3 REASONS TO AVOID OVER THE COUNTER HEAD LICE TREATMENTS

Historically, when a child came home from school with head lice, their parents took them to the store to buy an over-the-counter treatment. The product typically worked, and the child went back to school. However, this is not how things are done today. These pesticide shampoos have lost their effectiveness, and families are looking for safer options. 

Still, many people head to the store to buy head lice treatments because they aren’t aware of any alternatives. But you’ll be glad to know that there ARE safer and better options available. For example, My Hair Helpers has lice treatments for kids that are made from all-natural ingredients like peppermint and spearmint. And they are guaranteed to work!
 

Let’s cover three reasons why over-the-counter head lice treatments should be avoided.

1. Lice have developed a natural resistance to them. 

As we’ve seen with antibiotic resistance, head lice are becoming naturally resistant to the ingredients in over-the-counter head lice shampoos. When these products are used improperly, the bugs become more resilient. 

For instance, we sometimes see families stop treatment when the signs of lice are gone. They’re then surprised when the infestation returns a few weeks later. We’ve also seen people be treated for head lice when they didn’t really have them. 
 

Either way, ‘super lice’ do not respond to store-bought head lice treatments. In fact, one study in 2009 found that chemical products are only 26 percent effective, or as effective as a placebo. 

2. Over-the-counter lice treatments often contain chemicals.

Sadly, many over-the-counter head lice products contain harsh ingredients like insecticides and pesticides. For example, permethrin is a common ingredient found in these products, and it works by shutting down the nervous system in lice.

However, permethrin can be a moderately toxic pesticide with side effects like breathing problems and irritation to the eyes, nose and throat. Always read the ingredients and warnings on these products. A safer alternative is dimethicone lice oil. Dimethicone is safe and FDA approved. It works by suffocating head lice and nits.

3. Nits are hard to kill with over-the-counter products. 

Another limitation to store-bought lice removal products is that they often don’t work on nits. Nits are a bit harder to get rid of because they essentially glue themselves onto the hair shaft. If they’re missed during the treatment, they can go onto hatch and create a new infestation.

My Hair Helpers recommends using My Mint Mousse which is non-toxic and made from strained yeast enzymes. It’s proven to dissolve nit glue, destroying both lice and their eggs. It’s safe, non-toxic and can be used on baby and pregnant women, too!

Get Rid of Lice with NO Harsh Chemicals 

Be cautious about buying head lice removal products over the counter. There’s no reason to apply potentially harmful pesticides to your child’s head, especially if they’re not going to work. A better option is to use all-natural head lice treatment products such as those from My Hair Helpers. They’re guaranteed to work on lice and their eggs!