Does mayonnaise really kill head lice?

Missy says…I used two lice treatments on my hair. Today I am trying to condition my hair because it is completely dry and still a little itching. I researched and mayonnaise is supposed to kill lice plus condition hair….is this true?? The Beauty Brains respond: Can mayonnaise kill head lice? Missy, Missy, Missy. That is ridiculous! It only takes a quick search of the scientific literature to prove that using mayonnaise on lice is just a load of bull… wait a minute… There’s a study in a peer-reviewed scientific journal that suggests this might actually work? Hold the presses! The science of suffocation Here’s the deal. While it’s common to use pesticide-like materials to kill lice there is a newfound interest in alternative methods because lice are becoming resistant to some of the pesticides. Fortunately it turns out that lice can be killed by a method that is more physical than chemical: if you plug up the little breathing ports on their body you can actually suffocate them. The problem with this approach of course is that you have to really make sure you smother them in something. Just putting on a shower cap (like some people) suggest isn’t going to cut it. According to the journal Pediatrics a product called DSP lotion (which stands for Dry-On, Suffocation-Based Pediculicide) uses an emulsion consisting primarily of fatty alcohols to coat the little buggers. The lotion is applied wet and then blown dry with a hair dryer. The res...
Source: thebeautybrains.com - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Bizarre Myths Source Type: blogs