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Email a friendVaseline for Lice
Home Remedies
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.
Copyright (c) 1999 by Graedon Enterprises, Inc. From The People's Pharmacy Guide To Home And Herbal Remedies by Joe Graedon and Teresa Graedon. Reprinted by permission of St. Martin's Press, LLC.
Reader Comments
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.
Posted by: Mindy Washburn | May 23, 2007 4:06 PM
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.
Posted by: Angie | May 26, 2007 11:11 AM
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.
Posted by: Nancy Plante | June 3, 2007 10:17 AM