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Q: My pediatrician confirmed my suspicions that my daughter had lice.  Needless to say, I was upset,  She will soon be heading for camp, and I did not want her to suffer the humiliation of being diagnosed there or spreading lice to other kids.  The Pediatrician warned me that lice have developed resistance to chemicals in lice shampoos,  Instead, she recommended slathering mayonnaise on my daughters hair.  We tried this technique and covered her head with a shower cap for a few hours. Then I carefully combed her hair, rinsed and shampooed,  Three treatments a few days apart solved the problem!

A: There are an amazing number of home remedies for lice.  Many involve the suffocation approach, with things such as mayo, olive oil, mineral oil, petroleum jelly, Cetaphil cleanser, amber Listerine and dimethicones (Deutches Arzteblatt International, online, Nov.11, 2016) But an article in Pediatric Dermatology (September 2-16) states the “home remedies such as mayonnaise, and essential oils, have not been demonstrated to be safe and effective, and may carry potential for severe adverse events.” On the other hand, an article in the journal PLOS One (online, June 10, 2016) reported that a mineral oil shampoo was highly effective.  Public-health nurses always remind us that combing out nits (lice eggs) is essential for a successful cure.