Quick and Easy Head Lice Treatment

Details on head lice home remedies and treatment are given with their symptoms and how to prevent them. Head lice treatment are also given to get rid off them.

Lice are very difficult to treat. Home remedies for lice (louse) given below are safe, natural and quite effective, unlike most off-the-counter lice treatment lotions.

These remedies avoid the harmful chemicals and terrible smell of head lice shampoos and lotions available from pharmacies. Follow the steps given below to get rid off lice.

Note that to get rid of the lice you should get all of the nits out. Nits are not killed by any treatment. They are firmly stuck on the hair shaft and you must be puled out by hand. Vigorously brushing the hair 2-3 times a day using a bristle hair brush will knock off the nits. Flea combs work better than most lice combs.

1. Massage, rub and apply the treatment on the scalp and hair thoroughly.
2. After application, cover the hair with a shower cap or better with a plastic grocery bag and tie it with a twist to secure it tight. Leave the hair in this condition overnight (or as mentioned in each remedy).
3. Wash your hair with a normal natural shampoo or with a soap and blow dry with hot air.
4. Brush hair vigorously 2-3 times a day using a bristle hair brush to knock off the nits.
5. Pull the remaining nits by hand.
6. The lice may not be killed immediately. One application does not kill all the eggs, you may need to reapply 2-3 times.

Follow the application method as outlined above.

1. Shampoo and condition your hair. Then apply coconut milk.
2. Rub Vaseline on the scalp and apply on hair thoroughly. Vaseline will suffocate them, but note that it will be very difficult to wash off the Vaseline. It may need about 6 washes. You may rub some corn flour (or plain flour, maida) into the hair before washing the hair.
3. Rub mayonnaise on the scalp and apply. Note that it will be very difficult to wash off the Vaseline. It may need about 6 washes. You may rub some corn flour (or plain flour, maida) into the hair before washing the hair.
4. Mix regular shampoo with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of tea tree oil and 1 teaspoon of eucalyptus oil. Work this combination into the hair and leave on for half an hour with a tight-fitting shower cap.
5. Mix well Eucalyptus essential oil - 20 drops, tea tree oil - 20 drops, aniseed essential oil - 10 drops, lemon oil - 10 drops in about 75 ml olive oil. (These oils are available from health food stores.) Apply it to hair thoroughly, leave it there for an hour.
6. Make a solution by mixing the following oils:
   Citrus essential oil - 5 drops, Eucalyptus essential oil - 10 drops, Geranium essential oil - 10 drops, Lavender essential oil - 20 drops, Rosemary essential oil - 20 drops, Tea tree oil essential oil - 5 drops and Vegetable oil- 100 ml. Apply on dry hair and cover for 2-3 hours.
7. Make a concoction of olive oil, tea tree shampoo, sweet almond oil, coconut oil and then some tea tree oil. Apply on hair for one hour and rinse in water and hot air dry, then shampoo.
8. Rub a solution of baby oil (or any mineral oil) and vinegar in equal proportions on the scalp and apply on hair thoroughly. Cover the head with a shower cap for 1 hour, then wash with normal shampoo.
9. Mix 10-15 drops of tea tree oil into a bottle of normal shampoo and shampoo your hair.
10. Rub shaving cream on the scalp and apply a thick foam coating on hair for half an hour. The chemicals in the cream will kill the lice and eggs.
11. Rub Listerine Antiseptic Mouthwash. Listerine contains essential oils such as eucalyptol, thymol, menthol and methyl salicylate and alcohol, which may kill lice.
12. Mix neem leaves, basil leaves and 8-10 cloves and grind to make a thick paste using beer.
13. Some of the off-the-counter lotions/ shampoos are listed below:
    Acu-Med®
    Hair Clean® 1-2-3
    Lice B Gone®
    Licefreee®
    Not Nice To Lice®
    Neem Head lice Treatment
    Natural Shampoo with Neem Extract.

Dont's Do not apply kerosene, gasoline or isopropyl alcohol.
Do not apply veterinarian products, agricultural or lawn-care chemicals.
Do not apply any insecticide that is not labeled for head lice.
Do not shave the head.

Symptoms of Head Lice

Lice can infest people of all ages, rich or poor, any status, any country. Lice prefer clean hair because their nits can stick to cleaner hair better than oily. They are spread not only by direct physical contact with an infected person but also using their personal things like comb, hai brush, towels, bed linen, etc.

Head lice and body lice are similar in appearance, although head lice are somewhat smaller than body lice. Body lice are found in seams of clothing close to the skin. Infestations usually occur where humans wear several layers of same clothing for a long period of time. Body lice live on clothing and can survive if separated from human contact for up to a week without feeding.

The symptom of lice is an intense itching on the scalp and the back of the neck. Examine the scalp, the nape of the neck and above the ears. If you find small white eggs (called nits) attached firmly to hair shafts, it is a sure sign of louse infestation. These nits cannot be easily pulled unlike dandruff. You may see live lice and red marks on the scalp resulting from irritation caused by the saliva of the louse.

You should not wait to observe scratching by your kids. If your kids scratch their heads, it means that adult lice are there. You should check your child's hair regularly and start using a head lice remedy if you find nits.

Prevention of Head Lice

Lice are very easy to prevent but difficult to treat. The most effective prevention is maintaining good hygiene.

1. Do not share personal items like combs, brushes, clips, hair bands, hats, scarves, coats, brushes or towels.
2. Never try on hats or any headwear while at a shop. This way you put yourself at risk of contracting lice.
3. Never touch head to head with any person.
4. Wash your all the clothes after you visit to a hair dresser.
5. Check your child's hair behind and above the ears and on the back of the neck carefully every day. If nits are found, start using head louse/lice home remedy immediately.
6. If nits are found - thoroughly wash bedding linen, pillows, towels, coats, scarves, hats, brushes, combs, etc. in hot water with tea tree oil or dettol added.
7. To prevent the spread of head lice, if any family member is infected, treat all members of the family at the same time.
8. When you notice that lice is spreading in school, you should consider trimming your child's hair to a shorter length (less than 1 cm). The lice cannot find suitable environment in short hair.

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Disclaimer: Please note that the home remedies are only for minor common symptoms of lice infestations and should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. You should not rely on these remedies. Always consult your Doctor for diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. You should also avoid using any of these remedies if you are allergic to any of the ingredients. The writer of this article or fatfreekitchen.com is not responsible in any manner.