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Lice Remedy

Head lice is an extremely contagious condition that tends to target young children. Louse (singular for lice) are tiny, wingless insects that feed off human skin and blood. Their removal can be challenging, as they lay their tiny eggs or nits on individual hair strands, which can be difficult to see. Although there are many chemical-based lice shampoos available, many people choose to treat head lice more naturally without the harmful side effects of the chemical-based products.

  1. Home Remedies

    • Many good home remedies help get rid of lice. Just open up your pantry to find some simple treatments. Olive oil and mayonnaise are considered two effective louse smothering agents. With either product, put the doused hair in a shower cap and leave on overnight. Rinse thoroughly in the morning. It may take a few rinses before it is completely removed. Vinegar is another great home remedy, as its powerful acidity can unglue the nits from the hair strands. After shampooing, rinse hair with 1 cup of water and 2 tablespoons of vinegar. A thorough comb through is required after either treatment to remove any bugs or nits.

    Natural Shampoos

    • Many good natural shampoos are available online or at your local health food store. Many of them contain tea tree oil, which is an essential oil that louse do not like. In fact, you can make your own natural lice shampoo. Take any gentle shampoo, and add 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of tea tree oil and 1 teaspoon of eucalyptus oil. These oils can also be found at your local health food store. Be sure to comb through the hair after rinsing. Keep these shampoos on hand, as either can be used as a preventative treatment against lice.

    Combing

    • The most effective remedy for lice is combing. After the hair is rinsed out from whichever treatment you choose, separate the hair off into small sections. After each stroke with your lice comb, rinse it off in a cup of water. This will allow you to see the progress you are making with the nit removal. If you are successful, you will see small brown dots floating in the cup. During infestation, combing should occur at least twice a day. Because of the life cycle of lice it may take up to 10 days for any new lice to be born, so it's extremely important to continue combing for at least two weeks following the infestation. Your goal is to have a clear cup of water following a combing.

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