convinced two friends to try the Cetaphil method and they had 100 percent success.

I have no issues with chemicals. We were just desperate and our pediatrician recommended this method. I URGE anyone with a family lice problem to use it!

A. To treat lice, Cetaphil skin cleanser is applied liberally to the hair and scalp. Use a blow dryer after application. (It will form a hard shell on the hair.) Leave the hardened Cetaphil on the hair overnight and shampoo it out the next morning. All the lice should be dead (Pediatrics, Sept. 2004). The procedure can be repeated a week later, if needed.

In addition to avoiding toxic chemicals, this “shrink-wrap” method that suffocates the lice eliminates the need to comb out the nits by hand, a tedious procedure for both parents and children. Thanks for your testimonial.

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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