Four Surprising Home Remedies That Lice Can Survive
Most people don't need to be told that lice can survive a basic shower and a dose of shampoo. But when faced with a long and regimented lice treatment program, you may still be tempted to try some home remedies as well. Unfortunately, the durability of lice means that many of these treatments end up doing more harm than good. These are four common ways people try to kill their head lice, as well as why they usually fail to work.
Visiting the Pool
One common tactic used to kill lice is to drown them, but this is easier said than done. Rather than waiting around in the bath, you might think to head to your local swimming pool, where chlorine should kill the lice if oxygen deprivation doesn't. But, when lice are submerged in water, they cling to your hair and enter a sort of catatonic stasis. They are able to survive like this for at least 20 minutes without any signs of damage, and exposure to the chlorine levels of a standard pool does not appear to affect them either.
Being Styled With a Flat-Iron
Like all animals, lice can only survive within a certain range of temperatures, and intense heat can kill them. Because of this, blow dryers and hair straighteners are sometimes recommended as an in-home lice remedy. While this method can temporarily decrease their overall population, it usually isn't enough to destroy the eggs attached to your scalp. In a few days, those eggs will hatch and begin the cycle all over again.
Getting Bleached
On the same principle, even bleaching or dying your hair probably won't eliminate enough of the eggs to get rid of your lice problem. The harsh chemicals involved will undoubtedly kill many of the adults, but the eggs themselves are both very tough and difficult to reach. Rather than subjecting your hair to a new dye job every time the next wave of eggs hatch, it may be better to simply invest in a professional head lice treatment plan.
Spending the Day Away From Humans
Head lice need a steady supply of blood to live, but they can go without feeding for up to three days. This means that even when you manage to eliminate the lice currently on your head, you will need to continue treatment for some time to account for any lice hiding in your bedding or clothing. It's usually much easier to seek help at a lice treatment center and check out http://heartlandhealthyheads.com, where experts can help you find an effective treatment to take care of the problem once and for all.
