How to Get Rid of Lice Without Your Parents Knowing

Head lice are small parasites that can live in human hair. Having head lice can be embarrassing and you may want to hide your head lice from friends and family members. There are many treatment options you can do in secret to get rid of the head lice without anyone realizing. However, keep in mind home remedies do not always work. You may not be able to get rid of head lice without outside help. If the lice does not clear up using these methods, you should consider telling your parents in order to successfully eliminate the infestation.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using Home Methods

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1
Use olive oil. Olive oil, which your parents may use for cooking, can work by smothering lice. When applied to the scalp, olive oil may plug the lungs of lice and cause them to die.^{[1]XResearch source}
- Apply olive oil to your hair. Use enough that your hair is covered in olive oil, the way it might be when using leave-in conditioner.
- In order for this method to be most effective, you must keep the olive oil on overnight under a shower cap. This may be difficult if you're trying to hide your lice from your parents.^{[2]XResearch source}
- There are some ways you can use this method without your parents knowing you have lice. You could say you heard olive oil is good for the hair and that a friend at school is trying this method. Or, you could wait until your parents are asleep, apply the olive oil cap, and then set an alarm so you wake up before your parents to remove it.
2
Apply petroleum jelly or hair styling gel. Your parents may have petroleum jelly or hair styling gel somewhere in the bathroom cabinet. Both of these substances may kill lice by smothering them.
- Much like the olive oil method, you should coat your hair with gel or petroleum jelly and then put on a shower cap. As with the olive oil method, you can claim you've heard this is good for your hair or wait until they go to bed to put on the gel or jelly.
- Keep in mind petroleum jelly is very difficult to remove. Give yourself extra time to shower in the morning after using this method. You may have to shampoo and condition your hair more than once to get out petroleum jelly.
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Mayonnaise is another home remedy that may be effective for removing lice. Much like the using hair gel, petroleum jelly, or olive oil you'll need to apply mayonnaise to your scalp, put a shower cap over it, and then leave it on overnight. Apply enough mayonnaise that your hair is thoroughly coated, working it into your scalp in order to smother the lice. Since mayonnaise works by suffocating the lice, this method will help in eliminating the lice but not in eliminating lice eggs.^{[3]XResearch source} You'll also have to think of an excuse for wearing the cap to keep your parents from becoming suspicious. People who use this method often report that full fat mayonnaise works best.^{[4]XResearch source}
Dish soap does not kill lice. However, it's more effective at removing things like olive oil and mayonnaise from your hair after treatment. If you don't want your parents to get suspicious, you can put dish soap in an old bottle of the shampoo you use. You can also hide a small bottle of dish soap in the bathroom and take it out when you shower.^{[5]XResearch source}
5
Try vinegar. If you don't want to tell your parents you have lice, the easiest treatment options involve using items from your own kitchen. Keep in mind home remedies don't work as well as medical treatments and may not be effective and Vinegar is considered to be the least effective out of all the home remedies in eliminating lice. ^{[6]XTrustworthy SourcePubMed CentralJournal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of HealthGo to source} However, you should start with at home treatments if you want to hide your lice from your parents. Vinegar, which your parents may have in the kitchen, is sometimes successful in removing head lice.
- Vinegar may dissolve some of the glue that lice use to attach their nits or eggs to your head. If you apply vinegar to your hair prior to brushing, you may end up removing some of the lice with your comb.
- Apply enough vinegar to your hair to get it thoroughly wet. Then, use a small, fine-toothed comb to comb out your hair. Look for lice or lice eggs as you go. Lice are small brown-colored bugs. Lice eggs are small and round and coffee-colored.
- Soak any comb you use remove lice in soapy water for an hour. If you don't have an hour, dispose of the comb. Place the comb in a plastic bag and throw it away in an outdoor garbage can.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Seeking Outside Help

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1
Purchase over-the-counter medicated shampoos. Lice may not respond to home treatments. You might need to try medicated shampoos if your lice infestation does not respond to home remedies.
- You may be able to find medicated shampoo at the local supermarket or drug store. It will usually be labeled as lice-killing shampoo. Some shampoo requires a doctor's prescription, but it might be difficult to see a doctor without your parents finding out about your lice.^{[7]XResearch source}
- You can try biking to a local drug store, telling your parents you're going for a bike ride. Use your allowance to purchase the shampoo. To hide the shampoo, consider putting it in an empty container of your regular shampoo.
If shampoo does not work, there are also medicated lotions you apply to your hair after showering that might kill the lice. Purchase this at a local drug store and find a way to hide it in your bathroom. If you normally use lotion or moisturizer, empty out a full bottle and replace it with the medicated lotion.^{[8]XResearch source}
Over-the-counter products will not work if you do not follow the instructions. Make sure you read the instructions carefully and apply the shampoo or lotion exactly as instructed. Pay attention to any warnings. Some products should not be used if you have particular health conditions or are below a certain age. You do not want to use any product that could be harmful to you.^{[9]XResearch source}

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Hiding Aspects of a Lice Infestation

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Scratching your head not only looks suspicious, it can cause small red bumps which may alert your parents to your infestation.^{[10]XResearch source} Work hard to avoid scratching your head. Trimming your nails short can help remove the temptation. You can also take up a hobby, like knitting, that requires you to use your hands.
2
Be careful about when you apply at-home treatment. If you do not want your parents to learn about your infestation, you have to be careful about when and where you apply at home treatment. Hide any special shampoos you're using. If you use household items, prepare an excuse if your parents notice them missing. For example, you could say you were rummaging in the cupboards for something and knocked over the bottle of olive oil.
- Be aware that if your parents catch you lying to them, you may get into trouble for your dishonesty. It will likely be better to just admit that you have lice.
3
Volunteer to do chores at home. Getting rid of lice involves a lot of laundry and vacuum cleaning. If you don't want your parents to know you have lice, you can volunteer to do such chores and claim you want extra allowance. This will prevent your parents from getting suspicious about why you're suddenly doing extra vacuuming and laundry.
- Your bedding and sheets will all need to be washed and dried. Any clothing you wore during the infestation will also need washing, especially hats!^{[11]XResearch source}
- Carpets, rugs and upholstered furniture will need vacuuming to remove any lice that fell off your head.^{[12]XResearch source}
- Any things you use in your hair, such as brushes and head bands, need to be soaked in rubbing alcohol or medicated shampoo for an hour.^{[13]XResearch source}
If the above methods do not work to remove your head lice, consider telling your parents eventually. Lice are highly contagious. Even if you believe your infestation is gone, you could have easily infected another household member. Eventually, it's best to just fess up and admit you have lice. Your parents will be able to help you better than most home remedies. Lice is a difficult problem to deal with alone.