Head lice are tiny insects that live in hair. Nits are the empty egg cases attached to hair that head lice hatch from, here are home remedies for head lice .

Head lice are a common problem, particularly in school children aged 4-11.

They’re largely harmless, but can live in the hair for a long time if not treated with home remedies for head lice and can be irritating and frustrating to deal with.

 

 

Head lice can be difficult to spot, even when the head is closely inspected.

They’re very small whitish or grey-brown insects that range from the size of a pinhead to the size of a sesame seed.

The only way to be sure someone has head lice is to find a live louse by combing their hair with a special fine-toothed comb and by use of home remedies for head lice. This is called detection combing.

 

Less reliable signs of head lice include:

• small white eggs or nits (egg cases) in the hair behind the ears or at back of the neck
• an itchy scalp
• a rash on the back of the neck
• feeling as though something is moving in the hair

 

Home Remedies for Head Lice

 

Olive Oil

Apply any type of olive oil to your hair generously before going to bed. Put a shower cap or towel on your head to keep the oil on your hair overnight. In the morning, comb out the tiny parasites and then wash your hair with some herbal shampoo containing tea tree oil.

 

Salt to treat head lice

Salt will suffocate the lice to death.

For this take one quarter cup of vinegar is to be mixed with one quarter cup of salt thoroughly. Spray the mixture over the head and scalp until the hair becomes damp. Cover the head with a shower cap and allow the mixture to stand for no less than two hours. At the conclusion of the two hours, shampoo and condition hair as usual.

This treatment for head lice must be repeated every three days until all traces of the infestation have vanished for a full 24 hours.

 

Petroleum Jelly

Petroleum jelly prohibits the movement of head lice.

For this before going to bed, a thick layer of petroleum jelly is to be applied to the scalp. The head is to be covered, tightly, with a shower cap. Upon waking up in the morning, baby oil is to be used in order to remove the petroleum jelly from the head. Thoroughly comb hair to remove the head lice

This will need to be repeated over the course of several nights for natural lice treatment.

 

Vinegar

The acetic acid in vinegar is toxic for the lice. It also helps dissolve dead nits, the remaining you can pick out with a nit comb.

Mix equal parts of white vinegar with mineral oil (such as baby oil) and apply it on your child’s head. Massage it thoroughly, protect the head with a shower cap and leave it on for the entire night. Shampoo it off the following morning.

Or

Use vinegar by diluting it with equal parts of water (1:1 ratio) and by applying it on hair that has been freshly shampooed. Leave the vinegar on for about 10 minutes and then rinse that area off with some fresh water.

If the vinegar treatment is applied three times a week, it will get rid of the head lice in about two months.

 

Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise contains a lot of oil, which has viscosity properties that will suffocate live head lice this makes it important home remedies for head lice.

Apply full-fat mayonnaise liberally over your scalp. Cover your hair with a shower cap or towel and leave it on for about eight hours or overnight. Shampoo and then comb any remaining lice out of your hair.

Repeat this out of home remedies for head lice daily for one week.

 

Onion

Onions contain sulfur, which is purported to kill head lice.

Take six regular sized onions and throw them in the blender to make a smooth paste. Put the paste on a sieve and extract the juice. Massage the scalp with this juice and protect the area with a shower cap for about two hours. Shampoo the hair, dry it with a hair dryer and then use a nit comb as described in all the other treatments.

Use onion treatment out of important home remedies for head lice for three consecutive days, then use it once a month for about two months.

 

Baby Oil

It is heavily believed that baby oil is able to suffocate head lice as well.

Apply baby oil to the head and comb hair slowly. This will cause lice to begin to slowly fall from the head. Wash head completely with laundry detergent and hot water. As you prepare for be, place white vinegar on the scalp and cover with either a shower cap or towel. Upon awakening in the morning, remove the cap or towel from the head and wash with your current shampoo and conditioner.

This process works best when it is repeated for a maximum of four consecutive days.

 

Neem (Indian Lilac)

Neem has a pungent odour, which inhibits biting and kills lice.

Boil Handful of neem leaves in water for 10 minutes. Use the water to rinse hair. Repeat twice weekly to get rid of head lice.

Or

Apply neem oil to the scalp. Leave for 15 minutes. Comb hair to remove dead lice.

Cover with a shower cap or towel and leave overnight. In the morning, wash hair.

Repeat daily for two weeks to remove the head lice.

 

Lemon Juice

The highly acidic nature of lemon juice can be used to treat head lice as well. Take four large garlic cloves and mash them into a fine paste using a pestle and mortar. Add one tablespoon of lemon juice to it and mix the paste thoroughly. Massage the scalp using this paste and then leave it covered with a thick towel for about thirty minutes. Shampoo the hair and then use a nit comb.

The above treatment can completely eliminate head lice if done for five consecutive days. You can also replace the mashed garlic cloves with crushed almonds for similar results with this one of top home remedies for head lice.

 

Garlic

Garlic has an incredibly strong fragrance that will suffocate the head lice to death.

For this take eight to ten cloves of garlic are to be ground into a paste and mixed with two to three teaspoons of lime juice. This mixture is to be applied onto the scalp and left there for at least 30 minutes. At the conclusion of the 30 minutes, the mixture is to be thoroughly rinsed from the scalp with hottest temperature of water than can be sustained without discomfort or injury.

Or

Combine green tea, fresh garlic juice, lemon extract and shampoo and conditioner. Place the mixture onto the scalp thoroughly and then cover the entire head with either a shower cap or towel for at least 30 minutes. At the end of the 30 minute time, wash hair regularly. Repeat this once per week for a maximum of two months.

 

Sesame Oil

Sesame oil has high antibacterial, anti-fungal, and insecticide properties which cure head lice.

Rinse hair with apple cider vinegar and allow it dry. Mix the ¼ cup of sesame oil, 1/8 cup of neem oil, 1 tsp tea tree oil, ½ tsp eucalyptus and rosemary essential oil and 10 drops of lavender essential oil. Apply to the scalp. Cover with a shower cap or towel and leave overnight. The next morning, comb hair to remove dead lice. Wash hair with shampoo.

Repeat daily for 1 – 2 weeks.