In this useful article, you will find information and home remedies for getting rid of lice and nits. Head lice have been known to be parasitic organisms residing in hair since time immemorial. These home remedies are designed to get rid of these pesky creatures, keeping the health of your scalp and hair in tip top condition.
One should always keep in mind that other hair and scalp ailments are very often mistaken for head lice, and one should first properly diagnose the problem before using any home remedies or any other type of medication.
No head lice in this crazy hair!
After the application of any of these remedies, stroke your clothes and linens with the iron. An additional measure – to handle the entire room with dichlorvos (see dichlorvos remedy further down this article), first, spread out the clothes and throw a blanket. For those who have never done this procedure: close the window, sprinkle properly and then go for a walk anywhere, for an hour. And after ventilate the room;
louse-image
Check for lice on all members of your family. Treat everyone simultaneously, on whoever the lice are discovered, or later it will still be with each other to share.
Regarding to the means of the lice and nits, if you buy something at the pharmacy, then use it based on its instruction, if you decide to use something that will be described below, pharmaceutical remedies, be careful: most of them are toxic and dangerous. For some, dichlorvos is not so dangerous, but some can burn the scalp and some may spoil the hair.
Symptoms of Head Lice
An itchy scalp is perhaps the first symptom to be recognized of a lice infestation. Following the itchiness one can find red bumps on the scalp. Also, one can find lice eggs, tiny little white specs which attach themselves to the side of hair strands, which are a sure sign of lice infestation. Also, live lice can be spotted in hair. Once confirmed, one must ensure proper procedure to get rid of the lice.
Lice infestations are somewhat contagious. Lice are known to spread from one person to many at places where a large group of people get together. Children are especially prone to head lice and should be constantly and regularly checked for any signs of infestation. It should also be noted that head lice can spread within a family too if one person of the family has an infestation. In such cases, the entire family should be treated for lice and the household should also be squirted with medicine to prevent re-infestation.
Home Remedies
Home remedies for head lice are recommended for many different reasons. Anti-lice shampoos, although being an effective method to curb the head lice menace about a decade back, have now started having little to no effect on head lice. This is because of a natural immunity that lice have developed over a period of time.
Combing out head lice
Organic shampoos are available in markets which proclaim that they stop curb lice infestations, but usage of these shampoos over a long period of time could lead to problems such as dry itchy scalp and can also cause damage to the scalp. Combing the hair and manually picking our lice and nits with fingers or tweezers can be effective, but one has to give long periods of time on a regular basis. For people who cannot spare such large amounts of time, as combing hair (especially long hair) this can be very time consuming, this method is very ineffective if not done regularly.
Pros of hair lice remedies are that mostly they are derived from natural products and/or tips which have minimal negative effects on the hair and scalp. In fact, most home remedies are good for the hair and help tremendously as a dry scalp treatment. Also, head lice remedies, as obvious, use household products which are easily available in a household and they can be carried out in the comfort of your home.
Also, there is a difference between killing lice and eradicating an infestation. Most shampoo kill lice, but not their eggs, which will hatch into new lice and then the infestation will return. One has to understand that it is not only important to get rid of the lice, it is also important to get rid of the eggs.
This is an extreme measure; it is used only in cases where nothing else helped: Cut off the hair under a zero.
Drug Store Remedies
- How to get rid of lice fast with Nittiphore: Sold in a pharmacy, is in the form of a cream and as a lotion. Working well, is used according to instructions. In addition, at the pharmacy you can buy shampoos for lice (they have different efficiencies).
- Flea shampoos for pets: Sold in veterinary pharmacies are much stronger than the equivalent for people and they are cheaper and also safer. To get rid of head lice this is one of the best options.
- Another type of pharmacy product is gray mercurial ointment and other such (obsolete thirty years ago), the means of traditional medicine. Use, but not well enough to rely on them. Lice do not like them, run away, some even die, but not all.
- If you are not averse to color in your hair, then for the occasion, use hydrogen peroxide. Lice and nits will be killed by using this.
Dangerous But Effective Remedies to Kill Lice
The following methods for getting rid of lice are dangerous, use them with extreme caution: (I don’t personally recommend them. I prefer NATURAL methods.)
- Turpentine: Mix ten parts oil and one part turpentine. Lubricate the scalp and hair;
- Dichlorvos: If they are successful in taking advantage, it kills the lice and nits immediately. But it means so dangerous that they can breathe. Therefore, in the home treat their hair in one room, opening the window, then immediately go into another room. Thoroughly sprinkled, put down a plastic bag for twenty minutes. For long hair, it must treat them carefully along the entire length;
- Kerosene: This is an old folk remedy, it is very effective, but can burn the skin of the head, so here I am writing about it just for the sake of collection. To use it I do not advise, because getting rid of lice and nits at home can be done effectively and safer with other ways. There are several options for the use of kerosene:
1. Spread on the head in its purest form, put a plastic bag to hold for twenty minutes and wash, comb the hair;
2. Mixed in a tablespoon of kerosene and vegetable oil applied to the hair with cotton wool, covered with a plastic bag for four hours, then wash off;
3. Make getting rid of lice a mixture of kerosene 45%, 25% of hot water, soap 30%. The hair is moistened with this mixture, put a plastic bag on your head for half an hour, and then wash the head and rinse. If when using the kerosene your head begins to bake, then immediately wash it
Popular Natural Remedies
- Olive Oil: Oils are good lice remedies because they suffocate the adult lice. Oil products and derivatives like olive oil and mayonnaise smother the lice. The best method of application is to apply the oil or oil derivative to your head, cover it with a shower cap and keep overnight. Soak the hair with olive oil and cover it with a piece of cloth for two hours and wash it with lukewarm water. Comb your hair with fine tooth comb to get rid of lice and eggs. Do it once a week.
- Lavender Oil: Lavender essential oil is known to make lice flee, but one should be careful on application and should give some substantial time gap between two applications.
- Cranberry Juice: During the week, every day, wet hair with pure cranberry juice and louse. This juice is good because it unsticks nits from the hair and is very safe;
- Vinegar or Lemon Juice: Using vinegar or lemon juice would dissolve the shells of the lice eggs and cause them to die. One should be forewarned that excessive usage of acidic materials can cause hair and scalp damage, so one must give sufficient time gaps between two consecutive applications.
- Neem Oil: Neem oil has been found to be very effective with both lice and their eggs. Using neem oil also strengthens hair and rejuvenates the scalp.
- White Vinegar: White vinegar is also very effective in treating lice infestations. Wash your hair with a little bit of white vinegar and then use tree oil shampoo for effective dis-infestations. Use a solution of vinegar and two tablespoons per cup of water, and, for the hair, this solution is also good. However, try to avoid it in your eyes.
- Coconut Oil: Coconut oil is a good oil to shunt head lice. Although not effective in killing lice, coconut oil can prevent re-infestation.
- Pet Shampoo: Dog and cat shampoos have come up as interesting and effective ways to stop lice infestations. Should always be used with caution and any brand of animal shampoo should at first be properly checked and researched before using on self or recommending to another.
- Listerine: Listerine mouthwash is also known to kill lice. Wash hair with Listerine and keep for two hours and then shampoo with effective anti lice shampoo.
The effectiveness of each of the above methods depends on the user, and not every method goes well and is effective with every person. One has to understand that lice remedies are subject to the personal physical aspects and reactions of every individual. Also, the home remedies for lice mentioned should be used with caution or in small quantities. One must also first test all the remedies in small portions of their hair to rule out the possibility of a reaction.
One must also pay much attention to the surroundings during an infestation. Mostly lice spreads from sharing beds or pillows with people infected. Also, cars and sofas should be disinfected to prevent a re-infestation.
Watch this instructional video on removing head lice from a child. Watch how she carefully checks the child’s head and hair and applies the product which can be any of the head lice home remedies mentioned above not necessarily what she is using. It is the method that is important here so be sure to watch carefully.
Final Word
To conclude, one should always be careful while handling head lice. Lice infected children can spread lice to other children. Home remedies will go a long way in preventing outbreaks of lice infestations not only in your home but in others homes as well.
If you will follow all the rules on how to get rid of lice with the help of these home remedies, then you will get great results.
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