Is your kid constantly scratching his head? Is his scalp filled with white flakes that won’t seem to come off? Your kid might have head lice! Don’t worry; it’s so common almost everybody gets it at some point in their lives. What you have to worry about is what is commonly prescribed as the best solutions for head lice. Leading brands of anti-lice shampoo like Nix is in actuality nothing more than pesticide with a recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics. All these chemicals can have a very bad effect on your child’s skin, especially if he’s sensitive or allergic to it. But commercial chemical treatment is not the only effective treatment to head lice. You can try your hand at some alternative treatments that can prove to be a little less damaging than chemicals.

The first alternative would be to hunt down the lice one at a time. Just pick them off like the monkeys do (eating them however is optional…). If you find your fingers to be too big to get the small ones, use tweezers or special lice combs. This can be a too manual for some. It may take days of regular repetition to get the lice out with this method.

You can also try using mayonnaise, olive oil, or Vaseline on your kids scalp. Just leave it in the kid’s hair under a shower cap for a night then remove it in the morning and the lice should come clean off along with it. Vinegar can be used to help in the removal and has the added bonus of making it harder for nits or lice eggs to stay in the hair. This can be a bit messy though and your kid might not like you too much after this.

There is also an alternative non-pesticide shampoo available through prescription. Ulesfia is used much like shampoo, applied directly to the hair. It is left on for about ten minutes before rinsing. This is also an effective lice remover if applied properly and regularly for a week. Just ask your doctor for a prescription for it.

Some have also claimed to use herbal products, like those taken from tree oils or other natural oils. These are not regulated by the FDA though and have to be used at your own risk as their effectiveness has yet to be proven extensively.

You may not be able to prevent head lice, but you can minimize the risk to your child. Lice are spread through direct contact, as they have neither jumping nor flying capabilities. They can be spread through the sharing of combs, hats, hair ties, clips and head bands and other head or hair accessories. By instructing your child to try to avoid this, you can prevent infestation on some level. You can also have your kid try hair gel as this can also make it difficult for lice to get at the scalp.

One important note: always make sure that your kid actually has lice before you start treating for it! As you can see, the treatments are numerous but often involve some sacrifice on your kid’s part. Don’t put your kid through all that if you’re not sure.