Do lice get on dyed hair? Can hair color kill these insect species? Find out more.
Head lice are known to cause significant discomfort to infested persons. This includes the embarrassment faced by constant scratching of itchy scalp. At this point, any solution will be sought.
Unfortunately, not all treatments work for lice control. Certain treatments could prove unreliable.
To avoid such, you want to look for what works.
Can Hair Dye Kill Lice?
Now, there are lots of claims and counterclaims about certain lice treatments. This creates a lot of confusion on what to adopt and what treatments to avoid.
Here, we’ll be discussing one of such claims; dyeing hair to kill lice.
Does it work? You’ll want to read on to find out.
About Hair Color Production
Before we get into details about whether or not hair dyes kill lice, it’s necessary to first highlight the basic constituents of hair dyes.
This helps us understand whether it has the capacity to resolve a lice problem. Dyes have been used in ancient cultures for cosmetic purposes.
During such times, dyes were made from metallic compounds, as well as rock alum.
Today, a wide range of raw materials are used for hair dye production. These range from alkalizers, modifiers, soaps, wetting agents, ammonia, and fragrances among others.
Do these ingredients or their combination have any repellent or exterminating effect on head lice?
There’s no clear scientific evidence backing that up. However, we’re not concluding that hair dyes have no exterminating effect on lice.
You’ll get a better idea of that by the end of this article.
Will Hair Dye Kill Lice: Anecdotal Evidence
There are lots of people that swear by the repellent effect of hair dye on lice.
According to such claims, hair dyes have been applied with significant results obtained within a few days. In other words, lice have been killed after treatments or hair dye application.
However, such claims aren’t verifiable. This is due to lots of counterclaims that say otherwise. So, who do you believe? It’s quite convenient to reason alongside the claim that dyeing hair could help get rid of lice.
A little Google search will show lots of links with claims of lice elimination using hair dye.
However, the reality could be quite different.
First off, you want to know how it works to kill lice if at all the claims are true. Dyes are made of pretty strong chemical ingredients that are quite varied.
Due to the different dye colors, these ingredients will differ from one dye to the other.
Regulatory Directives on Insecticide Treatments for Lice
Although hair dye isn’t an insecticide, it will do well to know what the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) say about insecticide use for lice issues.
This helps us better relate dye use for lice treatments to its efficacy.
The CDC warns that a combination of shampoos & conditioners or conditioners only shouldn’t be used before applying lice treatment.
It also warns that the treated hair shouldn’t be rewashed for about 1 to two days after removing lice treatment.
This reveals a lot about hair dye use for lice treatments. If such warnings or caution is given about lice medication, it creates a doubt about the efficacy of hair dye use after a conditioner is applied.
Also, this means washing the hair dye too soon (before a day or two) after application will do little to kill lice.
Hair Dyes won’t Do Much to Solve Lice Problem
If at all there’s a remote chance of hair dye killing lice when applied to hair, such treatment will still be largely ineffective. This is because most of the constituent chemicals used for dye production don’t have any exterminating effect on lice.
Lice Nits are Resistant to Even Medicated Shampoos
Still, on the question of whether head lice can be eliminated by dyeing hair, there is evidence that says otherwise.
Consider a scenario where lice lay their eggs on hair shafts. These nits eventually hatch into lice larvae. Before they hatch, it’s impossible to destroy or kill such eggs using medicated shampoos.
These are specially formulated shampoos that help kill or eliminate head lice. They’re used with the help of a nit comb to dislodge lice nits when washing the hair. Head lice nits can only hatch on the scalp.
So, when dislodged, their chances of hatching and surviving are pretty slim.
If this situation applies to medicated shampoos, there’s little or nothing you can do to kill lice by dyeing your hair.
First off, the dye effect on lice is in doubt. Even if lice were killed, hair dyes will do little to kill lice nits.
So, it’s only a matter of time before nits hatch to replenish adult lice assuming they were killed by previous dye application.
Multiple Dye Formulations Makes It Difficult
All dyes aren’t made by the same manufacturer.
There are different brands in the market, with each having its unique formulations. This becomes increasingly difficult to verify the efficacy of dye treatments for head lice.
You’ll have to actually buy one and have all the ingredients checked to verify whether it has any lice exterminating effect. This is quite a lot of work to do. Most people will want immediate results.
Such results are only obtainable with medications that are tested and tried.
It Remains a Myth
At best, the claims about hair dyeing helping with lice extermination remains a myth.
This is due to the absence of verifiable evidence about its efficacy. You might end up worsening the problem as discoloring your hair makes it even more difficult to treat the problem.
Some Options Work!
Does dying your hair kill lice? No.
If you had erroneously thought that dyeing your hair will produce any results, you’ll need to rethink your strategies. There are lots of treatments that can be used to find quick relief from lice issues.
All you have to do is know what they are and how to apply them.
You may want to consider visiting a doctor for proper treatment of the problem. The longer a lice infestation lasts, the more likely it is to spread to other members of your household.
So, extra caution will need to be taken.
It’s evident by now that dyeing your hair will do little to address a head lice problem. This is a claim that has turned out to be a myth.