Home Remedies for Head Lice

There are so many types of hair and scalp problems people have to cope with but lice is possibly the most pestering one! What can be more irksome than having tiny insects crawling on your scalp, drinking blood and causing itchiness all through the day and night! Lice can affect both kids and adults and once infected, availing proper treatment becomes a necessity. It is highly contagious and one can get lice by mingling with an infected person or by sharing his dress and accessories.

Available Treatments for Lice Elimination

Lice can be pretty annoying and getting rid of the problem becomes anecessity. Earlier, most people resorted to using specialized lice combs to get rid of the parasitic insects. Eliminating all lice using suchcombs requires lots of patience and the chances of recurrence cannot be ruled out.

You can surely resort to OTC medicated shampoo and lice treatment products to get rid of this pesky issue. However, not everyone is comfortable applying chemical laden products on scalp to resolve lice and nits problem. Besides, applying such chemical based lice treatment products can be risky for kids and women who have conceived. For them, it is ideal to seek natural head lice treatment.

Top Home Remedies to Get Rid of Head Lice and Nits

You can try the below listed natural remedies to get rid of lice. These homeremedies for head lice are safe and they have been tried since ages. The majority of these natural remedies rely on the concept of suffocating or smothering the itch causing parasite residing on scalp and hair shaft.

Garlic:

Garlic is a powerful herb that has many healing properties. Its strong and pungent aroma can help in suffocating the lice. You should take a few garlic cloves and grind them to make a paste. Mix this paste with a few spoons of lime juice. Apply this mixture liberally covering the scalpand hair. Put this mixture on hair for an hour or so. Then wash off the hair with lukewarm water. You can try this head lice home remedytwice a week or so until you see effective results.

Olive Oil:

Olive oil is one of the best home remedies for head lice that you can use. Application of olive oil can help suffocate the lice and then you can eliminate them easily. You can take some olive oil and mix it with lemon juice. Apply this mixture on your scalp and hair well. Use a shower cap on head. Keep it on for acouple of hours. Then use a lice comb to draw out the parasites. Wash off hair with an herbal shampoo, preferably one containing tea tree oil.

Petroleum Jelly:

The ideaof applying petroleum jelly on scalp and hair may sound rather odd to you, but can be used to effectively suffocate and eliminate head lice. Apply petroleum jelly liberally over scalp and hair. Cover head with a towel or shower cap. Let this remain on your scalp for at least a couple of hours. Use baby oil to take off the jelly from hair and then rinse hair with a gentle shampoo. Use a lice comb to take out dead parasites. This can be done a number of times for relief from nits and lice.

Tea Tree Oil:

This essential oil is known for powerful antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. This is one of the best natural remedies for head lice. Keep in mind that Tea tree oil in its pure form is very strong and you should not apply it directly on scalp at all! Mix Tea tree oil with olive or coconut oil in 1:4 ratio ina bowl. Then apply it on the scalp. You may mix a little lemon juice into it as well. Let this mixture sit on your scalp for acouple of hours or so. Wash off with a medicated shampoo and then use a lice comb to take out dead lice.

Coconut Oil:

Coconut oil is nourishing and excellent for hair and scalp health. It is a good option for head lice treatment as well. At first, you will need to wash hair with apple cider vinegar. When hair is dry, apply coconut oil liberally over scalp and hair. You may mix a few drops of peppermint or rosemary essential oil into the coconut oil before application. It basically lubricates hair and suffocates the lice. Keep on the oil mixture on head for a few hours to smother the lice. Then shampoo hair and use a comb to take out the dead lice. You can try this head lice home remedy a few times every week.

Vinegar:

White vinegar, a common ingredient in your kitchen, can also be used as a natural weapon to combat the problem of head lice. It is replete with acetic acid-which can kill lice. Apply white vinegar after mixing it with water on your scalpand hair. Wrap a hot towel on your head. After two hours or so apply a lice comb to take out the parasites and their eggs from hair. Later shampoo your hair and rinse off as usual.

Sesame Seed Oil:

This oil is known for its antibacterial properties. Mix sesame seed oil with essential oils like tea tree oil and rosemary essential oil. Use a few drops of essential oils in 100 ml of sesame seed oil. Wash hair using apple cider vinegar and let it dry. Then apply this oil mix liberally on scalp and hair. Leave it on for a few hours and then shampoo as usual. Comb hair well to remove the lice from the hair. This can be done twice a week for effective lice elimination.

Mayonnaise:

This is another well known kitchen ingredient which can double up as a powerful natural lice elimination solution. Its oils have viscosity properties that effectively smother head lice. You can apply some full-fat mayonnaise on scalp and hair. Let it sit for a few hours and then wash with warm water and medicated shampoo. Afterwards, use a lice comb and remove deadparasites from hair.

Points to Keep in Mind

Keep in mind that the aforesaid natural remedies for head lice show result, but the result will not come overnight. Besides, you will need to find out if you are allergic to such ingredients before applying them on the scalp and hair.

You need to watch out for leftover lice eggs on scalp and hair. Do not use fingers to take out lice- it is better to use metal lice combs. After you find lice on your child’s head, take measures so that others do not get affected. Lice can spread quickly from body contact and sharing of stuffs like comb and towels. Wash the clothes and accessories of an infected person in hot water and a solution of disinfectant to stop contamination.