Dyed hair doesn't repel lice and won't stop you from becoming infested if you come in contact with head lice again.
Hair dye may kill lice as it contains chemicals such as ammonia and hydrogen peroxide, which lice may be sensitive to. However, it is not likely that hair dye can kill nits, which will return as lice once hatched.
If you apply over-the-counter lice shampoos to your hair after you've dyed your hair, it will ruin your hair color. This is due to the fact that there are harsh chemicals in those shampoos that will strip the color out of the hair shaft.
Hair color does not make a difference with head lice. Whether you have blonde or dark hair, you are as susceptible to lice as anyone else. So it's better to prevent the infestation before it spreads. Early detection is key to preventing a severe infestation.
Head lice are only contracted via head to head contact, and they don't discriminate. The tiny critters simply transfer to the nearest head that has hair, and in truth, they aren't too picky about color or type.
Hairspray makes it harder for the louse to grab hold. The smell of hairspray and the use of solvents (sad but true) in them can also deter creepy crawlies from finding their way in. Not to mention that if you're tying longer hair back, you've got a double whammy.
Where are head lice most commonly found? Head lice and head lice nits are found almost exclusively on the scalp, particularly around and behind the ears and near the neckline at the back of the head.
Lice and nits can't survive the high heat. It's true that lice and nits can't survive temperatures above 113°F (45°C). This makes them susceptible to any heat source, such as a hairdryer or the plates of a hair straightener.
DO LICE LIKE DYED HAIR? There is a myth related to hair dye: people with bleached or dyed hair cannot get lice. Lice gravitate as much to dyed hair as to hair that has not been colored. The bug only needs to climb up the hair to get to its food source, the head's blood.
Preventing Lice
Your child might have a positive blood type hence prone to lice infestations. However, the rest of the family members are likely to be blood type negative, and because lice don't like switching rhesus factors, they will not be affected as much.
If you get treatment for lice, then you don't have to wait around long to dye your hair. You can do so on the following day. Lice treatment formulas are made up of active components.
Vinegar contains properties that kill and get rid of nits and lice. This mixture should be applied directly to the whole scalp. Mix 1 cup of vinegar with 1 cup of warm water. Next, distribute this mixture onto the scalp and cover your hair with a hair cap.
Typically, 10–15 head lice are found. The number of lice often depends on personal hygiene, for example, how often the person bathes, shampoos, or changes and washes his/her clothing.
Hair bleach contains strong chemicals like hydrogen peroxide, ammonium persulfate, and stearyl alcohol. Unfortunately, these chemicals still do not guarantee to kill all louse and will not penetrate the hard casings of nits.
Lice and nits can be removed by wet combing. You should try this method first. You can buy a special fine-toothed comb (detection comb) online or from pharmacies to remove head lice and nits.
Permethrin lotion, 1%;
Permethrin lotion 1% is approved by the FDA for the treatment of head lice. Permethrin is safe and effective when used as directed. Permethrin kills live lice but not unhatched eggs. Permethrin may continue to kill newly hatched lice for several days after treatment.
Hairdressers are often the first to identify head lice (nits) and sometimes asked to treat the condition.
Body lice, close relatives of head lice, die when exposed for 5 min to a blow dryer delivering air at 50°C. Researchers in Salt Lake City, USA (Brad M Goates and colleagues. Pediatrics 2006;118:1962–70) have assessed six different methods of killing head lice using hot air.
Infestation timeline
So if you look on the scalp and see no visible adult lice and several small nits, it's likely that you've caught lice in the earlier stages and had them for less than 2 weeks. Nits and nymphs: 1.5 to 2 weeks. If you see nits and small, moving lice, you've likely had lice for 1.5 to 2 weeks.
Lice cannot “fall” on pillows, sheets, stuffed animals, and other bedding unless the hair that they are attached to fall. But they can't live on these surfaces, or on hats, scarves, furniture, or carpet. They also can't live on pets or any other animals. Nits can't live without a human host.
Use fingers to separate hair and create a part. The part should allow you to clearly see the person's scalp. Look for lice crawling on the scalp where the hair is parted or on the hair shaft. The lice will be dark in color and the size of a poppyseed.
Lice move in dry hair and they may therefore be easier to spot, at least if there are many.
Not everyone feels lice moving around on their scalp, but some people do. Dr. Garcia says that most of her patients say they “don't feel anything,” but others may get a creepy, tickling sensation as lice move around their head.
Coconut, tea tree oil, lavender, eucalyptus, rosemary, lemon grass, and peppermint are scents popularly believed to repel lice. Using any coconut scented shampoo and conditioner is an easy way to increase your defense. At 1% concentration, tea tree oil killed 100% of head lice after 30 minutes.
Our own experimentation has shown that lice can be doused in Lysol and survive seemingly unscathed.