My Child Has Head Lice! Are There Natural Cures For It?It is estimated that 10 to 12 million children in the United States are infested with head lice every year. Head lice are a common, controversial and frustrating problem for parents. The controversy isn't usually about how they got infected, but instead revolves around how they are going to get rid of them. Natural home remedies are one choice. You should first make sure that your child actually has lice before doing anything else. They can be confused with sand, or dandruff and can be found anywhere on the head. If the 'white stuff' is simply dandruff and is on her scalp and not on the hair shafts, then she may not have head lice at all. The condition, which is easily spread from person to person, making it hard to eliminate, is characterized by an itchy scalp. This is caused by the lice biting. These bites can become infected, and may appear red or crusty. Other symptoms could include:
If you are just seeing nits, but no live lice, then you may be able to simply wash her hair with a regular shampoo and then try to remove the nits using a nit comb. Keep in mind that live lice can sometimes be hard to find, so if you continue to find new nits, then your child does likely have an active infestation and does need further treatment.
Home Remedies for Head LiceCommonly, head lice is treated with lotions and shampoos made from malathion, pyrethrins, permethrins, lindane and other insecticides. Not only do some of these insecticides cause minor rashes and skin irritations in some people, but many are also known to be toxic to the nervous and immune systems. As well, lice can develop a resistance to the insecticides. In my opinion (and I'm sure many others as well), there are plenty of natural health alternatives available to you that you do not need to use harsh products that may be harmful to your children or yourself.If you don't want to use a chemical on your child's head,removing all lice and nits from the hair is the best way to get rid of them naturally and safely. This treatment that doesn't involve using any products at all simply involves removing the nits and live lice with a lice comb and/or tweezers. It can be time consuming to do this and you may have to repeat the procedure for several days to make sure you get them all. You still have to take the time to comb out all of the nits anyway even if you use an anti-lice shampoo, as these shampoos don't kill the eggs. If you don't, they will just hatch and you will have live lice again. There are various other alternative remedies are available to you as well. To see immediate results, and prevent re-infestation, we highly recommend Naughty Nits Shampoo, Spritzer and Oil . Clients have had excellent results with these products made by Native Remedies. One client stated "I'm telling all the other moms about this. It's great!" Next day shipping is available, which can be important. Tea tree oil is often used in homemade shampoos in conjunction with common household items like vinegar and cooking oil or even mayonnaise as a natural remedy. Few studies have examined the use of essential oils for treating this condition, though the positive results studies from thus far could lead to more widespread use of this essential oil for treatment. I’ve included some shampoo recipes I’ve compiled with different variations on this theme. There are lots of positive results with each of these recipes. The idea is to smother the lice so they cannot breathe and then to simply remove the lice as well as the nits to prevent continuing infestations. You should have a nit comb (purchased from the drug store) for removing any lice and nits as regular combs won’t do the job. For good measure add 4 drops of tea tree oil to your shampoo. This works as a preventative measure from further attacks. Don't rely on the various shampoos that advertise tea tree oil, they don't have enough in them. Add it yourself.
Use equal measures of cooking/salad oil and vinegar and apply to dry hair. Massage through hair covering entire head. Wrap in towel leave for 15 mins. After 15 minutes is up, brush hair then use nit comb through hair, this should be really easy because of the oil. Rinse comb after each brush through. When finished, shampoo out (with the tea tree oil added shampoo). You may find you have residue oil left in the hair and it may take a couple of extra washes to wash out.
Mix the three ingredients in a large squeeze bottle, such as an empty dish soap bottle. Use as regular shampoo, leave on for about 5 minutes before rinsing. Use conditioner to soften hair and keep dandruff down. Use every day up until a week and bugs should be gone in that time. Be VERY CAREFUL not to get in eyes or mouth.
Apply the baby oil to entire head. Leave it on hair for up to an hour. Rinse your hair and shampoo with the dishwashing liquid to help get rid of the oil. Add 4 drops of tea tree oil to your normal shampoo. Wash your hair as you normally would. Continue to use tea tree oil in your shampoo.
Mix 1/2 cup olive oil with 2 or 3 tablespoons tea tree oil. Apply to hair and rub into scalp. Leave on hair for 30 min. to 1 hr. Wash hair to remove oil. Rinse hair with vinegar (the vinegar loosens the "glue" holding the eggs and nits on your hair). Wait 5 to 10 mins. and rinse hair with hot water. Repeat vinegar rinse. Always comb hair out with a lice comb to remove any remaining nits. Regardless of which recipe you choose to use, remember as well as treating the lice/nits on the head, you need to wash bed linens, towels and clothes (in hot water) to get rid of any lingering pests. Vacuum the mattresses and furniture as well. I would also suggest vacuuming their car seats and wash any stuffed animals too. Diligence is the key to dealing with head lice. Don’t assume that something you’ve done has worked. Follow through for the next week to ensure you actually killed all lice and removed all nits. Anything less may result in on-going occurrences. Click here to return from Head Lice page to Homepage
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