This home remedy has gotten us into a lot of trouble.
In recent years lice have seemingly become resistant to over-the-counter lice shampoos, which has left families desperate for relief.
One mother wrote that a pediatric dermatologist, Neil Prose, M.D., at Duke University Medical Center, had suggested smearing the hair and scalp with petroleum jelly at bedtime, covering with a shower cap, and removing the Vaseline in the morning.
The lice were gone, but removing the Vaseline was easier said than done!
We were inundated with complaints from parents upset about the difficulty of this chore. Suggestions for removal ranged from Dawn dishwashing liquid to Wisk laundry detergent to cornstarch and Goop (used by auto mechanics to clean hands).
An easier solution to recalcitrant lice may be HairClean 1-2-3. It contains essential oils of coconut, ylang-ylang, and anise.
One dermatologist in Key West, Florida, told her colleagues, “The lice were running off their heads like clowns out of a Volkswagen!”
** “New Development in Head Lice Treatment.” Dr. Greene’s House Calls: Pediatric News. May 1998.
