{"id":5059,"date":"2019-03-20T08:27:59","date_gmt":"2019-03-20T08:27:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/?p=5059"},"modified":"2021-05-31T20:14:44","modified_gmt":"2021-05-31T20:14:44","slug":"15-home-treatments-to-get-rid-of-head-lice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/15-home-treatments-to-get-rid-of-head-lice\/","title":{"rendered":"15 Home Treatments to Get Rid of Head Lice"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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When lice first call your child\u2019s scalp home, they might not seem like a very significant threat. That said, when left untreated, they can quickly grow into a larger problem. All the irritation and itching that the lice cause will make it difficult for your child to focus when studying or relaxing at home. The odds of contracting head lice are greater in a child that spends a lot of time playing with friends, especially outdoors. If you want to get rid of head lice at home, there are some things that you can do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While you could use some OTC medications, there are easier ways to eradicate this scourge that calls your head home. Some children might also be allergic to the OTC medication that would normally be used to treat lice. Without further adieu, we\u2019ve gathered eight of the most effective home treatments that you can use to get rid of head lice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Vinegar<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Vinegar <\/a>is a very versatile liquid. It can be used for much more than cooking. It features various home remedies for many types of problems. Vinegar can also be used to deal with head lice problems. To use it to get rid of your head lice, start by buying some distilled vinegar and then gently apply it either to your own hair or to your child\u2019s hair \u2014 possibly even both if the problem has gotten that out of hand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let it sit for a few minutes and then thoroughly rinse it out using running water. You could even use apple cider vinegar when executing this home remedy. One good tip is to use coconut oil to comb out the hair after you\u2019ve rinsed out the vinegar. This will get rid of any corpses of dead lice and could also remove any nits that might have been left by the lice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Olive oil<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of oil, olive oil<\/a> is another substance that can be used for both cooking and lice removal. It\u2019s almost like lice are allergic to anything that can be used to make good food. Apply olive oil on the scalp of your child and keep going until it looks sufficiently saturated. The olive oil makes it difficult for both the lice and their eggs to get enough oxygen, suffocating them to death. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After leaving the olive oil in the hair for around 20 minutes, you can comb the dead lice out and shampoo the hair to remove any excess oil. Keep repeating this process until you have successfully eradicated all the lice in your hair. Be sure to wash clothes thoroughly following this process as there might be some lice that have become lodged in the fabric and could otherwise crawl back up into the hair and lay more eggs on the scalp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Tea tree oil<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ah, another oil. Tea tree oil<\/a> is by far one of the most effective home remedies for removing lice and their eggs in either your scalp or the scalp of your child. All you have to do is pour some tea tree oil in a bowl together with some water and mix it thoroughly until the two ingredients blend together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once they are sufficiently blended, you can pour the mix into a spray bottle and douse the hair in the solution. After spraying the head with the solution, cover the hair with a towel and leave it for a bit. After leaving it long enough, take the towel off and rinse the hair out thoroughly to remove any oil that has been left. You could even add some tea tree oil to the shampoo of your children to increase the effectiveness of the treatment. Combing the hair after this process is also advised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Garlic<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If there\u2019s one thing that lice hate, it\u2019s definitely garlic<\/a>. Isn\u2019t it funny how bloodsucking creatures always hate garlic? Much like vampires, one of the best ways to kill off your head lice is by using garlic. All you have to do is take eight to 10 cloves from a piece of garlic and then add it into lime juice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best way to add the cloves to the lime juice is by grinding them up until they get the consistency of a paste. Once they are in the form of a paste, you can mix them together with the lime juice. After thoroughly blending the two ingredients together, you can apply them to the scalp and watch as the lice scream in pain. After leaving it in the scalp for half an hour, you can rinse the mixture off with hot water. Ensure that the water is not too hot or it may damage the scalp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Petroleum jelly<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Petroleum jelly<\/a> prevents the movement of lice and can also deter other lice from hopping onto your head. The sheer thickness of the petroleum jelly makes it impossible for lice to move around freely. Some lice will get stuck and die due to an inability to feed whereas others will break free and jump ship onto another head that suits their needs better. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get a thick layer of petroleum jelly smeared on the scalp and then wrap it up with a towel. Leave it there overnight and then use a comb to remove the dead lice in the morning. Remember, lice can hold their breath for up to eight hours, so leaving it overnight is the best way to suffocate them. If you are a short sleeper, it might do you some good to leave the towel on your head for a few hours after waking up to ensure that any lice trying to hold their breath die off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Hairdryers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hairdryers are another great way to get rid of the lice <\/a>that have made your scalp their home. One thing that you should remember is that this tip should be performed outdoors. If you use this method indoors, it will increase the odds of the lice spreading and also the odds of reinfection after the treatment is complete. Simply use the hairdryer to blow the lice off your hair. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They will be encouraged to leave due to the immense heat. Any lice who stay will likely die due to the extreme temperatures. Do not attempt this with toddlers as the heat is bad for their scalp. After you have completed this step, be sure to wash their clothes to ensure that no lice are seeking refuge there only to return to the scalp once the conditions are less harsh. Leaving the clothes to soak overnight will be your best bet of getting rid of any stole away lice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Onion juice<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Onions <\/a>have a lot of uses. They make food taste better, they make you cry, and they can even get rid of lice. If you want to get rid of your lice using onions, you have to start by brewing some onion juice. Simply grind up some onions and add water then blend the solution well until the two ingredients mix together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pour the mixture into a cup and then apply it on the scalp. Leave the solution on the scalp for around four hours. After leaving it to soak for four hours, wipe the corpses off using a towel and remove any remaining \u2014 but weakened \u2014 specimens using a nit comb. Be sure to shampoo your hair afterward to remove the onion juice. You should repeat this process twice a week to get the best results. You could even do it daily if you are in a rush to rid yourself of the infestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Baking soda<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Baking soda<\/a> is a truly versatile substance. It can be used as a deodorant, an organic toothpaste, or a kitchen cleaner. It can even be used to treat poison ivy since it neutralizes the toxins on the skin. Another great quality of baking soda is its ability to rid yourself of lice. The baking soda paralyzes the respiratory system of the lice making it impossible for them to breathe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mix your conditioner with baking soda in a three to one ratio and then apply the mix to your hair using a comb. After leaving the solution for a while, you can rinse it off with water. It\u2019s advised that you comb your hair after rinsing it off to remove any corpses. Repeat this process daily to get the best results. That said, if you have a busy schedule, try to at least do this twice a week to ensure that the lice population in your head can\u2019t bounce back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9. Coconut Oil<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve looked at a few oils for killing off head lice already, but another that will do the job is coconut oil<\/a>. And in fact, this is a very strong choice at the moment given just how trendy coconut oil has become and how much else it can do for you! Keeping a jar of coconut oil around the house is a great way to make a whole host of different tasks easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coconut oil works just like olive oil: it helps to smother the head lice by covering them and blocking off their oxygen. It\u2019s not a nice way to go, but it sure does the trick! At the same time, it will also make the surface of the scalp slippery \u2013 same goes for the hair \u2013 which will make it easier to comb them off and may even lead to a couple falling off on their own!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what really makes coconut oil effective is that it is antibacterial, and this also applies to head lice: you can kill them off in the same way as germs. Coconut oil will also help to soothe and nourish the skin underneath, which is a great way to aid recovery after all that itching and scratching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for what else you can do with coconut oil: it is great for cooking, it helps to aid weight loss by providing energy that doesn\u2019t get stored as fat, and you can even use it as shaving foam! Better yet, why not try \u2018oil pulling\u2019 and swill it around your mouth in order to kill off bacteria and give yourself sparkling white teeth?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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10. Fine Comb<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A fine comb is going to be your most important secret weapon when it comes to killing bacteria. A comb will essentially work by pulling the nits <\/a>off of the hairs, and the same goes for the tiny eggs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve seen that this works extremely well you combine it with the oils, but actually you can also just do a \u2018wet comb\u2019 and have predominantly the same effect. One tip when combing the hair though is to make sure that you wipe the brush with a muslin cloth or similar in between each go-through. This prevents you from simply removing the nits only to then transfer them directly back <\/em>into the hair after each turn!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best is if someone other than the contaminated individual is able to do the combing. This way, you can also take the opportunity to look for remaining head lice and to ensure that they\u2019re all gone by the end!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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11. House Clean<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Doing a thorough spring clean is not strictly necessary if you have nits. This is because nits \u2013 unlike fleas <\/a>for example \u2013 cannot survive for long when they are away from the scalp. Likewise, the tiny eggs will not hatch when they are away from the scalp. That said, they can survive when away from the head for a few hours and this means there is <\/em>the risk of transferring them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is why it is no bad idea to clean the house just to be on the safe side, and to put bed linen and the like through the wash. That will also give you peace of mind that comes from knowing that everything is clean and nit free!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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12. Keep Checking!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another tip is to keep checking the hair<\/a>. Even if you\u2019re confident that you got them all the first time, it\u2019s important that you keep an eye out for their return. Nits are absolutely tiny, and it only takes for a couple of eggs to have survived the cull in order for the issue to flare up all over again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By continually checking the hair for their return, you can make sure that you catch the \u2018stragglers\u2019 early on, instead of letting them repopulate your scalp and come back in full force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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13. Hair Cut<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A hair cut won\u2019t prevent you from getting nits <\/a>(as some people seem to think) but completely shaving your head will get rid of them in the short term. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, of course, this is a bit of a drastic step and not one that everyone is going to be willing to take! But if you\u2019re someone who suits a shaved head and you were thinking about it any way\u2026 then this might just be the last push to go ahead and get it done that you were looking for!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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14. Immune System<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Finally, it is a good idea to make sure to boost your immune system<\/a> as much as possible during and after a head lice infestation. The reason for this is that you may have had a slightly vulnerable immune system, to begin with if you were able to contract the problem: your body would otherwise have stood a better chance of preventing them from setting up camp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s more, is that this does take a toll on your system and can cause you to become run down enough that you might end up getting ill from something else. Make sure you are eating well and getting lots of sleep and this will improve your chances of keeping a clear head going forward!
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