Skip to main content

Malathion topical for Head Lice User Reviews

Malathion topical has an average rating of 8.6 out of 10 from a total of 10 reviews for the treatment of Head Lice. 80% of reviewers reported a positive experience, while 10% reported a negative experience.

Malathion topical rating summary

8.6/10 average rating

10 ratings from 11 user reviews.

Compare all 31 medications used in the treatment of Head Lice.

10
70%
9
10%
8
0%
7
0%
6
10%
5
0%
4
0%
3
0%
2
0%
1
10%

Reviews for Malathion topical

  • mely
  • December 10, 2011

Ovide (malathion) "Ovide is the best thing ever! 4 years ago and after a crash course in head lice the Dr prescribed RID. After 4 months, countless hours combing, washing clothes and $500 later to treat 4 children and the sprays for furniture, every week these roaches kept coming back (this amount don't include the extra expense that we incurred replacing clothes that finished in the garbage can after being washed in hot water). Finally I went back to see my children's Dr. and she prescribed Ovide. After the first treatment, no more head lice! 3 months ago my son got them again and off course my choice was Ovide hands down! Don't waste money on other products."

10 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
71 Report
  • Law...
  • February 27, 2012

Ovide (malathion) "OVIDE ROCKS!! My 7 year old contracted lice from her school/daycare. I bought three lice shampoos from the pharmacy in addition to two cans of lice spray for my house and vehicle. To no avail., these treatments did not work and had to be done over and over again. I spent approx. $50.00 on the products and another $30.00 on cleaning supplies. I was fed up with spending so much money, so I took her to the doctor. Her pediatrician prescribed OVIDE and it completely killed all of the lice AND nits. When I rinsed it out 10 hours later, I combed through it only to find, partial flakes of dandruff (a possible side effect of OVIDE due to the dryness). NOTHING ELSE!! The smell is AWFUL but completely WORTH IT!"

10 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
59 Report
  • Stacey...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • November 20, 2016

"My daughter had lice for over 3 months because of ineffective medications like RID and Nix. I must've spent hundreds of dollars on treatments. Finally, I took her to the doctor and he prescribed malathion (Ovide). Malathion kicked butt! After one treatment she was completely clear of lice. They just fell off dead. The smell was horrid but totally worth it!"

10 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
16 Report
  • KellyD
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • October 31, 2018

"Daughters and I had recurring head lice- after 4th time in about 3 months I went to urgent care out of total desperation and the doctor prescribed Malathion. I rubbed it into my girls' heads and the lice were falling out- practically leaping out- and landing dead on the floor. I cried with relief and joy. This stuff is extremely toxic and the smell will knock you over. It feels like you are rubbing gasoline in your hair. Use in well-ventilated room (outside if possible). This was at least 5 years ago and we have never had lice again."

10 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
12 Report
  • EmmaL...
  • August 3, 2016

Ovide (malathion) "My head was itching like crazy and I had a huge red rash on the back of my head so I went to the dermatologist to find out the source. Turns out I had head lice and a really bad case of it too! My derm. recommended OVIDE, and I applied it the second I got home. Within 5 minutes of applying it there were almost 20 louse bugs lying on my bathroom counter-dead. The smell was so strong i threw up (I also hadn't eaten all day) but was totally worth it :))"

10 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
15 Report

Are you taking this medicine?

  • bug...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • July 1, 2020

"4 months of lice and following what insurance would pay for, finally got this Malathion Lotion and it is wonderful. Why would any Dr or Insurance Company refuse this. Get busy folks. Help lower the price of this so that our family, Friends and Children no longer have to suffer thru Lice OTC treatments that DO NOT WORK"

9 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
6 Report
  • Ihate...
  • May 23, 2018

"Do NOT waste your time, energy or money on ANY OTC product. Lice are resistant to these- Ovide is the only way to go. Unfortunately, my daughter has gotten head lice 3 times in the past 4 years. She has very long hair & what a nightmare. Thankfully her hair is now shoulder length. I would not hesitate to use Ovide again! Good luck, hang in there & do not give up!!! PS- even if you think that they are gone, you must keep checking at least weekly!"

10 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
5 Report
  • JuanS
  • August 14, 2017

"I needed three treatments two years ago (one week between each treatment), but the biggest problem is the dosage. This tiny bottle barely cover my scalp and does not reach anything near half-way down my 30" hair. Length and thickness of hair should be factors in the amount prescribed. I think the bugs just ran down to dryer hair to escape the poison. Still, it worked better than OTC meds, which did nothing at all for the strain of lice I had. The directions I was given said to use half a bottle then use the other half a week later. A full bottle didn't even dampen my hair; half a bottle would have been less than useless."

6 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
5 Report
  • elect...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • December 19, 2017

Ovide (malathion) "After wasting $250 on Rid, princess castle live products and everything else under the sun including some expensive organic shampoo that did sort of work for the live ones just not the nits... we had to have the doctor call in a prescription for Ovide / Malathion... mind you there is NO way I’m the world that anyone above whom posted they left this on for over 15 minutes let alone a half hour ... no way an hour! It literally smells and feels like gasoline is on your scalp. It would burn your scalp severely bad if you left it on longer than 15-20 minutes - I think we made it 10-15 minutes at the maximum!!! It does the job! Period. It wipes them out! Nits live ones - everyone of them immediately. It is highly fumable and toxic! Be careful! Extreme caution. Do not use on a young child. Period."

Was this helpful?YesNo
2 Report
  • Lyla
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • April 11, 2020

"It absolutely works. I researched the efficacy of different treatments for my daughter who got it from her after school program and found that lice were developing resistance to other treatments. It had been used in Europe for years and worked extremely well. It absolutely does the job."

10 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
1 Report
  • Tmdrake
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • June 2, 2021

"I've used the malathion twice now. From my experience super lice are resistance to this product. I left it on for 12 hours and nothing changed! Disappointment and depression thrives with the lice..."

1 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
3 Report

Reviews may be edited to correct grammar/spelling or to remove inappropriate language and content. Reviews that appear to be created by parties with a vested interest are not published. This information is not intended to endorse any particular medication. While these reviews may be helpful, they are not a substitute for the expertise, knowledge, and judgement of healthcare professionals.

Learn more about Head Lice

Symptoms and treatments