11 Home Remedies For Lice That Will Work

Wet combing is the oldest and also one of the most effective techniques for removing lice in children below two months of age. Since lice are firmly fixed on hair follicles, wetting makes it impossible for lice to move. It is easier to comb through hairs when they are treated with oil or leave-in conditioners.

When the hair is wet, it is now time to use a fine-toothed lice comb to comb out the larvae, nymphs, as well as nits. For each pass through the hair, clean the comb with a damp wipe. Continue with this for 9-14 days following the same process for 2-3 days for every cycle.

This method takes time to accomplish as it can be somewhat tedious although it is a productive method.

Due to its thickness, mayonnaise has been described as a natural way of getting rid of lice since it tends to choke them. Mayo is not very easy to apply and remove, making it a rather difficult task.

One has to use some amount of mayonnaise on dry hair by ensuring that the scalp and the hair are well coated. After the application, cover your hair with a shower cap to ensure it conserves heat. Next, leave it on for several hours. Subsequently, consult employing a good shampoo to rinse out the mayonnaise, and use a comb to eliminate other remaining lice and nits.

Among the many benefits of olive oil, who would have ever thought it would come in handy in managing head lice! This oil is a natural and effective remedy for head lice due to its suffocating properties. One study showed olive oil to be among the most effective of the natural remedies they tested. When applied generously to the scalp and hair, olive oil can block the airways of adult lice, leading to their death.

If you want better results, it's highly recommended to apply olive oil and leave it on for around eight hours. But, make sure to cover the hair with a shower cap. This is vital in suffocating the lice and facilitating easier combing through the hair.

Petroleum jelly has been noted to offer a better solution as a smothering treatment compared to other options. Research has shown that when using petroleum jelly, the percentage of eggs hatching is approximately equal to 6% when compared to the initial percentage.

Petroleum jelly also offers a form of lice treatment as it forms a layer that prevents the access of air hence suffocating the lice. To ensure that all the lice are eliminated after smothering, fine-tooth combing should be done after the attempt.

Coconut oil demonstrates suffocating effects coupled with antimicrobial properties which makes it useful in treating head lice. Coconut oil also contains lauric acid, an active component that can suffocate the lice when massaged copiously over the scalp and hair.

It has been established that lice can be eradicated with as high as 80% mortality rate within 4 hours of applying coconut oil.

Likewise, there are several other health benefits of coconut oil.

Essential oils such as lavender oil may be used as an effective remedy to eliminate lice in the presence of tea tree oil. A study conducted in 2011 also makes this statement valid. Also, lavender oil has other effective ingredients that interfere with the nervous system of lice hence leading to their deaths.

Lavender oil should be diluted with a carrier oil like coconut or olive oil to ensure optimum results and minimum side effects.

Cetaphil cleanser is viewed as a suitable home treatment for head lice because it aids in smothering them. This entails applying the Cetaphil on the hair and scalp tightly before proceeding to use a blow dryer to harden the mixture to stiffness. This drying process assists in paralyzing the lice since their movements are restricted and they cannot easily flee.

When cleanser is applied and left on the hair for a period not less than 8-12 hours, lice will die due to oxygen deprivation in some cases. After the wait is finally over, rinse and comb out the lice and nits. Do this for up to 3 times.

Studies have found that tea tree oil will paralyze lice at the nymph/adult stage and can successfully inhibit the hatching of lice eggs. Research has shown that tea tree oil provided a success rate of 97 percent in eliminating lice and thus proved to be even more effective than many of the traditional methods.

You should dilute this oil in a carrier oil to reduce skin sensitivity.

Vinegar has acetic acid, which can be used to dissolve the natural cement that holds nits to hair shafts, thus when combing they could easily be eradicated.

Dilute vinegar with warm water in the ratio of 1:1 and apply on scalp and hairs. After you apply the mixture, cover it with a shower cap and let it stay in your hair for approximately 30 minutes. Wash it out and subsequently, brush your hair well using the lice comb to eliminate all dead lice and their eggs.

The lemon juice has an acidic value which makes it possible to give a hostile condition for the lice. Because of this reason, it is commonly used as a herbal cure for head lice.

Lemon juice can be directly applied on the scalp as well as hair. Leave the juice on for not less than 30-60 minutes once the application is complete. Shampoo it out and comb your hair to eliminate dead lice and eggs.

Hygiene is one of the practical elements that come in handy in preventing as well as easily combating infestations by head lice.

If you have any clothes, bedding and other personal things that you believe might be infected with lice, one is obliged to wash them in hot water for roughly thirty minutes to kill some lice and eggs that might be present. However, if the items are dried on high heat for at least twenty minutes after washing, they help to eliminate any lice or nits.

You can also put non-washable items in plastic bags for 1-2 weeks to deprive any lice in the non-washable items of food.

Although home remedies for lice are useful there are times when a person should visit a doctor. In case you are unable to eradicate the problem away through home remedies, you ought to seek medical advice.

Here are some situations that could pose a problem for you:

Persistent Infestation

It is advisable to go to a doctor if home remedies or any over-the-counter medications are not producing the desired results in several attempts. They are also always in a position to prescribe stronger medication if the need arises.

Signs of Infection

When a scratch leads to the formation of sores that are red, swollen or painful, or when accompanied by tender nodes in the neck it could be a sign of an infection.

Severe Symptoms

However if the infestation experiences extreme itching and discomfort that hinders activities, one ought to seek medical attention for a physical examination and appropriate treatment.

Young Children

In young children, especially younger than two years, if there is such a problem, one should take the child to a pediatrician to get proper treatment.

Reinfestation Concerns

Any infestation that recurs despite attempted treatments could be due to the lice being resistant to usual treatments or the inefficient method of applying the treatment.

The following are some of the measures that you may take to avoid lice from infesting the body.

1. Avoid Sharing Personal Items: Do not share your items with others as lice can easily transfer through those items like comb, hat, and brush.

2. Maintain a Lice-Free Environment: Clean your clothes, curtains, bedding and all other items that could have come into contact with lice. Also, dry them under high heat to avoid infestations of lice among the users of the clothes.

3. Use Preventive Sprays: Head lice may be controlled by using sprays that are prepared from essential oils.

4. Spread Awareness: You can also prevent this problem by informing your children on the aspects of lice infestation and how they can be avoided.