Does Dawn kill lice? Find out.
Persons dealing with a lice issue will want to use any means necessary to have the problem resolved. Now, you might have heard lots of possible remedies to lice problems one of which includes Dawn dish soap.
There are claims that this dish soap can help resolve lice issues by killing these pests.
So, is that true? That’s what we’ll attempt to find out.
Will Dawn Dish Soap Kill Lice?
Here, the goal is to find answers and possibly provide useful information on how to use them. This information will depend on whether Dawn dish is a louse killer or not.
So, without further ado, let’s get into details.
About Dawn Dish Soap
For readers not so familiar with that Dawn dish soap is about, this is a dishwashing liquid solution from the stables of Proctor and Gamble.
Asides from being used for dish cleaning, Dawn dish soap has been found to have several other applications ranging from pest control, the opening of clogged drains, and removing hair dye.
Other common uses include eliminating greasy hair, carpet stain remover, eyeglass defogger, sparkling windows, and unclogging of toilets among a long list of other uses.
However, it must be stated that Dawn dish soap is mainly designed for cleaning dishes.
It’s Difficult to Get Rid of Head Lice
When it comes to head lice, there’s a significant level of difficulty in eliminating the problem. These pests quite a lot of over-the-counter medications have proven ineffective.
This raises doubts about the efficacy of home remedy treatments like Dawn dish soap.
It’s logical to say it is less likely for Dawn dish soap to kill lice since over-the-counter medications aren’t as effective.
Lice have developed resistance to a lot of treatments which has led to the emergence of super-lice (lice species that are resistant to pesticides and medications).
The Need for Relief
Irrespective of what treatment method is being used, the major objective is to eliminate these blood-sucking parasites. This is why we’ve focused on popular home remedies like the use of Dawn dish soap for treatment.
While this is true, popularity doesn’t necessarily translate to results.
A widely used treatment might turn out to give mediocre results. Such lice treatments are clearly ineffective and should be shunned for those with proven results.
Can I Kill Lice Using Dawn Dish Soap?
Dawn dish soap can prove useful in your fight against head lice. However, it needs to be used in a certain way. In other words, two people can have different results when applying Dawn dish soap treatment.
The differences are mostly due to the method of application of the same product.
So, you must know just how to apply Dawn dish soap. Doing so in the most effective method possible would require basic directions. The treatment process isn’t rocket science.
As such, you can achieve desired results just by following simple instructions.
How Dawn Dish Soap Kills Lice
Whenever you use Dawn dish soap for lice treatment, they’re suffocated by the lather applied.
However, your Dawn dish soap solution should sit on the hair for a sufficient period of time (about 30 minutes) for lice to be killed.
Rinsing the hair or scalp too soon won’t do much damage to these pests.
Asides from being suffocated, lice are irritated by Dawn dish soap too. This does little in terms of elimination as these pests can still survive the ordeal.
However, it must be stated that only repeated treatments will provide real results.
A one-time wash of lice-infested hair using Dawn dish soap will do little to eliminate lice. It will have to be applied multiple times a week for significant results to be seen.
Even at that, 100% lice extermination might not be achieved.
Lice Eggs are Unharmed
With Dawn dish soap, only adult lice and nymphs are killed.
The eggs or nits remain unharmed. These have to be removed or dislodged from hair shafts to prevent them from hatching. This is a significant disadvantage of using Dawn dish soap treatment.
Here, the job is less than thorough.
What are the Disadvantages of Using Dawn Dish Soap?
While the obvious advantage of using Dawn dish soap is that it will kill some lice, the problem is; not all lice are eliminated. Some can survive the onslaught.
Now, these survivors can develop resistance and return with a vengeance.
Dawn dish soap is also quite difficult to wash out from the hair. Plus, your kids may be allergic to this product. There’s also a possibility of Dawn dish soap getting into your eyes.
It must be rinsed with a lot of water to avoid any damage.
Is Dawn Dish Soap Safe For Lice Extermination?
Treating head lice using this home remedy treatment requires that you apply this dish soap directly on your scalp or that of an infected host. For many people, this raises safety concerns.
The good thing is that Dawn dish soap is completely safe for use on the scalp.
However, some people might be allergic to this product. When this happens, it’s best you seek urgent solutions and immediately discontinue its use.
How to Use Dawn Dish Soap For Lice Control
If you want to try out this type of lice treatment, you’ll need to ensure your child’s hair is dry.
This is essential because you don’t want lice to activate their defense mechanism by shutting their “breathing holes” or pores.
Because Dawn dish soap is quite messy, ensure a towel is placed across your child’s shoulders.
Now, you can pour the desired amount of this soap directly from the bottle onto the scalp. This treatment can be made more potent by adding some essential oils (preferably tea tree oil; about 10 drops).
The scalp and hair root areas should be the focus.
With the help of a comb, saturate this dish soap throughout the scalp until it’s fully covered. Now, leave this treatment to sit on the scalp for about 30 minutes before rinsing.
You can enhance its effect by using a nit comb. This removes dead lice as well as lice nits.
Dawn dish soap will kill lice when applied the right way. However, this treatment isn’t very effective. Plus, it will require multiple applications for desired results to be obtained.