Home Remedies for Head Lice

One of the most popular searches in terms of home treatments is home remedies for head lice. Since head lice is a common external integumentary system condition common in girls and women and also common in children (pre-schoolers and elementary students), it wouldn’t be a big surprise that head lice treatment would be widely searched all throughout the internet.

What is head lice?

Head lice are a type of parasite found on the heads of people. The medical term for head lice is “pediculosis.” This parasite is described to be a wingless insect that lives in human scalps and feeds on small amounts of blood from the person’s scalp. Lice aren’t dangerous to have but it is highly contagious and very itchy. Head lice is found commonly on a person’s scalp behind the ears and near the neckline or back of the neck.

What does head lice look like?

What does head lice look like?
Adult louse is about the size of a sesame seed with six legs and the color varies from a tan color to a gray to white

Head lice typically is described by 3 types of lice, namely:

Home Remedies for Head Lice: using a fine tooth comb
By Thanks for the polite permission of the Community Hygiene Concern, Joanna Ibarra (Deutsche Pediculosis Gesellschaft e.V.) (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0), via Wikimedia Commons
  1. Nit. These are lice eggs which are hard to see and could be confused as dandruff. These lice eggs are attached firmly to a person’s hair shaft. They are oval in shape and their color is yellowish to whitish. A nit takes at least a week to hatch.
  2. Nymph. When the nit hatches into a baby louse they are called, “nymph.” These mature into adult louse in about 7 days after hatching. The nymph feeds on blood to grow.
  3. Adult. Adult louse is about the size of a sesame seed with six legs and the color varies from a tan color to a gray to white. Females lay nits and larger than males. They live around 30 days on a person’s head. They also feed on blood and when they fall off a person’s head they usually die in 2 days.

Causes of head lice:

  • A person who comes in contact with infected persons through contaminated clothing and other belongings (through play, school, sports activities, home, sleepovers and camp)
  • Wearing clothing that has those tiny parasites
  • Using combs, brushes and towels that are contaminated
  • Laying on couches, beds, carpets that a person with head lice has been laying on

Risk Factors for head lice:

  • Pre-schoolers and elementary school children (from ages 3-10 years old)
  • Girls contract this condition more than boys

Signs and Symptoms:

  • A person with head lice feels something moving in between their hair strands
  • Itchy feeling from an allergic reaction from the bites
  • Sores on the head due to frequent scratching of the head

Here is a list of successful home remedies for head lice:

  1. Mayonnaise and vinegar. This mixture is a powerful natural lice remedy. This is a treatment you can do before going to bed.  You first have to cover the scalp with mayonnaise. You can then put a plastic wrapper over the mayonnaise and get a headband or hat to keep it neatly in place. Go to bed and in the morning you can rinse the hair out. This will suffocate the lice. Cover it with vinegar. Let it sit for 15 minutes before washing it out. Since the vinegar is acidic it will kill the remaining eggs remaining on the scalp. Comb out the dead lice with a fine-toothed comb.
  2. Listerine mouthwashListerine antiseptic mouthwash. This is a safe and effective home treatment of head lice. All you have to do is rub it on the infected person’s head because the components of the mouthwash will tend to kill the head lice.
  3. Shaving cream. This is very useful in killing lice and their eggs. Obtain a thick coat of shaving cream on the head and keep it in for 15 to 20 minutes for maximum results.
  4. Lemon and butter. One of the successful home remedies for head lice is a mixture of lemon and butter. Apply it on the head and leave it in for 20 minutes. Rinse it out thoroughly. By doing this the acidity will kill the head lice.
  5. Tea Tree OilTea tree oil. This essential oil is one of those natural remedies for scabies and could also be used for head lice. Since tea tree oil is a natural insecticide which could kill head lice. All you need is 3 tablespoons of olive oil, a teaspoon of tea tree oil and a teaspoon of eucalyptus oil all together in a bowel. Add this concoction in your shampoo and massage it into the scalp. Leave it on for 15 minutes and then rinse it out.
  6. Almonds. Grind 8 to 10 almonds all together to create a paste. Add in 2 to 3 teaspoons of lime juice and apply this to the scalp. Leave in this paste for ½ hour and rinse out thoroughly.
  7. Neem treatment. Another successful home treatment used in killing head lice is “neem” which is an all-natural insecticide. You can boil neem leaves and soak your scalp and hair for one hour. You can also buy neem oil at herbal stores and put a drop of it directly on the head. Use a fine-toothed comb to remove all the deal lice and nits.

headlice-remedy-bookAll-natural lice remedies could work magic in killing head lice for all ages. It is safe and the success rates are high. Home remedies for head lice is now available for those individuals who need a head lice remedy!

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