Kill Head Lice Naturally

Head lice, also called pediculosis capitis, are tiny parasitic insects that infest the human scalp and feed on the person’s blood. Most common in children, head lice is usually the result of direct transfer of the lice from the one person to another. Head lice are not a sign of poor hygiene and they don’t cause any infectious diseases. Although there is little clinical evidence of their efficacy, using natural remedies may kill head lice without harsh chemicals.

Steps

Treating Lice with Home Remedies

1. Wet-comb your hair. Use a fine-toothed nit comb to comb the entire length of wet and lubricated hair. This may remove lice and some of their nits, or eggs, if done for several weeks.
   • Purchase a nit comb at a pharmacy, grocery store or another large retailer.
   • Wet the hair with water and use something such as hair conditioner to lubricate it.
   • Run the nit comb the length of the hair at least twice during a session.
   • Repeat the process every three to four days for several weeks. Do this for at least two weeks after you find no more lice in your hair.
   • Use a light directed on the scalp to illuminate the area on which you’re combing.
   • A magnifying glass may also help you more effectively see the area you’re combing.
   • Comb sections that are about 1 inch by ½ inch, starting at the scalp and ending with the tip. Make sure to clean the comb with a tissue and some hot water after you’ve combed each section.
   • Pin up sections of the hair you’ve already combed to ensure that you get your entire scalp.
2. Apply essential oils. There is some evidence that applying natural plants oils to the hair may kill lice and eggs and soothe related itching. Be aware that although essential oils may work against, they are not approved by the Federal Drug Administration to meet safety, efficacy, and manufacturing standards, and may cause damage to your scalp if not used properly.
   • Use essential oils such as tea tree oil, anise oil, ylang ylang oil for lice and their nits. You can also look for plant oils containing nerolidol, which is a chemical compound found in many plant oils. Examples of this kind of oils includes: neroli, ginger, jasmine, and lavender.
   • Mix about 50 drops of your chosen essential oil or oils with 4 tablespoons vegetable oil.
   • Apply the mixture to your hair and cover it with a plastic shower cap. Then wrap this with a towel.
   • Leave it on your hair for an hour and then shampoo your hair thoroughly to rinse out any lice and nits.
   • You can buy essential oils at most health food stores, some pharmacies, and many grocery stores.
3. Smother lice and nits overnight. There are several household products that may deprive lice and nits of air. Applying a coat of any of these smothering agents to your hair and leaving it on overnight may treat your lice infestation.
   • Apply mayonnaise, olive oil, butter, or petroleum jelly to your hair.
   • Put on a shower cap over the smothering agent and leave on the mixture and cap overnight.
   • In the morning, remove the smothering agent with baby oil and by shampooing and rinsing your hair thoroughly. Be aware that because of the nature of these products, that it may take a lot of work to get them out of your hair.
   • Repeat this process several nights in a row.
4. Rinse hair with a water and vinegar. After successfully killing lice and nits, combine a mixture of 50% water and 50% vinegar. This can help dissolve the bodies of dead nits and may also help remove any lingering lice or nits in your hair.
   • Rub the mixture vigorously into your hair and rinse thoroughly.
   • A mixture of vinegar and olive oil may also work.
5. Avoid flammable products. No matter what natural remedy you choose to treat lice, never use any product that is flammable on your hair. Kerosene and gasoline can cause serious harm to your health and also increase your risk of having your hair catch on fire if exposed to flames.

Managing Lice Infestations

1. Clean household items. Although lice usually don’t survive past one day off the scalp, you may want to clean household items as a precaution. Wash and clean any items the affected person has used within the past two days.
   • Wash bedding, stuffed animals, and clothing in hot and soapy water. The water should be at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit (or 54.4 degrees Celsius). Dry items at a high heat.
   • Wash hair care items such as combs, brushes, and accessories in hot, soapy water. Soak the items in water that is at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit (or 54.4 degrees Celsius) for 5-10 minutes.
   • Seal any items that you cannot clean or wash in a plastic bag for two weeks to deprive the lice and nits of air.
   • Vacuum your floors and any upholstered furniture.
2. Inspect vigilantly. After any treatment and for a couple of weeks following treatment, inspect your head vigilantly for evidence of any lice or their nits. This can help prevent the spread to other individuals and help ensure that you don’t have any lingering lice or eggs that need treatment.
   • Nits hatch 7-11 days after being laid, so check your scalp for at least two weeks after treatment.
   • You may want to use a magnifying glass and lamp to inspect hair and other household items.
   • Check the hair daily until the infestation is gone and then every week thereafter to detect any reinfestation.
3. Contact the source of the infestation. Schools and child care facilities are the most commons sources of lice infestations, though they can occur any place. Contact the place that you believe is the source of the infestation in order to alert them to the possibility that others may also have it.
   • Let the source know that you are treating your own infestation.
4. Separate personal items. In general, it’s a good idea to separate personal items as much as possible. This can minimize the risk of lice and nits spreading to others and also prevent reinfestation.
   • Place coats, hats, and scarves on separate hooks as much as possible.
5. Use only your own personal items. It’s important not to share any personal items that you may have. This can prevent any type of head lice and nit transmission.
   • Only use your own comb, brush, hat, and scarf.
   • Make sure to use your own protective sports headgear such as helmets.
6. See your doctor. If you find that successive natural treatments don’t kill lice, schedule an appointment with your doctor. She may prescribe medication for the lice or any related skin infection, or your doctor may be able to identify if your “lice” is another condition such as dandruff.
   • Persistent itching from lice can break the skin and cause infections.
   • Lice can look like other conditions including: dandruff, residue from hair products, beads of dead hair tissue on the hair shaft, scab tissue, other small insects in the hair.

Tips

• For school-age children, examine hair each month for a month or two to check for lice infestation.
• If you have head lice put coconut oil in your hair sleep with it in your hair with a shower cap on your head.

Warnings

• Be careful using plastic bags around small children as they can cause suffocation.
• Lice almost never spread through inanimate objects because they need blood to survive.

Things You'll Need

• Nit comb
• Essential oils
• Mayonnaise, butter, olive oil, or petroleum jelly
• Vinegar
• Washer and dryer
• Plastic bags
• Vacuum
• Shampoo and conditioner

Related Articles

• Get Rid of Lice
• Prevent Lice
• Prevent Head Lice
• Use a Lice Comb on Dry Hair
• Free Your Child from Lice

Sources and Citations

See also

• Prevent Lice
• Get Rid of Lice
• Get Rid of Head Lice Overnight
• Remove Lice Using Tea Tree Oil
• Check a Child's Hair for Lice
• Remove Nits from Hair
• Get Rid of Lice with Products at Home
• Recognize Head Lice
• Treat Head Lice
• Check for Lice

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