Does Dying Your Hair Kill Head Lice

There are many misconceptions about head lice. These range from associating head lice infestations with poor hygiene to the assumptions that head lice can jump or fly, are carried by pets, and spread diseases. Rumours are also circulating about the effectiveness of various home remedies and the assumption that shaving your head is the only option to eliminate head lice completely. With so many myths out there, it’s time to address one of them by asking the question: Does dying your hair kill head lice and eggs? This article will answer this question, take a deep dive into what exactly head lice are and provide proven methods of eliminating them.

What Are Head Lice?

Most people have a basic understanding of what head lice are, either from personal experience or from hearing the stories of others. However, the number of myths circulating about these small, sesame-seed-sized parasitic insects shows that many people lack in-depth knowledge.

Lice are considered parasites since they live on the hair and scalp of humans and feed on small amounts of their host’s blood. By doing so, they cause the characteristic intense itching and irritation of the scalp that head lice infestations are known for. Additional signs and symptoms are a tickling or crawling feeling on the scalp and small sores from scratching, which can result in poor sleep or a lack of focus on everyday activities.

When dealing with a lice infestation, it's not only adult lice you should consider. They also lay eggs, called nits, which make proper treatment even more critical to avoid a persistent infestation. Nits hatch within 7-10 days and are much smaller than lice themselves. They have an oval shape and stick firmly to hair shafts near the scalp.

Although anyone can be affected by lice, infestations are most frequent among school-aged children. The most common route of transmission is direct head-to-head contact, since lice can neither fly nor jump. Spread can also occur through sharing items that come in close contact with someone’s head, like hats, hairbrushes, pillows, or headphones.

Does Dying Your Hair Kill Head Lice?

Since hair dyes are harsh, highly chemical, and, for example, contain ammonia, hydrogen, and peroxide, it doesn’t seem too far-fetched to assume that dying your hair kills head lice. However, it’s essential to be aware that hair dye is neither considered a medical treatment for head lice nor does it eliminate them reliably. While it may kill some adult lice on contact, it doesn’t affect nits since a tough protective shell surrounds them and they cling tightly to hair strands. This means that regardless of how many adult lice are killed in the dying process, reinfestation will occur within only a week, even if the number of lice may be temporarily reduced. Additionally, frequent hair dying to fight lice can cause more harm than good since it can damage your hair, irritate your scalp, and even cause allergic reactions, which is most commonly seen in children. All in all, dying your hair to kill head lice and eggs isn’t recommended and should never replace proven treatments to tackle head lice infestations.

Proven Treatments for Head Lice

When noticing an infestation in yourself or your child, over-the-counter shampoos and lotions are often the first step you should take, and in many cases, can be all you need. If these options are not effective and lice and/or nits persist, you may want to consider prescription treatments, including permethrin.

No matter the type of medication, combing your hair with a fine-toothed nit comb is often recommended to be used alongside it. This is because using it on wet and conditioned hair can help remove lice and nits physically. Since nits are more resistant than lice, treatment is often repeated after 7-10 days, the time it takes for new lice to hatch. To prevent further spread as well as reinfestation, it's important to take other measures, including washing your bedding, clothing, and hats in hot water, or sealing these items in bags for 2 weeks. Screening family members and others in close contact, as well as potentially treating them, is another crucial step you can take to eliminate a head lice infestation.