When she saw her son running home, looking messy and scratching his scalp so often, she suspected something was in his head that was irritating her. There are lice crawling fast on her scalp! This is just a common scenario of children infested with lice and she wants to find ways to treat lice naturally because some medications contain harsh chemicals that are not good for her children. Lice treatments should get rid of lice without putting your children’s health at risk.
Description of lice
Lice are crawling, wingless insects that are considered parasites because they feed on blood taken from the human scalp. They do not bring much danger to the health of the person, but only severe irritation and itching. Common characteristics of head lice are:
• Adult lice feed as many times a day
• Size is about the same as a sesame seed or match head (measures from about 2mm to 4mm)
• Color is dark and becomes darker after blood sucking
• Without wings, the body is elongated or stretched out, with three body segments, namely the abdomen, thorax and head
• Lives close to the scalp and lays 3 to 10 nits per day
Symptoms of head lice include red sores found on the scalp, itching, and the presence of large numbers of lice eggs on the hair shafts. If you are seeing these manifestations, then you are infested with lice. There are many lice remedies available, including chemical-based lice medications and natural home remedies. Pediculids refer to drugs that kill lice and nymphs, but leave lice eggs behind, and therefore reapplication of treatment must be done correctly. These can be purchased with a prescription from your doctor due to the toxicity involved.
If you don’t want your child to be exposed to chemical treatments, treating head lice naturally is the best thing to do. Still, the most effective way to remove lice and lice eggs is to pick them up one by one and also use a lice comb. This method does not involve the application of any formula to the hair to kill lice and nymphs. You can follow these simple steps to get rid of lice infestation.
1. One way to kill lice is to apply a hair straightening product to the scalp. Try using mayonnaise or Vaseline because both products work the same. What you need is a jar of mayonnaise and a shower cap. Place a handful of mayonnaise on the portions of hair, carefully massaging between the hair strands until the entire area of the head is covered with mayonnaise, especially the lower part of the neck and behind the ears. Cover your head with a shower cap for two hours just to soften the nits and lice from the hair shafts. After two hours, wash the hair thoroughly with shampoo and soap until the mixture until the hair is so clean. You can wash your hair again if it’s sticky until the mayonnaise is completely removed. If you’re not okay with using mayonnaise because it’s too messy, using Vaseline is a good option.
2. Another natural remedy to get rid of stubborn lice is to use vinegar. This is very natural and basic because most homes have vinegar in the kitchen. You can saturate hair with vinegar for at least an hour, cover hair with a shower cap, and rinse well after an hour soak. You can repeat the process after two or three days because consequently those lice die after two or three days of vinegar application. Simply do a follow up operation to make sure all the lice are removed to prevent a new lice infestation.
3. The use of essential oil as a natural remedy to eliminate lice is gaining a lot of popularity nowadays. Tea tree oil application is one of the easiest methods to kill head lice. Combine at least 15 drops of tea tree oil in a bottle of shampoo. It’s best if the shampoo bottle is only half full so the oil can be more evenly distributed. Use it as your daily shampoo.
4. Aloe vera leaves also do wonders for getting rid of lice while also giving a lot of shine and volume to hair that is falling out. How to apply? Pick an aloe vera leaf, carefully remove all the spines from its side, peel it and form a gel substance. Apply to hair and leave on for at least 30 minutes. Divide the hair into one-inch subsections. You can take a teaspoon of aloe gel and mix it with the brand of shampoo of your choice. Apply daily and consistently. After each bath, use a metal lice comb and pick out the lice one by one.
Treating head lice naturally is the most amazing thing you could share and contribute to the total well-being of your child. Head lice should not be taken for granted, but given the utmost importance. The best thing with these natural remedies is that you are killing the lice without hurting your precious little one. What is most important here is the removal of all the lice eggs because when the nits are completely removed from the scalp, there will be no more lice in the future.
