Is Coconut Oil Good For Lice Treatment ?

Updated on March 4th, 2020
coconut oil for lice

Does Coconut oil kill head lice? Coconut oil is a popular treatment for head lice. These are very small insects that live on the scalp and suck blood. Lice can lay around 8-10 eggs on the scalp every day making it very difficult to get rid of them easily.

The best thing to do is to use coconut oil for lice treatment. Lauric acid present in coconut oil is effective in killing head lice. There are several over-the-counter medicines for lice treatment which give faster results but coconut oil is a natural and nontoxic treatment for lice.

Pre and elementary school children have chances of getting infected by lice. In the US itself, at least 6 to 12 million cases of lice infestations are found every year in children between the age group 3-11 years.

Ways of using Coconut Oil for Lice

1. Coconut Oil with Essential Oils

Coconut Oil
Image:ShutterStock

How to Use?

Mix coconut oil with tea tree or anise oil. Both of these essential oils give good results for head lice treatment.

Massage your scalp with this mixture and let the oil stay on the scalp for some time. Use a lice comb to remove lice and pick nits by hand.

Contents present in coconut and essentials oils make lice loosen their hold on scalp and hair and they easily come out using a lice comb. Wash your hair after that preferably with a  shampoo that has essential oil content.

[Read: Essential Oils for Lice]

2. Coconut Oil with Apple Cider Vinegar

How to Use?

Apple cider and coconut oil make a good treatment for head lice. The glue that lice secret to sticking on scalp or hair shaft is dissolved by apple cider vinegar thus making them come out easily. Make a solution by adding equal quantities of coconut oil and apple cider. Massage your scalp with this mixture and then leave it for 15 minutes. Make sure to put on a shower cap so that lice do not spread around from your hair. Use a nit comb to remove lice and nits and later wash your hair properly.

[Read: Apple Cider Vinegar for Lice]

3. Coconut Oil for Garlic

How Much to Use?

Garlic may have a pungent smell but its antiparasitic and antifungal properties help to remove head lice. Add 1 tablespoon of garlic juice with 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. Massage your head with this mixture and leave it for an hour. Make sure to put on a shower cap so that lice do not spread around from your hair. Use a nit comb to remove lice and nits and later wash your hair properly.

[Read: Vinegar for Lice]

4. Coconut Oil, Lemon Juice and Green Tea

How Much to Use?

Coconut oil when mixed with lemon juice and green tea make a very strong solution for lice treatment. While coconut oil makes hair slippery for lice to hold on, lemon juice makes the condition inhospitable for life.

Green tea reduces inflammation on the scalp which may have happened due to excessive scratching. Add 1 tablespoon each of lemon juice, coconut oil, and green tea. Massage your scalp with this mixture and then leave it for half an hour.

Make sure to put on a shower cap so that lice do not spread around from your hair. Use a nit comb to remove lice and nits and later wash your hair properly.

[ Read: Natural Treatment for Body Lice ]

5. Coconut Oil

Coconut is a readily available treatment for head lice. It loosens the hold of lice onto the hair shaft and scalp, making it easy to remove using a nit comb.

Massage your head with coconut oil and then wrap a towel on your head and leave it for a while. Use a nit comb to remove lice and nits from your hair. Wash and condition your hair after that.

Why Use Coconut Oil for Lice?

lice comb
Image: ShutterStock

Coconut is one of the best treatment for lice because it is nontoxic for body and readily available. Coconut oil is extremely safe to treat children for head lice. It has to smell or bad odor which makes it easy to use by anyone. Lice may cause inflammation(1) on the scalp due to excessive scratching, coconut oil is nonreactive to such inflammation and does not cause burning.

Coconut oil has been the best home remedy for head lice and people have been using it for ages. When mixed with essential oils, apple cider, lemon and green tea, coconut oil gives better results for head lice. If you feel that even after regular coconut oil massages there is no relief from head lice then consult a doctor immediately.


FAQs

1. Why You Should Use Coconut Oil for Lice?

Coconut oil is nontoxic and makes lice removal easy as it loosens the hold of lice on the hair shaft.

2. Which Essential Oils Can Be Used With Coconut Oil for Treating Lice?

Tea Tree oil and Anise Oil can be used with coconut for treating head lice. You can pick either of these essential oils and mix it coconut oil.

3. What Other Home Remedies Are Used for Treating Lice?

Apple cider vinegar has proven to give good results for head lice. Just rinse your hair with ACV before applying coconut oil. There are other remedies which you can use for head lice like cinnamon leaf oil, mayonnaise, green tea, etc.

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