What are the home remedies for treating head lice

When treating head lice, you should consider a few things.

They aren’t contagious, but they can spread, so be careful where you touch them.

You may sometimes be required to use a louse comb to remove the nits, nymphes, and adults from your child’s head.

If your kid came back after staying at a friend’s house where someone else had louse eggs in their head (or their pet), chances are pretty good that you’ve found them before they start spreading. You can easily get rid of them by washing your child’s head with plain water several times per day for 3 weeks.

Combining the combing with some simple home treatment methods may be better than using harsher chemical solutions.

Read on to learn which natural remedies to use and what not to use.

Try wet-combing

Wet-combing, according to the British Medical Journal, is an effective treatment for lice. It is effective because it makes the lice easier to see, distinguishes them from dandruf, and is inexpensive.

Wet-combing usually entails applying conditioner on wet strands of your own hairs, using a fine-tooth comb, and occasionally a magnifying glasses to clear out any bugs.

Wet-combining, though effective, takes a lot of effort and can be dangerous if done incorrectly. If you attempt it, take adequate breaks and ensure your child has something to keep him occupied during the procedure.

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Smother the lice

Some natural remedies for suffocation include these treatments. Follow the instructions carefully.

Experts disagree whether it matters if you use a traditional conditioner or not. Some say using a traditional conditioner makes no difference, others claim it actually works against the lice by suffocating them and making them slower to move and harder to remove from your scalp.

First, brush your hair using an oil-based conditioner. If you don’t want to go through all that trouble, you could just buy a bottle of extra virgin coconut oil.

Use a wide toothbrush to separate the hair into smallpieces. Then, put a hair clip on top of each piece as you brush, moving them out of the way until they fall off naturally. Then rinse out the brush frequently under running hot water.

After thoroughly washing your child’ s head, use their regular shampoo, rinse well and then let them air-dry.

Wash all the beddings you’ve been using and wash out any lice combers. Soak them in an appropriate solution (10% bleach, 2% Lysol, or 1% Clorox) for at least 30 minutes and then thoroughly rinse them off. You can alternatively use vinegar, alcohol-based cleaners, or clorox wipes to clean your glasses.

For the first seven days, follow these instructions exactly. After the first seven days, check for lice each evening to ensure they’re no longer there.

Use essential oils.

Many essential oils have been proven effective for treating lice infestations.

Essential oils are never ingested; they’re applied topically. Always dilute an essential oil before applying it to children. You can use a carrier oil (such as jojoba) to dilute the essential oils. Then put a small drop of the diluted mixture onto the backs of their hands. If they don’t react, the essence is safe for them to use.

There isn’t enough evidence to say whether essential oils are safe for kids.

Though pretty rare, children may be allergic to some of the essential oils used for acne treatment. If your child has an allergy to any of them, skip the next few oils on the list.

• Tea Tree OIl
• Lavender oil
• neem oil
• clove oil
• eucalyptus oil

• aniseed oil
• cinnamon leaf oil
• Thyme oil
• Peppermint oil

• nutmeg oil

Mix 1/2 an ounce of extra virgin olive oil with 10 drops of your favorite essential oils (I used the citrus blend). Add this mix to your regular conditioner, then apply to your dry hair and leave in for about half an hour before rinsing off. Repeat if needed.

A variation on this method is to combine 2 tablespoons each of lavender essential oil and rosemary, 1/2 tablespoon peppermint oil, and one ounce of vodka. Shake vigorously and then apply to scalp before bedtime, leaving overnight. Wash off in the morning.

If you want to get rid of head lice, comb them out first.

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Clean around the house

You don’t need to completely clean your entire home if you suspect that your family members have head louse infestations.

Nits don’t live far from the scalp; they’re usually found where the body parts meet, so if you get them out, clean up any crevices (like under a mattress).

You might also want to wash any clothes that have come in close proximity to someone who has head lice, including hats, pillow cases, brushes, and combs. Place beloved plush toys and other non-washables inside a plastic garbage sack.

To get rid of head louse infestations wash items in boiling hot soapy solution (at least 130° F/ 54° C) for at least one minute. If necessary, repeat the washing procedure until no live louse remains. Also, if necessary, place items into a hot dryer for 10 to 15 minutes. Lastly, leave items in a sealedplastic bag for 2 weeks.

You can also wipe down surfaces where lice might be present.

Avoid these products and methods

To avoid contracting head louse infestation from someone else, these are the things you shouldn’t be doing at home:

• If you don’t want to worry about side effects, don’t take too much of the recommended dosage. Too much of the medication could be harmful.
• Don’t get any medications – even if they’re not specifically mentioned here – for lice in the eye. If contact happens, wash them out immediately.
• Don’t use the same treatment more than two or three times. If you use the same treatment again after a few days, you may end up developing a resistance to the treatment, or another one may need to be used.
• You shouldn’t use more than one head lice treatment at a time. Using two treatments doesn’t speed up killing the lice; instead, using multiple treatments could be harmful.
• Don’t fumigate the entire household or living space where someone with head lice resides. You don’t need to use any type of pesticides.
• Don’t use conditioner because it acts as a barrier for insecticide products and prevents them from working properly.
• Avoid using lindane shampoo as a first line treatment for kids. Because it has been linked to neurological damage, it shouldn’t be used at any time. It may be appropriate though if other methods haven’t worked.

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Outlook

Lice treatments need to be followed carefully, so don’t fudge the instructions. If you miss an important step, you could end up having to treat again later.

At present, there isn’ t enough evidence to suggest that home remedies such as mayonnaise or nail-filing stations are effective louse treatments. Therefore, the CDC recommends following your doctor s directions for treating head louse infestations and informing the doctor if the treatments aren’t appearing to be effective.