HOW TO FIGHT WITH HEAD LICE/LOUSE/NITS

• Head lice are parasitic wingless insects which live on the skin covering the top of your head, called the scalp.

• They do not carry or transmit any disease.

• An adult is called louse and their eggs are known as nits which almost looks like dandruff flake.

• Its more common to see nits than adult lice in child’s hair.

• There is no special diet for lice treatment.

CAUSES:

• Anyone can get head lice and it is fairly common in school age children.

• Head lice affect those with long or short hair, dirty or clean hair.

• Personal hygiene has nothing to do with getting head lice.

• Head lice are extremely contagious.

•  Close contact or sharing belongings such as hats or hairbrushes, towels puts people at risk.

SYMPTOMS:

Intense itching of scalp.

Small red bumps on the scalp, neck and shoulders.

Eggs or nits on the bottom of each hair.

Constant ticking feeling.

Lice on your scalp, behind your ears at the base of your neck or on your clothing.

PREVENTION:

It is difficult to prevent the spread of head lice, but taking certain precautions can be helpful.

• Stop sharing combs, brushes, hats, bedding and towels with someone who has head lice.

• Use medicated lotions and shampoo regularly with your doctor’s permission.

• Maintain short hair until you are cured of lice.

• Wash combs and brushes with hot water or soapy water.

• Wash the bed sheets and towels in very hot water to kill the eggs.

NOTE:

• To get rid of head lice, it’s important to understand their life cycle so that you can continue treatment for the right length of time.

• Nits/nymphs become adult lice about 1 to 2 weeks after they hatch.

• So, you may need to repeat treatments after 7-10 days the time taken for the eggs to hatch as eggs are more resistant to treatment.

TREATMENT:

In order to get rid of head lice naturally and to wipe the nits off from roots of your hair, you can

consider the following home remedies.

EGGS/NITS PROBLEM:

• To get rid of lice, first you should get rid of all its nits or eggs.

• Nits are difficult to kill by any treatment. Since they attach firmly on their hair shafts, they are bit difficult to be pulled out.

• Vigorous brushing of your hair 2-3 times a day using bristle hair brush will knock out most nits.

• Try using flea combs instead of lice combs for better results.

OLIVE OIL AND TEA TREE OIL:

• Mix 3 tablespoons of olive oil with 1 tbsp of tea tree oil.

• Rub into scalp and leave it on for 30 minutes.

• Then wash your hair as usual with your shampoo and conditioner.

• Then rinse your hair with vinegar as it loosens the holding properties of the eggs

and nits on your hair.

• Wait for 10 minutes and rinse with hot water.

• Comb your hair using lice or flea comb to remove any remaining nits.

• This is the most important way to get rid of head lice naturally.

USE OF ANY ESSENTIAL OIL:

• Apply any essential oil and leave it overnight.

• Next day, brush out your hair using nit/flea/lice comb.

• Then wash your hair as usual with your shampoo and conditioner.

• Next take vinegar and rinse your hair with it has capacity of killing nits/eggs.

• Use warm water to remove vinegar.

• This dissolves the eggs. Repeat the vinegar rinse till needed.

• Vinegar combined with any mineral oil or Johnson’s baby oil in equal proportions can be

applied on hair.

• Leave this on your scalp for an hour and then rinse off with a shampoo.

• Now comb off your hair with an antilice comb to remove all the unconscious lice and eggs.

MIXING TEA TREE OIL IN YOUR DAILY SHAMPOO

• Another effective and proven natural remedy to get rid of head lice is use of 10-15 drops of tea

tree oil mixed with your regular shampoo.

• You can use it daily as it has no side effects with daily use.

MAYONNAISE AS CONDITIONER:

• Apply mayonnaise as a conditioner to your hair.

• The oils in the mayonnaise provide lubrication to the hair and scalp, eliminating the ability of the

eggs to hold on to the hair shafts

• Wear a shower cap and sit for 30 minutes.

• The shower cap cuts off any air flow that eggs needed to remain alive. 

• Then wash your hair with normal shampoo.

• Use fine toothed comb to get the eggs and lice out.

NORMAL CONDITIONER:

• After washing hair, apply lots of conditioner and comb it thoroughly with fine toothed comb.

LISTERINE ANTISEPTIC MOUTHWASH:

• Listerine Antiseptic Mouthwash has become a famous natural remedy for head lice

because it includes some essential oils like thymol, eucalyptol, methyl salicylate, alcohol, and

menthol which are beneficial in getting rid of head lice.

VASELINE:

• 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.

• Wear shower cap when leaving these treatments on your hair overnight to protect your pillow

and bed from these oily ingredients.

MIXTURE OF BUTTER AND LEMON:

• Apply mixture of butter and lemon on your head.

• Leave it for just 15 minutes which helps in getting rid of head lice naturally.

• You can rinse it off with your regular shampoo or for kid’s, you can use baby shampoo.

SHAVING CREAM:

• Rub shaving cream on the scalp and apply a thick foam coating on hair.

• All you need is shower cap to cover shaving creamed head.

• Leave it overnight and washes out easily in the morning.

• The chemicals found in the shaving cream are said to be effective in killing head lice and nits.

• It is better than Vaseline as it washes out easily.

DON’TS:

•  Do not apply kerosene gasoline or isopropyl alcohol on your head for lice treatment.

• 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.