Coconut oil is not a proven way to smother head lice or kill nits. The CDC states that it does not have scientific evidence that suffocating head lice with mayonnaise, olive oil, margarine, butter, or similar substances is an effective form of treatment, and coconut oil is the same kind of kitchen substance. The AAP says not to use home remedies such as petroleum jelly, mayonnaise, tub margarine, essential oils or olive oil, because no studies prove they work.
If you are weighing how long to leave oil on, the CDC and the AAP point to a different plan: head lice medicine chosen with your child’s doctor and used exactly as the label directs, then a comb-out every 2 to 3 days for 2 to 3 weeks after each treatment.
What the CDC and the AAP Say About Smothering Lice With Oil
Three national health sources land in the same place. The American Academy of Pediatrics tells parents, in its guide for families, not to use home remedies such as petroleum jelly, mayonnaise, tub margarine, essential oils or olive oil, because no studies prove they work. MedlinePlus, from the National Library of Medicine, says there is no clear scientific evidence that lice can be suffocated by home remedies such as mayonnaise, olive oil, or similar substances.
The CDC also says head lice can survive under water for several hours, and that chlorine levels in pool water do not kill head lice, on its page on head lice basics.
Coconut oil is not named in those lists, but it belongs to the same family of home remedies: a thick, edible fat spread over hair and scalp. Olive oil is one the CDC and the AAP name outright, and we covered olive oil and overnight soaks separately. The AAP’s own summary of what does work is short: the most effective way to treat head lice is with head lice medicine, and it is important to check with the doctor first.
How Long Nits Take to Hatch
Lice lay and attach their eggs to hair close to the scalp, the AAP says, with a sticky substance that holds them firmly in place; eggs are found within 4 to 6 mm of the scalp and do not survive if they are farther away. The CDC describes the same thing in inches: look for nits attached firmly within 1/4 inch of the base of hair shafts, because nits attached more than 1/4 inch from the base are almost always hatched or dead.
A nit takes about a week to hatch, in a range of 6 to 9 days by the CDC’s count, and the AAP gives a range of 7 to 12 days depending on the surrounding temperature. A newly hatched nymph needs about seven more days to reach adulthood. An adult female can lay about six eggs each day and can live on a person’s head for about 30 days. Left untreated, the AAP says, the cycle can repeat every 3 weeks.
| Stage | How long it lasts | Detail from the CDC |
|---|---|---|
| Nit (egg) on the hair | About a week to hatch, in a range of 6 to 9 days | Attached firmly within 1/4 inch of the base of the hair shaft |
| Nymph (young louse) | About seven days to mature into an adult | Looks like an adult louse but is very small, about the size of a pinhead |
| Adult louse | About 30 days on a person’s head | Roughly 2 to 3 mm long, about the size of a sesame seed |
| A louse that falls off a head | Dies within two days if it cannot feed | Moves by crawling; it cannot hop or fly |
That calendar is why the CDC and the AAP schedule follow-up checks every 2 to 3 days for 2 to 3 weeks after treatment. If you are wondering about acids, our post on what vinegar does and does not do to nits takes that up.
Is It Safe to Put Plastic on a Child’s Head?
No. The AAP says never place a plastic bag on a child’s head, and that it is dangerous to place anything made of plastic on a child’s head. A shower cap or plastic wrap over oiled hair is made of plastic, so that warning covers it.
A few other lines in the same guidance are worth keeping in view. Medicine should be applied by an adult, the AAP says; never let children apply it, and do not leave a child alone with medicine in his or her hair. Never use dangerous products like gasoline or kerosene or medicines made for use on animals. The CDC’s directions for malathion lotion add one more: do not smoke or use electrical heat sources, including hair dryers, curlers, and curling or flat irons, when applying it and while the hair is wet.
The AAP’s standing instruction covers the decision: check with your child’s doctor before beginning any head lice treatment. That is the call to make for a very young child, for a scalp that is already irritated from scratching, or for anyone who has tried something once and is about to try it again.
Can You Use a Nit Comb After Coconut Oil?
Yes, and combing is a step both the CDC and the AAP describe. The AAP’s comb-out method does not start with oil, though. Step one is to wet the child’s hair. Step two is a fine-tooth comb, louse or nit comb, worked through small sections. Step three is to wipe the comb on a wet paper towel after each pass and examine the scalp, the comb and the towel. Step four is to repeat until every section has been combed.
Set the room up the way the guidance describes. Seat the child in a brightly lit place and part the hair all the way down to the scalp in very small sections. A magnifying lens may help, since crawling lice and nits are hard to see; live lice avoid light and move quickly, and nits can blend into some hair colors. The easiest places to find them are at the hairline at the back of the neck and behind the ears. Nits are firmly attached to the hair, while dandruff, dirt and hair spray droplets are not, which is the test that keeps a false alarm from turning into a treatment.
Two honest limits. The AAP says the comb-out method usually doesn’t work on its own to get rid of head lice, so combing is a partner to treatment rather than a replacement for it. And the comb has to come back: after each treatment, comb out nits and lice every 2 to 3 days for 2 to 3 weeks. If oil in the hair makes that session slower or messier, the sensible move is to wash it out first and comb on clean, wet hair the way the method is written. The CDC notes that flea combs made for cats and dogs are also effective, which saves a late trip for a special purchase.
Will Coconut Oil Keep Lice Away, and What Lowers the Risk?
No. Prevention in the CDC and AAP guidance is about contact, not coatings: head lice move by crawling and cannot hop or fly, and the AAP describes the main route as close, prolonged head-to-head contact. There is a very small chance of spread through shared items such as combs, brushes, hats and sports helmets. We also covered castor oil and head lice.
What the CDC does put on its prevention and clean-up list is concrete:
- Avoid hair-to-hair contact during play. The CDC calls head-to-head contact with a person who already has head lice the most common way to get them.
- Do not share combs, brushes or towels, or clothing such as hats, scarves, coats, sports uniforms, hair ribbons or barrettes.
- Do not lie on beds, couches, pillows, carpets or stuffed animals that have recently been in contact with a person infested with head lice.
- Check all household members and other close contacts for head lice, and treat everyone infested at the same time.
- Machine wash and dry the clothing, towels and bed linens used in the two days before treatment, using the hot water cycle at 130 degrees Fahrenheit and high heat drying. Seal what cannot be washed in a plastic bag for two weeks.
- Soak combs and brushes in hot water of at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Skip the fumigant sprays and fogs. The CDC says they are not necessary to control head lice and can be toxic if inhaled or absorbed through the skin, and that spending much time and money on housecleaning activities is not necessary.
The AAP also says parents sometimes treat their children with over-the-counter treatments up to 5 times before seeking help from their pediatrician. If treatments you have tried have not gotten rid of the lice, the AAP says to ask your child’s doctor.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take coconut oil to kill lice?
The CDC says it does not have scientific evidence that suffocating lice with kitchen substances like mayonnaise, olive oil, margarine or butter is effective, so there is no sitting time to follow. The timeline that is documented belongs to the egg: a nit takes about a week to hatch, the CDC says. For a treatment with published instructions, ask your child’s doctor.
Does coconut oil kill lice eggs?
Not that the CDC, the AAP or MedlinePlus can point to; they say there is no scientific evidence that home remedies like these work. The AAP says the comb-out method may help remove nits and eggs. One useful detail from the CDC: a nit found more than 1/4 inch from the base of the hair shaft is almost always hatched or dead already, so an old shell left behind after any treatment is not proof that something failed.
Can coconut oil get rid of lice on its own?
It is not a proven method, and the CDC and the AAP point to medicine and combing instead. If you move on to a lice medicine after trying oil, the CDC says not to use a combination shampoo/conditioner, or conditioner, before using lice medicine, and it lists recent conditioner use among the reasons treatment fails. Follow the product label, and ask the pharmacist or your child’s doctor about anything already in the hair.
What if a few lice are still moving after treatment?
The CDC says that if you notice a few lice still moving slowly 8 to 12 hours after treatment, you do not need to reapply the medicine, while lice that seem as active as before may mean the medicine is not working. What a dead louse looks like after treatment is the detail that settles it.
Do lice like coconut oil or oily hair?
Cleanliness does not decide who gets head lice. The CDC says getting head lice is not related to cleanliness of you or your environment, MedlinePlus says personal hygiene and cleanliness have nothing to do with it, and the AAP says lice can attach to the hair of anyone’s head whether the hair is clean or dirty.
How long will the itching last?
The CDC describes the itch as an allergic reaction to louse bites, and says it can take four to six weeks for itching to appear the first time a person has head lice. The AAP adds that itching caused by head lice can last for weeks, even after the lice are gone. Our post on how long itching lasts after treatment goes further.
How Lice Lifters of Ocean County Can Help
If someone at home is still scratching after a night of oil, our clinic can take the next step off your plate. We check the whole family in one sitting, because a single treated head in a house where no one else was looked at is how a case comes back around. The treatment itself is non-toxic and done in one visit, and we keep same-day appointments open for the days when waiting is the hardest part. The 30 Day Guarantee applies when the whole family is checked. You can see how our professional lice treatment works, or book a head check and let us tell you what is actually on the hair before you buy another jar of anything.
