Mitzi Scotten, MD
Board Certified Pediatrician
Dr. Scotten is a board certified Pediatrician in Arizona. She received her MD from the University of Kansas in 1993 and completed her Pediatric residency at Kosair Children’s Hospital. Dr. Scotten was the director of the Pediatric Cystic Fibrosis clinic at the University of Kansas, was voted as a Kansas City Star “Top Doc” for 5 years, and has been selected to the National Board of Medical Examiners.
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Q&A Comments (18)
Does mayonnaise really work?
Yes. Mayonnaise contains large amounts of oil that can suffocate the lice and possibly stop them from moving around. One downside is that mayonnaise may be "messier" than other oils such as baby oil and olive oil and may be harder to completely rinse out of your hair.
What are the most effective home remedies to get rid of head lice?
There are not any studies comparing one treatment to another so it is difficult to know which home remedies are best. Home remedy treatments are divided into three main categories: substances that suffocate the lice such as olive, baby and coconut oil; natural oils that kill lice like tea tree oil, and substances that directly kill the lice such as vinegar and salt.
Can lice become immune to lice shampoo?
Yes. The medicines that are sold over the counter use the substance permethrin to kill the lice. A large percentage of lice now carry a gene that makes them resistant to this medicine. This is why is it important to talk with a physician about all the treatment options that are available for lice. Since the growing resistance was first noted, there have been a lot of new prescription treatments created for getting rid of lice.
