Head Lice Prevention Tips

All school-going children generally will face the problem of lice growing in their hair. They lay eggs and increase their generation drastically if we do not take action. Later they will enter every family members head! Here are some natural remedies from grandma to control as well as to get rid of the lice from hair.

1) Vinegar: Apply vinegar (spray) on the hair and tie a towel around or put a shower cap. Leave it for two hours. If you feel that vinegar is too strong for your child then mix it with coconut oil.  Wash hair, using shampoo and comb the hair. Keep a paper underneath on the floor so that lice will fall on the paper. Wrap and get rid of the paper or burn it.  Repeat this 2 or 3 times a week and don’t forget to wash pillow cases and bed sheets! This method also dissolves the nits (eggs) shells !!

2) Camphor and hair oil: Mix a small piece of camphor and hair oil (coconut, sesame or olive oil).  Camphor is very strong and may burn eyes. Take proper precautions before using it! Apply this mix on the scalp and on nits’ areas. Strong odor of camphor suffocates the lice and they will start moving. Cover head with shower cap and leave it for half an hour. Remove shower cap and comb the hair. Later wash hair using warm water and comb the hair again.

3) Garlic treatment: Apply garlic paste in lime juice on the scalp. Leave it for half an hour. Wash the hair. Repeat this process 3-4 weeks. Eating raw garlic everyday helps and one can apply garlic oil on the scalp followed by washing the hair.

4) Petroleum jelly: Applying petroleum jelly suffocates the lice by clogging their breathing holes. Some people prefer petroleum jelly even though it is greasier and some studies found that petroleum jelly is better than other home remedies. Coat the hair and scalp, cover it overnight with a shower cap, and wash out the next morning. Comb for nits. Repeat the treatment once a week for next few days.

5) Nit-picking and combing: To treat lice, there are times use lice comb to comb your child’s hair every morning and evening for few weeks. First you comb hair section by section with a special lice comb to remove lice and nits. Divide the hair to several sections, have patience and pickup the nits and kill them using traditional method – crushing using nails or collect in waste paper and burn them! You can combine the combing with other home remedies.

6) Hot sun, warm oil in lemon juice: Warm sesame oil and mix with a table spoon of lemon juice. Apply this on hair. Let the hair soak in this mixture. Ask child to sit in hot sun for 20 min to half an hour. Comb the hair under sun. Wash hair using warm water and comb again. Acidic nature of lemon juice dissolves the nits shell.

7) Use essential oils: From essential oils stores you can buy a bottle each of rosemary, tea tree and lavender oil. Take 20 drops of each of these oils and put them in measuring cup. Now, add vinegar and double the amount of olive oil so you have half a cup of the mixture. Apply this to your child’s scalp and leave on overnight. Wash off the next morning, and apply any leftover mixture to your child’s head the next night.

8) Do not share combs and other tools: Instruct your child not to share the comb with other members of family or with friends. If they are planning for a sleep over postpone it for few days till the lice are removed.  During parents and teacher’s meeting, bring it as a subject without pinpointing and hurting anyone’s feelings.  Most parents will go through this problem and may give better suggestions.

Image credit: “Sakura” by Asela is licensed under CC BY 2.0