Unfortunately, lice have always existed as pesky little beasts that crawl into your child’s hair and snuggle for eternity. Or so it seems. Frustrated by the repetitive nature of lice, parents across the country have struggled to get rid of nits. Lice are often unaffected by over-the-counter treatments, which is why vinegar lice treatments have made a comeback.

Long before local pharmacies or drug stores existed, lice invaded houses and one-room schools. Parents would dip their children’s head in charcoal oil and hope that the child would stay away from open flames and that the charcoal oil would suffocate the lice. Due to the smell and the evident embarrassment of the child, other remedies began to appear on the scene.

Vinegar lice treatment is just one of many tried and true over the years. The active ingredient in vinegar is acetic acid. This component dissolves the binder that holds the eggs to the hair. Vinegar allows lice to loosen the hair shaft. It seems to work best if you soak your child’s hair and scalp. Then the hair can be wrapped in a towel or a plastic cap. Leave on for a couple of hours and then dry with a hair dryer. Use a warm environment. Speaking of the hair dryer, it has been said that drying your child’s hair after each shampoo will also help keep lice away.

In addition to vinegar treatment for lice, other natural treatments have been tried with varying results. The olive oil treatment is similar to the coal oil treatment. Before going to bed, pour the warm oil on the head. Comb the hair with warm oil. Cover your head with a plastic cap and leave it on overnight. The next morning wash the oil from the hair. This may require a couple of shampoos. But the only side effect will be very soft hair. Eggs left in the hair can be easily removed. Follow this procedure for three nights. Keep looking for lice for the next week. Repeat if necessary.

Another treatment along the same lines is using coconut shampoo and conditioner. The coconut oil in these hair products is offensive to lice. Shampoo as usual and comb out insects before rinsing out the conditioner. Generic coconut hair products can be used, just check the ingredients for the coconut oil. The scent enhancer that just smells like coconut will not work the same as real coconut oil. Today’s lice may have become immune to over-the-counter medical treatments. Undiluted lice removal shampoos and sprays are too harsh to use repeatedly on young children.

There are no quick fixes. Children are in close contact with their friends. Lice can be transferred from head to head or from hats or scarves hanging together in school hallways. Wash bedding and spray rugs and layers to prevent infestations in the home. Pack stuffed animals in plastic bags and keep them closed for a month before releasing them. Vinegar lice treatment, coconut oil treatment, and olive oil treatment continue to be some of the only natural methods to stop lice in their place.