Go Ad-Free
logoThe People's Perspective on Medicine

Listerine to Fight Lice

Q. Here in Hawaii, we call head lice “Ukus.” We’ve had quite a problem with them this year and I have found the medication costly and ineffective. I’m glad you wrote about Listerine, because I never would have thought to use it. We tried it and it worked.

A. Many traditional lice treatments have lost effectiveness. The alcohol and other ingredients in Listerine may help kill lice. One mother described saturating the scalp with Listerine and covering the hair with a shower cap for two hours. She then combed out the dead lice.

Rate this article
star-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-empty
5- 1 rating
About the Author
Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist who has dedicated his career to making drug information understandable to consumers. His best-selling book, The People’s Pharmacy, was published in 1976 and led to a syndicated newspaper column, syndicated public radio show and web site. In 2006, Long Island University awarded him an honorary doctorate as “one of the country's leading drug experts for the consumer.”.
Tired of the ads on our website?

Now you can browse our website completely ad-free for just $5 / month. Stay up to date on breaking health news and support our work without the distraction of advertisements.

Browse our website ad-free
Join over 150,000 Subscribers at The People's Pharmacy

We're empowering you to make wise decisions about your own health, by providing you with essential health information about both medical and alternative treatment options.