Does Mayonnaise Kill Lice And Nits?

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40 Answers

Aidan McCartney Profile
Aidan McCartney answered
This simply smothers the creatures meaning that they are unable to breathe. Given that lice breathe through their skin then it's really easy to stop them breathing by smothering them with a thick or oily substance that they just can't get out of. Chemical lice treatments are popular but they can be quite popular in store - though of course, many parents are worried these days about the chemicals and pesticides getting into their child's bloodstream - and hence, using mayonnaise or oil is a much more natural way of killing lice.

Simply lather the head that is infested with lice with a rather generous coating of mayonnaise. The whole head needs to be covered and greasy to ensure that all living lice are killed. The head should then be covered with a shower cap to let the mayonnaise stay on the head. Keep this on for between six to eight hours. Lice can live for a while without breathing so they must be kept smothered for a sufficient amount of time.

When you remove the shower cap you need to wash the hair numerous times to completely get rid of the mayonnaise. You will see the bodies of the dead head lice going down the drain. Now you have killed the living ones, you need to get rid of the unhatched eggs. So clean all pillows, sheets and teddy bears and put them in the tumble dryer to completely kill the insects with heat.

Finally, you need to comb out the hair when the shampooing is finished. Lice eggs will appear around a half inch from the scalp and they will appear as soft and gooey bubbles. Every one needs to be scraped off the hair. Use a nit comb for this. Keep searching the hair for nits afterwards and make sure you look everywhere. This can take hours.
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
We tried several different lice products that you get from the store Nix, Rid ect.  My oldest child's scalp got burnt from the Nix so the nurse told us to try Mayo.  We left it on for 7 hours (you must leave it on for 4 lice can "hold their breath" for that long)  washed their hair with coconut shampoo and conditioner then sprayed it with vinegar and combed out the eggs and lice.  I wish I had known about this sooner the comb never got eggs out before we had to pull them out with our fingers but the vinegar broke up the glue and they came right out.  I just wish I had know about this sooner.  We have found no more eggs or nits since the first treatment but we re-treated a week later with mayo just to be certain.  It is cheaper and so much easier than anything else we have tried so far.  You still must clean and bag up clothing wash everything.  You can not just treat hair.  What can not be washed or bagged you can put in the freezer for at least 24 hours.  I hope this helps someone.  With young children this can be a major up=hill battle.
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
My daughter had a horrible problem getting head lice.  I used the mayo treatment and it worked, and much less expensive than head lice shampoos, I covered her hair with the mayo leaving it on for approximately two hours with plastic wrap on.  Once I completed  this I purchased tea tree oil, daluted it into a spray bottle and everyday after a bath I would spray her hair with it.  Apparently the lice do not like the smell of the tea tree oil, and it doesn't leave a lasting smell to humans.
Jennifer Cooke Profile
Jennifer Cooke answered
Yes it works. I used it on my daughter last week. It is safe, it is good for the hair, and after the mayo treatment, there were zero living lice when I combed her hair with a metal nit comb. I covered her hair with mayo, wrapped her hair with plastic wrap tightly and covered her hair with a towel for about 2 hours. I washed her hair with shampoo and the dead lice washed down the drain. I rinsed her hair with vinegar after shampooing to help loosen the nits and I combed her hair with a metal nit comb to remove all the dead lice and there eggs. I will never spend my money on drug store chemicals for lice ever again. Mayo is the way to go and it cost about 3 bucks. Check out wackyuses.com for other natural remedies.
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
I have 5 kids, and when they were in school they caught lice often especially in elementary school...I spent hundreds of dollars on commercial lice treatments...it didn't work. The lice are immune to them..then I heard of the Mayo treatment...lice can't get immune to suffocation. You don't have to leave the mayo on all night...put it on thick and make sure you get it all the way to the scalp and wrap your kids head in a towel and let it sit for 2 hours...then shampoo it out. It takes dish soap to get it out and you'll have to wash it 2 or 3 times...then use regular shampoo and conditioner...after that use a lice comb to get the nits out...they come out very easy since the mayo loosens them. Wash all your bedding and vacuum the whole house...check in 5 days and if needed do it again. Nits hatch in 5 to 10 days...it works and it's not poison to your kid. GOOD LUCK
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
Mayo can work to kill live lice by smothering them.However.... There is a much easier- and less messy way-

take a bath every night or every other night for at least 2 weeks. While in the bath- lay down with all your hair under water- be sure to rub hair under the water to work out any trapped air bubbles. Keep it under for 2 full minutes (tho they usually die within 15 seconds of having no air) Then shampoo with your regular shampoo then put a lot of conditioner- with conditioner in hair- comb thru with lice comb (still sitting in bath) Then stand up and use shower to do your final rinse. No need use extra hot water or anything. These guys need air to survive.

You repeat for two weeks because you need to catch all the batches of newly hatched eggs-and any that hop back on from within the house.

Its critical that you soak all bedding. Place anything that cannot be washed in black plastic bags for 2 weeks (throw pillows, stuffed animals) Vacuum house daily. Vacuum seats/seat backs in all your cars and spray them with the poison spray.

This is how I finally beat a bad infestation that lasted 4 months with my daughter- all the poisons failed and I felt like I was harming her. Less than 2 weeks they were gone for good.

Good old fashioned water. Who knew right?
thanked the writer.
Anonymous
Anonymous commented
Everything I've read says lice can hold their breath for hours, so submerging them in water doesn't work. Are you basing your statement on evidence, or a guess? One case does not prove anything. Do you realize how many people will suffer with lice if you're facts aren't straight?
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
I used mayonnaise on both my daughter's hair to suffocate the nits and any lice I may have missed. Seemed to work after they had it in their hair for 12 hours but 5 days later I saw more nits. My pediatrician said to use mayo 2-3 days in a row. I will see itf this works.
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
I called my doctor and she recommended you use real mayo (not miracle whip) put a heavy dose on (from scalp to tips of hair and behind ears and on neck line where the hair meets the neck) then to put a shower cap on and sleep in it all night. Hope this helps!
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
YES! I was desperate to try something after my daughter brought it home. Not only was she infested but myself and toddler as well. I tried everything over the counter had to offer and NONE of it worked. They kept coming back. So like everyone else...I was desperate. I bought a cheap jar of real mayonnaise and slathered it on her head and wrap plastic wrap around her head tightly. I left it on for close to 4 hours. She washed her hair and to my surprise it worked. The only thing left was the eggs.
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
Yes this will work. It is also better for your hair than the lice killing chemical products out there that can also make your hair fall out. The mayonnaise works by smothering the eggs and lice then you can clean them out.
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
I work as a jail guard where issues such as lice are common place. The treatment is always mayo, because it works for ALL hair types, it's easy to use by yourself (inmates are not allowed metal nit combs), and it's cheap on the tax payers. Medical always slathers their hair and gives them a shower cap. Most will leave it on several hours. It may not work for every case, but it does work. As a caution to those with small children, obviously the longer it is on the head and being heated by the scalp the more the mayo will begin to turn. Make sure if you use this treatment on small children to watch that they don't ingest any.
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
I keep getting them and the combs are worthless, does straightening your hair help?
caroline Profile
caroline answered
Using mayonnaise makes it easier to comb the nits and eggs out, but I prefer conditioner. If you're thinking of a rinse to repel nits, I've heard mouthwash works but I haven't tried it myself.
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
No mayonnaise doesn't kill lice. The way to kill lice would be to get a comb with extremely tiny teeth, a bowl of hot water (the hot water kills the lice. They can't stand hot water), and go through your hair in sections, dipping the comb in the hot water and pulling out the lice. Using chemicals damages your head, and usually isn't as affective as the bottle says. And the only home remedy I know of is using small amounts of Tee tree oil, and combing that through your hair.
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
I have use mayo ,conditioner , vinegar and hair treatment and non of them work but I used turps it is what my grandparents use on their children s hair and thats all I used  and kills the nits only thing it does burn some people scalps depending on skin types
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
Does the Mayo smoother the egg and louse? Or does the mayo just make it easier to comb out the nits?
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
No it does not I tried that and had kept it in over nite with two plastic bags over my head! I woke up with lice and their louse.
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
I'm pretty sure it does--my mom used it on me when I was little,, I myself have head lice and I'm about to try it right now--I'll let you know if it works...   :)
Marian Smtih Profile
Marian Smtih answered
They say real mayonnaise with a bag on your head would kill. Then using baby oil will help get the nits out easier. I say nixs cream rinse lice treatment is best. Then using a nit comb and picking them out is best , but time consuming.
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
I am coverd with nit eggs in my hair n I a 15 I  really need to get them out help me!!!1
Jacquelyn Mathis Profile
They make combs that are real tight and you can get them right next to the kits that they sell for treatment. When you treat your head, you need to treat the whole home at the same time. The combs aren't that expensive, and they work real well. Hope this helps, good luck.
carrie Profile
carrie answered
I have not heard of using mayo. I just know that you have to follow the instructions on the commercial preps and use them twice and use the nit combs. And wash all your bedding in hot water and then dry it in the dryer for at least 60 minutes.
Good luck.
Kyoko Katayama Profile
Kyoko Katayama answered
Mayonnaise is a pretty messy treatment for head lice and I don't know if it works.  I do know that Kwell Shampoo works and is safe for adults and children over the age of 2 years.  This is to be applied at bedtime and left in overnight, at which time it is to be rinsed out.  This kills the hatched lice AND the nits (lice eggs) which are still attached to the hair shafts and can be removed by thoroughly washing the hair with vinegar straight from the bottle and then combing with the special fine-toothed comb which comes with the Kwell shampoo.
Michelle Michelle Profile
No it does not. After reading all these comments, I thought I'd give it a go. Apart from wasting my time for 7 hours, it did nothing. I ended up contacting N.H.L.T.C (National Head Lice treatment Centre) - 1300 659 908 or try the website: Www.stopheadlice.com
This was the best move I made. She explained what to do, when to do it and that sooo many of the things you get told are myths. If you want to know the best solution for you, I would recommend you contact them. It could also end up being cheaper than buying all those products to treat the hair!!
Mandy Johanssen Profile
Mandy Johanssen answered
My neighbor had lice and tried everything....eventually she did try the mayo technique and got rid of them but that could of just of been a fluke thing because of all the other treatments she tried during that time as well...
Sarah Doran Profile
Sarah Doran answered
I have been reading around. My mom said that mayo might work but she looked online. It said no. We tried vinegar. That was a horrible night because I was breathing it in and it tasted horrible and it burned my eyes. I had longer hair at that time. It didn't work. We tried the box with the lice treatment but it didn't work. We did like 2 treatments this week. I was told there was only eggs yesterday. Today I looked up and it said mayo was quick, easy, and cheap. I read it to my dad and we went out. Now I am sitting with the mayo in my hair and a cap. This has to work. I have been searching and reading. I have seen a lot of sites and people saying mayo indeed helps. It probably doesn't help everyone but. Who knows. It might get rid of them. I'm praying that it will work. Its embarrassing to me to have those bugs and I want to evict them!
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
Yes, mayo does work. I know for a fact that it kills the lice. As for the eggs, I cannot say for sure. You will need to follow up a time or two to be sure you kill any more that may hatch. Bt then you would have to do this with ANY lice treatment on the market. Mayo is Way cheaper and not harmful to small children.
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
Vinegar is used for food, but it also has many other uses other than on food. With lice you have to treat your hole house and all the people in it
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
No it don't...I tried it on my lil sis but she still has lice . Put petrol on your hair it takes 1 hr for all the nits and lice to die. (only kidding) I seriously don't know , I'm going to try it doe.
Aisha Profile
Aisha answered
I believe Mayonnaise is not the appropriate solution for killing Lice and Nits. You can try a number of other solutions such as :
-Killing them by picking them by hand
- Using Borax
Here is a link for more information:
Lice Help
Hello Boss Profile
Hello Boss answered
If mayo doesn't work, try chunky peanut butter.
Seriously though, a commercial lice preparation followed by a nit comb should work, It always helps to have the shortest hair possible to achieve faster results.
If nothing else works, try the old GI method of shaving one side bald, pour lighter fluid on the side with hair, set on fire, and stab the little suckers with an ice pick when they run out to the bald side.Might check with Snopes first to see what they have to say.
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
I don't know because I didnt try it yet but I don't think it will work because mayo isn't used for hair, its used for sandwiches!

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