Natural Home Remedies for Lice

Home Remedies for Lice – Natural Remedies to Get Rid of Head Lice

Home Remedies for Lice: Lice are wingless insects that are barely 1.6 mm long. They live close to the scalp and lay a lot of eggs. They are parasitic in nature and thrive by sucking blood of the host. Lice infestations may be common, but more than being a problem, they cause stigma and disgust for people who have suffered with such a lice infestation. Though a lice infestation can happen to anyone, irrespective of age or gender, it is more common among children between ages 3 to 14 years.

These bugs cause constant itching and irritation, red bumps or crawling sensation on the head, thus brings discomfort to those affected. Fortunately, it can be easily be treated with Home Remedies for Lice.

Natural Home Remedies for Lice
Natural Home Remedies for Lice

 

Natural Home Remedies for Lice

 

1. Vinegar Home Remedies for Lice

The Acetic acid richness in Vinegar helps kill the lice, dissolve the gum that lice use to stick their nits to hair shafts. and even dissolve dead nits. This makes it easier to get rid of lice as well as nits.

  • Mix equal parts of vinegar and mineral oil. Apply it onto hair and leave it over night. Wash your hair with regular shampoo the next day and comb your hair while it is still wet to get rid of nits and lice.

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2. Coconut Oil Home Remedies for Lice

Coconut oil does not kill lice or nits, but tends to make them immobile. When used over night with a shower cap, it can also suffocate lice.

  • Warm up some coconut oil. When you take it off flame, add a few bits of camphor in it. Now apply this mixture onto hair and leave it over night. The next day, wash your hair with regular shampoo and comb your hair while it is still wet to get rid of nits and lice.

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3. Onion Home Remedies for Lice

The high content of sulphur in lice helps to get rid of lice by smothering and killing them.

  • Take 3 – 4 onions (or more, depending on length of hair) and grind it in a mixer to make a paste. Now press this mixture through a sieve to obtain its juice. Apply this juice directly, or mix it with equal parts of mustard oil or coconut oil and apply it on to scalp. Leave this on your hair through the night and shampoo it next day. While it is still wet, comb your hair to rid lice and nits.

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4. Lemon Home Remedies for Lice

The acidic nature of lemon juice helps to get rid of the lice that has been infesting on a scalp.

  • Take the juice of a lemon (or two, depending on length of hair) and mix it with equal parts of mustard oil. Apply this mix generously throughout your hair and scalp. Leave it over night and shampoo it the next morning. While the hair is still wet, comb through it to rid lice and nits.
  • You can also apply lemon juice directly to your scalp and hair. Leave it on for not more than 30 minutes, as it can bleach your hair. Rinse it with a cup of vinegar, and then finally rinse with lukewarm water.While the hair is still wet, comb your hair to rid lice and nits.
  • Take a tablespoon of lemon juice, and add 4 cloves of minced garlic. Mix this well to form a paste. Apply this to your hair and scalp thoroughly and wrap with a towel. Let it sit on your hair for 30 minutes before you shampoo it. While the hair is still wet, comb your hair to get rid of lice and nits.

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5. Tea Tree Oil Home Remedies for Lice

Tea tree oil is known to possess anti-fungal, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. Although the exact mechanisms of how tea tree oil works  to kill lice and nits is still not clearly known, it has still been found to be effective in helping to get rid of head lice and nits. It is also believed to have lice-repelling properties, preventing a relapse of infestation.

  • Mix a 3 :1 ratio of olive oil and tea tree oil. Massage your hair and scalp well with this concoction and leave it on for about 30  minutes before you shampoo it. Once the hair dries, comb your hair to rid lice and nits off it.
  • Add 3 drops of tea tree oil to every ounce of  shampoo that you use. Wash your hair with this shampoo regularly. Once the hair dries, comb it to bring out the lice and nits.

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6. Olive Oil Home Remedies for Lice

Olive oil, if applied on head and scalp and left overnight, can kill and suffocate lice. Leave this on your hair over night and shampoo it the next morning. While the hair is still wet, comb your hair to rid lice and nits.

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7. Mayonnaise/Butter Home Remedies for Lice

Similar to olive oil, mayonnaise or butter too can suffocate the lice, releasing it from the shafts and helping in getting rid of them. Apply mayonnaise to your scalp and hair overall.  Let it rest over night. The next day, you may shampoo your hair as usual and then comb your hair while it is still wet.

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8. Combs as a Home remedy for Lice

This one is the most painful yet most effective of all remedies. Comb your hair with very fine comb in order to get rid of lice. Special nit and lice combs are also available in the market that can help draw out all the lice and nits.

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Points to Remember when using Home Remedies for Lice

  • No matter what treatment you use, ensure that you continue the treatment on a weekly basis, for about 2 months (8 weeks). This will ensure that no nits are left out in the head and a relapse of the infestation will be minimized
  • Whatever treatment you choose, ensure that you wrap your head with a shower cap every time as that will allow just limited air to circulate around your hair. This tends to suffocate the lice and makes it easier to remove them.
  • Infestation can be communicated to other hosts with the help of contact of head (slight touching during hugging, or when sleeping, etc), by hair combs, brushes and other hair accessories being shared, by towels and other such shared items. For this reason, it is crucial that you avoid sharing your personal items to prevent catching or passing infestation.
  • When one person of the family is being treated for head lice, check all other members and treat them at the same time to prevent a relapse of the infestation.
  • In some cases, getting rid of residue of mayonnaise, mustard oil, etc from hair may be difficult. You may consider mixing 1 tsp of dish washing liquid with 2 tbsp of your regular shampoo to get rid of these residues.
  • It is important to wash hair cleaning equipment being used before and after use with hot water. Try not to share these combs with anyone too.

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Lice may seem like a complicated  problem but it does not signal poor hygiene. It can be considered a matter of poor hygiene if enough attempts are not made at eliminating them from the host’s scalp and hair, and the infestation intensifies a lot. Hope above home remedies to get rid of head lice will help you.