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Home Remedy Lice Treatment

Lice are parasitic insects that can cause intense itching and small, red bumps on the neck, shoulders and scalp. Lice infestations are very common in school-age children because of the constant close contact that they have with one another. Many home remedies are available for parents who wish to treat their child's infestation without using harsh chemicals.

  1. Oils

    • Oils can work wonders when it comes to killing lice. Mix 20 drops of eucalyptus oil, 20 drops of tea tree oil, 10 drops of aniseed oil, 10 drops of lemon oil and 10 drops of olive oil together. Apply the mixture to your child's hair and leave it there for approximately one hour before rinsing. Purchase the vials of oil at your local health food store.

    Vaseline and Mayonnaise

    • Vaseline and mayonnaise both work by suffocating the lice. Apply a liberal amount of either Vaseline or mayonnaise and leave it on your child's hair for one hour, then wash her hair thoroughly with a medicated dandruff shampoo. You may need to wash her hair several times, as both Vaseline and mayonnaise are very hard to get out. She shouldn't need a separate conditioner, because both of these treatments will give her hair extra shine.

    Vinegar Rinse

    • After you shampoo your child's hair, rinse it with vinegar. Soak a cloth in vinegar and grab a section of his hair, pressing the cloth between your thumb and index finger, gripping the hair tightly as you slide the cloth from the roots to the tips. Using a vinegar rinse can help remove the nits from the hair shaft, preventing them from hatching.

    Grooming

    • Comb your child's wet hair with a fine-toothed comb to physically remove the lice. The best kind of comb is a flea comb, because the teeth are very close together and work well to remove the tiny lice. This method works best when the hair is wet. You should notice a difference within two weeks of doing this every three to four days.

    Prevention

    • When you have children, preventing lice can be very difficult. Head lice spreads easily from child to child, so to prevent it you must teach your children not to share certain items, such as scarves, coats, hats, combs, brushes, headphones and hair accessories. It is possible for your child to have nits, but not a full-blown lice infestation. If you see nits within ¼ inch of your child's scalp, it is important to treat them as they may hatch and create an infestation.

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