Does Hair Dye Kill Head Lice?

Does getting your hair dyed count as head lice treatment? We get this question from a lot of people who come our lice treatment centers. After all, when you’re getting your hair dyed, you can smell the strong scent of the hair-coloring chemicals and even feel it on your scalp. It’s powerful stuff. Could lice survive that kind of bombardment? It seems like just the thing that’d wipe them out, but is it actually effective?

Can Hair Dye Kill lice?

There have been no tests on hair dyes to check their effectiveness in killing head lice. One thing that’s certain is that they cannot treat or prevent a head lice infestation for one very simple reason…

Hair Dyes Don’t Kill Lice Eggs (Nits)

Even if head lice were proven to be able to kill head lice, their eggs are another thing entirely. Laid at the base of hair shafts against the scalp, there is a protective encasing around lice eggs. They are incredibly resilient and hard to kill, even with chemical head lice treatments.

Even if all the adult lice are gone, the eggs will just hatch and spawn a new generation of crawlers. Female lice lay up to six eggs every day for about 30 days. If you kill one after four days, that’s 24 eggs waiting to hatch that the hair dye has no effect on. Not even medicated shampoos that kill adult lice can kill eggs. They require more thorough treatments.

Strong Hair Dyes Are Dangerous for Kids

Another important thing to consider is that, while kids are prone to having head lice, they’re also too young for hair dyes with powerful chemicals. In an article for Today, pediatric dermatologist Dr. Tace Rico says the strong chemicals found in some hair dyes, such as ammonia, bleach and hydrogen peroxide can damage kids hair which tends to be very fine. Parents should also be wary of allergic skin reactions and have the kids undergo spot tests before treatment. Save the stronger dyes until the kids are at least 16, Rico added.

Come to Fresh Heads for the Most Effective Head Lice Treatment

Hair dyes won’t kill eggs and prevent head lice reinfestation. Not only that, but the harshest dyes are not suitable for kids who are most at risk of head lice infestations in the first place!

For adults who want a new look, go ahead – lice or no lice! But in order to actually eliminate head lice and their eggs, and for all cases of lice involving children, it’s best to seek a specialized treatment that’s thorough, safe, non-toxic and effective. That’s what we’re here for. Contact Fresh Heads Head Lice Removal Center today to schedule an appointment for our completely natural, chemical-free head lice treatment. It’s proven effective at killing lice and their eggs in a single treatment.