LICE MYTHS

  • I need to use chemicals to treat lice.
No. Not only are chemicals harmful and unfriendly to the environment and people they are not effective at treating lice. Many families are using both over the counter and prescription strength chemical treatments with no success. Please visit the NPA's website for more information regarding lice resistance toward these methods at WWW.HEADLICE.ORG
  • Lice jump from child to child.
No. Head lice do not have hind legs or wings to fly or jump. They crawl. The majority of head lice transmissions occur through person-to-person contact as well as the sharing of items such as combs, brushes, hats, helmets, or hair ties.
  • ​Dirty kids get lice.
No. Lice like clean hair. They enjoy clean hair that is easy to grasp onto. In fact, to deter lice it is recommended that you use hair spray, mousse or gel to make hair artificially dirty.
  • Fumigating is the way to kill lice.
No, No. No. Homes don't get head lice, people do. Spraying the environment or hiring extermination services is unwarranted and can pose potential health risks.
  • ​I need to use Vaseline or mayonnaise.
No. Although some people have had success with these products there is no known evidence. These products are very difficult to remove from hair and are not recommended.
  • I will know if I have lice or if my child has lice.
No. Lice as well as lice eggs (nits) are very difficult to detect. They are very small and blend extremely well into hair. Take a look at When is a Nit not a Nit? to help you. Also, those infected with head lice will not always show signs of itching or scratching.
  • Once the lice are dead or removed I am cured.
No. Even though live lice may be gone the nits they laid are still attached to individual strands of hair. In order to fully eliminate head lice all nits must be removed. This requires thorough combing and manual removal.​