Pediatric Hair Solutions is offering free head checks for a limited time this summer! If you think you or your child might have lice or have been exposed to someone who has it, contact us at 704-909-9414 or email [email protected] to schedule a free appointment at any of our clinics.
Feeling confused about head lice treatment? You are not alone. Between old wives’ tales and internet rumors, there is a lot of bad information out there about how to effectively and safely treat head lice. At Pediatric Hair Solutions, our mission is not just to treat head lice and their nits; it’s to educate and inform the general public about how to prevent it, treat it, and avoid reinfestation. To do this, we’ve put together a number of resources containing important facts about head lice and what to do if you have it. In this post, we’re addressing a lice question we hear often: Will hair dye kill lice?
“Will hair dye or hair bleach kill head lice?”
You might hear claims on social media and on other websites that dying or bleaching hair works, however; there is no scientific evidence that shows this is an effective method.
Here is the problem with using hair dye and bleach as a method to treat lice. Permanent hair dyes and bleach that containing chemicals like ammonia and hydrogen peroxide COULD affect and possibly even kill head lice, but it will not harm or eliminate the nits (lice eggs attached to the hair strand) before they hatch. Eliminating the nits is a critical step of lice treatment. Until you get rid of 100% of the nits, you will continue to have a lice problem.
Even if just one or two nits are left behind, it will take about 3 weeks for those eggs to hatch, starting a new cycle of lice infestation. That is why you’ll often hear questions like “why do they keep coming back?” or “why does my child keep getting lice?”.
The bottom line: while dying and bleaching hair COULD affect or kill live lice, it will NOT kill the nits. Therefore the lice cycle will continue until you have found an effective lice treatment. Not only is it an ineffective treatment option, using harsh chemicals can damage your hair!
If you suspect you or anyone in your family has lice, do not hesitate to contact one of our lice treatment centers. We will check everyone in the family for free, and if lice are found, we will offer natural, non-toxic, safe, and, most importantly, effective solutions for lice removal.
If you opt to try treating at home, you need to be prepared to set aside a few hours each day (per child) for the next two to three weeks in order to eradicate the problem…keeping in mind that even one missed egg will start the infestation over again. Pediatric Hair Solutions does offer a traditional home lice treatment kit that will give you the tools and support you need to complete this process.
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